ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell women's soccer team will square off against a pair of Big East foes this week when it travels to Queens, N.Y., on Thursday night to play St. John's before returning to Berman Field for a fixture against Villanova on Sunday afternoon.

MATCH NO. 6
Cornell at St. John's
SITE: Belson Stadium – Queens, N.Y. (artificial surface)
RECORDS: Cornell (1-1-3, 0-0-0 Ivy League), St. John's (3-1-2, 0-0-0 Big East)
SERIES RECORD: St. John's leads, 2-0-2
SERIES STREAK: Tied 1
WEATHER FORECAST: 71°, sunny, 0 percent chance of rain; Winds: SE 10-15 mph
BROADCAST: FloFC
Stats: CornellBigRed.com

MATCH NO. 7
Villanova at Cornell
SITE: Berman Field – Ithaca, N.Y. (natural surface)
RECORDS: Villanova (3-3-0, 0-0-0 Big East), Cornell (1-1-3, 0-0-0 Ivy League)
SERIES RECORD: Villanova leads, 3-2-1
SERIES STREAK: Tied 1
WEATHER FORECAST: 78°, sunny, 0 percent chance of rain; Winds: SSE 5-10 mph
BROADCAST: ESPN+
Stats: CornellBigRed.com

LAST TIME OUT
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (SEPT. 8, 2024) — Junior goalkeeper Natalie Medugno made a season-high six saves as Cornell played to a scoreless draw against Lehigh at the Ulrich Sports Complex this past Sunday afternoon.

Medugno's six-save outing was her highest output of stops in a single match since making seven saves against Princeton on Sept. 22, 2023, in the program's first Ivy League contest.

CLEAN SHEET CLUB
With her clean sheet against Lehigh on Sunday, junior goalkeeper Natalie Medugno increased her career total for clean sheets to 5.5.

Medugno is one-half of a clean sheet away from tying Meghan Cauzillo (1997-00) and Meghan Kennedy (2015-18) for the 10th-most shutouts in Big Red program history.

Should Medugno record one full clean sheet this week, she would surpass Cauzillo and Kennedy and tie Katrina Matlin (2003-06) for the ninth-most clean sheets in a Cornell career.

If Medugno logs clean sheets in both matches this week, she would surpass Kate Alexander (1992-93) and assume sole possession of eighth place for the most clean sheets in Cornell program history.

CAREER CLEAN SHEETS
Cornell Program History
1. 22, Melissa Gambrell (1986-89)
2. 21.5, Kelsey Tierney (2013-16)
3. 20, Sue DeLong (1990-91, 93-94)
4. 16, Sherrie Chocola (1984-86)
5. 13, Katie Thomas (2001-04)
6. 10, Marybeth Bell (1995-96)
7. 9, Kate Thompson (1983-84)
8. 7, Kate Alexander (1992-93)
9. 6.5, Katrina Matlin (2003-06)
T10. 6, Meghan Cauzillo (1997-00)
T10. 6, Meghan Kennedy (2015-18)
11. 5.5, Natalie Medugno (2022-Present)

KNACK FOR THE NET
Cornell has scored at least one goal in 37 of its 52 matches played under Rob Ferguson, dating back to the 2021 campaign.

The 71.2 percent of contests with a goal ranks as the highest clip in Cornell program history, surpassing Randy May, the first head coach in program history, who saw his teams score in 67.7 percent of the 282 matches he coached during his 18-year tenure at the helm of the Big Red (191 games with a goal).

HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF MATCHES WITH A GOAL
By Coach — Cornell Program History
1. Rob Ferguson (2020-Present) — 71.2 percent (37-of-52)
2. Randy May (1982-99) — 67.7 percent (191-of-282)
3. Berhane Anderberhan (2000-05) — 66.0 percent (64-of-97)
4. Patrick Farmer (2012-16) — 62.2 percent (51-of-82)
5. Gretchen Zigante (2006) — 58.8 percent (10-of-17)
6. Danielle LaRoche (2007-11) — 48.1 percent (37-of-77)
7. Dwight Hornibrook (2017-19) — 38.6 percent (17-of-44)

As of late, the Big Red has displayed its scoring prowess by scoring at least one goal in 10 of its last 11 contests, 20 of its previous 22 matches, and 23 of its latest 27 fixtures, dating back to 2022.

NO 'L's ON THE ROAD
With a win or tie against St. John's on Thursday, Cornell will have strung together three consecutive unbeaten results in contests away from Berman Field. It would be the longest streak since going 1-0-2 in its first three road matches last season. That streak began when it defeated Marist, 2-0, before playing a pair of 1-1 ties with Buffalo and Villanova.

If the streak gets extended Thursday, it would be tied for the eighth-longest road unbeaten streak in program history, matching nine other three-match road unbeaten streaks.

LONGEST ROAD UNBEATEN STREAKS
Cornell Program History
T1. 8 matches (Oct. 23, 1985 - Oct. 25, 1986) — 4-0-4
T1. 8 matches (Oct. 26, 2002 - Sept. 21, 2003) — 5-0-3
3. 7 matches (Sept. 4, 2015 - Oct. 17, 2015) — 5-0-2
4. 6 matches (Oct. 7, 1987 - Sept. 28, 1988) — 5-0-1
T5. 5 matches (Nov. 6, 1991 - Sept. 26, 1992) — 5-0-0
T5. 5 matches (Sept. 7, 2002 - Oct. 6, 2002) — 4-0-1
7. 4 matches (Sept. 8, 2017 - Oct. 14, 2017) — 1-0-3
T8. 3 matches, (9x), Last: Aug. 30, 2023 - Sept. 17, 2083) — 1-0-2

HOME, SWEET, GOALS
Entering Sunday's match with Villanova, Cornell has scored in a program-record 13 consecutive home contests. The record was set in the Big Red's 3-2 loss to Boston College last Thursday, besting the previous mark of 12, initially set between the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

The Big Red's 13-match streak of home games with a goal is the third instance in which Cornell has scored a goal in 10-plus consecutive home fixtures, also joined by a 10-match span between the 1985-87 seasons (Oct. 16, 1985 to Sept. 30, 1987).

CONSECUTIVE HOME MATCHES WITH A GOAL
Cornell Program History
1. 13 matches (Oct. 29, 2022 - Present) — 21 goals (1.62 goals per match)
2. 12 matches (Sept. 13, 2013 - Oct. 3, 2014) — 32 goals (2.67 goals per match)
3. 10 matches (Oct. 16, 1985 - Sept. 30, 1987) — 24 goals (2.40 goals per match)
4. 9 matches (Sept. 22, 1996 - Oct. 14, 1997) — 20 goals (2.22 goals per match)
5. 8 matches (Sept. 23, 2011 - Oct. 2, 2012) — 13 goals (1.63 goals per match)

NO BREAKS FOR YOU!
Senior defender Cecily Pokigo has started each of Cornell's last 32 matches, dating back to the Big Red's Sept. 4, 2022, match against Villanova.

Since entering as a substitute in the 31st minute of a Sept. 1, 2022, match at Niagara, Pokigo has played the last 2849:48 for the Big Red.

If Pokigo plays all 180 minutes this weekend, she would play over 3,000 consecutive minutes for Cornell over a two-plus-year span.

CORNELL'S TOUGH SCHEDULE
Entering Monday's matches, Cornell is tied for the 32nd-hardest schedule based on the cumulative win percentage of its past opponents. The Big Red's five opponents have a combined 18-9-2 record, and the combined .655 win percentage ranks 17th among non-Power Four programs.

Among the eight-team Ivy League, only Princeton (14-6-3 — .674) has played a more challenging schedule, ranking 25th nationally and 12th among non-Power Four teams.

Cornell has the second-hardest overall schedule in the Ivy League, as the Big Red's 2024 opponents are a combined 43-30-19 (.571) entering this week. Only Columbia (37-22-25 — .589) has a higher cumulative win percentage.

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
Six of Cornell's first seven matches will feature the Big Red playing a contest within the Empire State, with the lone exception being its 0-0 draw on Sunday against Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa.

Dating back to Sept. 4, 2022, the Big Red has a 9-5-11 record (.580) in matches played within New York State.

Across its last 19 matches within New York, Cornell is unbeaten in 16 contests, posting an 8-3-8 record (.667). Two of the three setbacks came last season in Ivy League matchups on Berman Field against Harvard (3-1 — Oct. 7) and Brown (2-1 — Oct. 21), while the other came last Thursday against Boston College.

SCOUTING ST. JOHN'S
St. John's enters Thursday with a 3-1-2 overall record and is unbeaten over its last three matches (2-0-1), all of which have come at Belson Stadium. Thursday's contest will conclude the Red Storm's four-match homestand.

The Red Storm defense has been its key to success recently as St. John's has not conceded a goal over its last 351:02, dating back to its 1-0 setback to Yale on Aug. 28 in New Haven, Conn.

Jordyn Levy leads the Red Storm offense with three goals, while Emily Riggins, Athina Sofroniou, and Lauryn Tran have scored once this season. Janelle Sylvestre has tallied both of St. John's assists on the year.

Malene Nielsen has started in four of her six appearances in goal for St. John's, allowing just two goals in her 450 minutes of action (0.40 goals-against average) and making 17 saves (.895 save percentage). Kayla Bower has earned the start in both appearances between the pipes, making three saves during 90 minutes in goal.

ST. JOHN'S LAST TIME OUT
QUEENS, N.Y. (SEPT. 8, 2024) — St. John's and Monmouth battled in a 0-0 draw at Belson Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Monmouth held the advantage in shot attempts, 13-11, shots on goal, 7-5, and corner kicks, 8-5, in a contest that featured a combined 28 fouls committed.

Kayla Bower (three first-half saves) and Malene Nielsen (four second-half saves) combined for the clean sheet for the Red Storm.

LAST TIME AGAINST ST. JOHN'S
ITHACA, N.Y. (SEPT. 17, 2022) – Nicole Shulman and Erica Fox combined for Cornell's first clean sheet of the season as the Big Red played to a scoreless draw with St. John's at Berman Field on Saturday afternoon.

Shulman and Fox each made one save over 45 minutes in goal for the Big Red, while Gina Muzi logged a two-save clean sheet for the Red Storm (3-2-3).

In what turned out to be a fairly even contest, St. John's concluded the match with a one-shot advantage, 10-9, and had one more shot on goal, 3-2.

21 YEARS, 240 MILES, 4 MEETINGS
Thursday will be the fifth all-time meeting between Cornell and St. John's, with the Red Storm owning the series lead, 2-0-2, while holding Cornell scoreless over the 295-plus minutes of action between the programs.

Emily Knight is the lone Cornell goal scorer against St. John's after she registered an 85th-minute goal in the championship game of the 2002 ECAC Tournament, also held at Belson Stadium, which resulted in a Red Storm victory in penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw. Erin Henderson scored the game-tying goal with 55 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, ultimately setting up Katie Schantz's game-winning goal in penalty kicks.

SCOUTING VILLANOVA
Villanova enters this week's matches with a 3-3-0 overall record after dropping a pair of contests against ACC foes in Florida State, 2-0, and Wake Forest, 1-0.

After opening the season with a 3-0 defeat to James Madison on Aug. 15, the Wildcats registered three consecutive clean sheets against Temple (4-0 on Aug. 18), Penn (1-0 on Aug. 23), and Jacksonville (1-0 on Aug. 29).

Madison Shumate leads Villanova's offense behind her team-leading three goals and seven points. Morgan Kotch is the only other Wildcat player with multiple goals, scoring both of her goals against Temple. Susanna Soderman (one goal, two assists) and Olivia Neal (two assists) round out the Wildcats' offense in scoring so far while tying for the team lead in assists.

Hannah Dickinson has started all six of Villanova's contests so far, playing all but 14:44 in goal while posting a 1.03 goals-against average and .829 save percentage to go along with her 3-3-0 record. Allie Vincent did not see a shot on goal during her time in relief of Dickinson against Temple.

VILLANOVA'S LAST TIME OUT
VILLANOVA, Pa. (SEPT. 5, 2024) — A tally by Alex Wood in the 84th minute lifted visiting Wake Forest to a 1-0 victory over Villanova at the Higgins Soccer Complex.

Wake Forest posted a 29-2 shot advantage over Villanova, including an 11-0 edge in shots on goal. The Demon Deacons also had eight more corner kicks than the Wildcats, 9-1.

Hannah Dickinson stopped 10 Wake Forest shots in the setback, marking the junior goalkeeper's second consecutive 10-save outing after making 10 saves against then-top-ranked Florida State on Sept. 1 in Tallahassee, Fla.

LAST TIME AGAINST VILLANOVA
VILLANOVA, Pa. (SEPT. 17, 2023) — Cornell and Villanova traded first-half goals before both sides held the opposition scoreless in the second half, leading to the Big Red and Wildcats playing to a 1-1 draw at the Higgins Sports Complex.

Mia Gonzalez scored in the fifth minute for Cornell, while Villanova's Makayla Stadler netted the game-tying marker in the 28th minute.

Natalie Medugno made five saves for the Big Red in the draw, while her counterpart Payton Woodward stopped four Cornell shots.

39 YEARS, 220 MILES, 6 MEETINGS
Cornell and Villanova's match on Sunday will be the seventh all-time meeting between the two foes. Villanova slightly controls the series lead, 3-2-1, despite the Big Red going unbeaten over its last two meetings with the Wildcats (1-0-1).

Junior defender Gaby Gonzalez scored the game-winning goal in the 18th minute in the last meeting between the two programs in Ithaca. Senior forward Laken Gallman opened the scoring with a 13th-minute tally. Alexa Wojnovich potted the lone marker for Villanova in the 19th minute.