ITHACA, N.Y. — For the first time since 1991, the Cornell women's soccer team is headed to California for a pair of matches this weekend.

Cornell will open its West Coast road trip on Friday night against Long Beach State before squaring off against No. 19-ranked Pepperdine on Sunday afternoon.

MATCH NO. 8
Cornell at Long Beach State
SITE: George Allen Field – Long Beach, Calif. (natural surface)
RECORDS: Cornell (1-2-4, 0-0-0 Ivy League), Long Beach State (2-4-1, 0-0-0 Big West)
SERIES RECORD: First Meeting
SERIES STREAK: N/A
WEATHER FORECAST: 68°, clear, 0 percent chance of rain; Winds: WNW 5-10 mph
BROADCAST: N/A
Stats: CornellBigRed.com

MATCH NO. 9
Cornell at #19 Pepperdine
SITE: Tari Frahm Rokus Field – Malibu, Calif. (natural surface)
RECORDS: Cornell (1-2-4, 0-0-0 Ivy League), Pepperdine (4-2-2, 0-0-0 Big West)
SERIES RECORD: First Meeting
SERIES STREAK: N/A
WEATHER FORECAST: 81°, sunny, 0 percent chance of rain; Winds: SW 5-10 mph
BROADCAST: ESPN+
Stats: CornellBigRed.com

LAST TIME OUT
ITHACA, N.Y. (SEPT. 15, 2024) — Senior forward Laken Gallman's 73rd-minute goal aided Cornell to its 1-1 draw with Villanova at an unseasonably warm Berman Field this past Sunday.

Fellow senior forward Reinna Gabriel assisted on Gallman's tally, registering her first point since scoring against Colgate on Oct. 5, 2021.

Junior goalkeeper Natalie Medugno made one save for the Big Red (1-2-4) in the draw.

Susanna Soderman logged the lone goal for Villanova, and Hannah Dickinson made five saves between the pipes for the Wildcats, who registered its first tie of the season.

Soderman opened the scoring on a penalty kick 51 seconds into the contest after Medugno was assessed a yellow card inside the penalty area.

Despite Villanova taking the early lead, Cornell allowed just five shot attempts over the remainder of the contest, conceding just one shot on goal, which came in the 84th minute.

CALIFORNIA DREAMING
This weekend's matches against Long Beach State and Pepperdine will be the third and fourth time Cornell has played in California in program history.

The only other instance in which Cornell played in the Golden State since falling to Stanford, 1-0, on Oct. 12, 1991, and defeating San Francisco, 1-0, on Oct. 13, 1991.

Stanford's Sarah Rafanelli scored in the 30th minute to aid the Cardinal over the Big Red to begin Cornell's California road trip. Sue DeLong made eight saves in the setback for Cornell.

Krista Twombly scored the game-winning goal for Cornell in its victory over the Dons in the latter game of its last trip to California. Tasha Fleury assisted Twombly's goal, and DeLong posted a 14-save clean sheet for the Big Red.

This weekend marks the eighth and ninth matches in Cornell program history to occur outside of the Eastern time zone and the first since participating in the OUTRIGGER Hotels Soccer Shootout in Waipahu, Hawai'i, on Sept. 15 and 16, 2006.

MATCHES OUTSIDE EASTERN TIME ZONE
Cornell Program History
Oct. 12, 1991 at Stanford — L, 0-1
Oct. 13, 1991 at San Francisco — W, 1-0
Sept. 8, 2000 at Colorado — L, 0-1
Sept. 10, 2000 at Colorado College — L, 0-1
Sept. 21, 2003 at Hawai'i — W, 2-0
Sept. 15, 2006 at Hawai'i — L, 0-1 (OT)
Sept. 16, 2006 vs. San Francisco (in Hawai'i) — L, 1-2

GOAL-SEEKING GALLMAN
Senior forward Laken Gallman has scored in each of Cornell's last two matches, marking the second time in her career with the Big Red that she has scored in consecutive contests. The other instance came in her first season with Cornell after transferring from the University of Tampa, scoring against Niagara on Sept. 1, 2022, and Villanova on Sept. 4, 2022.

Gallman became the first Cornell player to score in consecutive matches since Reagan Pauwels concluded the 2022 campaign with game-winning goals against Princeton (Oct. 28, 2022) and Dartmouth (Nov. 5, 2022).

Should Gallman score against Long Beach State on Friday night, she would be Cornell's first player to register goals in three consecutive matches since Peyton Nichols opened her collegiate career in 2021 with tallies in the Big Red's first three matches.

With goals in both matches this weekend, Gallman would be the first Cornell player with goals in four consecutive matches since Lena Russomagno registered six goals over a four-match span during her freshman season in 2007, which included Russomagno scoring Cornell's last hat trick in a 3-2 overtime win over Lafayette on Sept. 16, 2007.

KNACK FOR THE NET
Cornell has scored at least one goal in 39 of its 54 matches played under Rob Ferguson, dating back to the 2021 campaign.

The 72.2 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).

As of late, the Big Red has displayed its scoring prowess by scoring at least one goal in 12 of its last 13 contests, 22 of its previous 24 matches, and 25 of its latest 29 fixtures, dating back to 2022.

AGAINST THE BIG WEST
This weekend will be the first two matches Cornell will be playing opponents from the Big West Conference, which was formed in 1969 as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association and was renamed to its current name in 1988.

Cornell is 1-1-0 all-time against active members of the Big West, having faced Hawai'i on two occasions. The Big Red defeated the Rainbow Wāhine, 2-0, on Sept. 21, 2003, in Manoa, Hawai'i, and fell in overtime, 1-0, on Sept. 15, 2006, in the OUTRIGGER Hotel Soccer Shootout in Waipahu, Hawai'i.

CORNELL'S TOUGH SCHEDULE
Sunday's match at Pepperdine will be the first of two consecutive matches against opponents who played in last year's NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship. The latter contest will pit Cornell against Princeton on Berman Field next Saturday, Sept. 28, to open Ivy League play.

The match with Pepperdine will be the first of five opponents Cornell will play this season that were participants in last year's NCAA  Division I Women's Soccer Championship, joining fellow Ivy League opponents Brown, Columbia, Harvard, and Princeton.

Last year, the quintet combined for a 55-22-16 record (.677). This year, the programs have a cumulative record of 15-9-11 (.586), highlighted by Harvard (4-0-3), Pepperdine (4-2-2), and Princeton (4-2-0), having four wins on the season so far.

2023 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS
On Cornell's Schedule in 2024
Brown (12-3-2 in 2023; 2-2-3 in 2024)
Columbia (11-5-3 in 2023; 1-3-3 in 2024)
Harvard (13-4-2 in 2023; 4-0-3 in 2024)
Pepperdine (9-5-5 in 2023; 4-2-2 in 2024)
Princeton (10-5-4 in 2023; 4-2-0 in 2024)

FACING RANKED OPPONENTS
After Pepperdine was named the No. 19 team in the country in the most recent iteration of the United Soccer Coaches poll on Tuesday afternoon, Cornell will play an opponent ranked in the United Soccer Coaches poll for an eighth consecutive season.

Last year, Cornell played a pair of ranked opponents in No. 14 Princeton (Sept. 22) and No. 15 Brown (Oct. 21), which resulted in 4-2 and 2-1 losses for the Big Red.

Sunday will be the first time Cornell plays a non-conference opponent ranked in the United Soccer Coaches poll since falling to No. 23 Rutgers, 2-0, on Sept. 9, 2016, in Piscataway, N.J.

Cornell is looking for its first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 4 Hartford, 2-0, on Oct. 16, 1994, in West Hartford, Conn.

The Big Red is 5-49-2 all-time against ranked opponents and is winless over its last 38 contests (0-37-1) against ranked opponents, including losing each of the previous 36 matches against teams ranked in the top 25. Cornell's lone tie against a ranked opponent during its winless streak came against No. 24 Harvard in a scoreless double-overtime draw in Ithaca on Sept. 30, 1995.

CLEAN SHEET CLUB
With her clean sheet against Lehigh on Sept. 8, 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 weekend, 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 weekend, she would surpass Kate Alexander (1992-93) and assume sole possession of eighth place for the most clean sheets in Cornell program history.

NOBODY WINS
Cornell's four draws are tied for the fourth-most by a Division I program this season as of Wednesday morning.

The Big Red are tied with Drake (1-4-4), Florida (3-1-4), Hofstra (2-1-4), Howard (1-3-4), Lehigh (1-3-4), Lousiana (5-1-4), South Carolina (3-0-4), Tennessee Tech (0-6-4), UC Santa Barbara (2-3-4), and Wagner (1-3-4).

Abilene Christian (2-1-5), Fairleigh Dickinson (0-3-5), and Towson (2-2-5) are the only three Division I programs that have more draws so far this season.

Currently tied for the third-most ties in a single season with the squads from 2002 and 2015, with its next draw, the Big Red will match the 2022 squad for the second-most draws in program history. Only last year's team, which registered a 4-5-6 record, had more draws in a single season.

SCOUTING LONG BEACH STATE
Long Beach State enters this weekend with a 2-4-1 record. Four of the Beach's seven matches this season have come against opponents in the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches polls.

The Beach fell to No. 11 UCLA, 3-0, in its season-opening match before dropping a 2-1 decision to No. 11-ranked Santa Clara on Aug. 22. Long Beach State's lone draw of the season came against No. 4 BYU, 1-1, on Aug. 24. Most recently, the Beach fell to No. 16 Texas, 3-0, on Sept. 8.

Seeking its first win at George Allen Field this season, Long Beach State is 0-3-1 at home, falling to No. 11 UCLA, No. 11 Santa Clara, and Washington and tying with No. 4 BYU.

Entering Friday's match, Long Beach State has been held scoreless over its last 225:10 after defeating Utah Valley, 2-1, on Aug. 31 in Orem, Utah.

Makayla Demelo has scored two of Long Beach State's six goals on the season while also leading the team in scoring with her four points. Kassandra Ceja (two assists), Julia Moore (one goal), Penny Smith (one goal), Bella Ternero (one goal), and Liz Worden (one goal) all have two points apiece.

Aurora Schuck has played all 630 minutes in goal for the Beach, posting a 1.71 goals-against average and .727 save percentage. Her lone clean sheet of the season came against San Diego on Aug. 18.

LONG BEACH STATE'S LAST TIME OUT
AUSTIN, TEXAS (SEPT. 8, 2024) — A trio of first-half goals aided No. 18-ranked Texas to a 3-0 victory over Long Beach State at Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field.

Ashlyn Miller (11th minute), Lexi Missimo (19th minute), and Jilly Shimkin (26th minute) tallied the markers for the Longhorns. Mia Justus made three saves in goal for the hosts.

Aurora Schuck notched a pair of saves in the setback for the Beach.

1 YEAR, 2316 MILES, 0 MEETINGS
Friday will be the first meeting between Cornell and Long Beach State in women's soccer and any sport on record in Big Red history.

SCOUTING PEPPERDINE
No. 19-ranked Pepperdine enters this week with an overall record of 4-2-2 and is unbeaten over its last four matches (2-0-2), which includes posting a 1-0 home victory over then-No. 3-ranked UCLA and a 2-1  road triumph over then-No. 23-ranked Georgetown.

Both of the Waves' setbacks have featured Pepperdine allowing three-plus goals as it dropped a 4-0 decision in its season-opening match against Utah State in the OUTRIGGER Soccer Kickoff in Waipahu, Hawai'i, on Aug. 15 and a 3-1 result at home against USC on Aug. 25.

Tabitha LaParl, Peyton Leonard, and Tori Waldeck are tied for the team lead in goals (two) and points (four). Julia Quinonez is also tied for the team lead in points behind her one goal and two assists. The two helpers for Quinonez are tied with Victoria Romero for the most on Pepperdine.

Jillian Medvecky has earned the start in five of her six appearances, logging a 0.91 goals-against average and .821 save percentage while posting a 3-0-2 record. Taylor Rath has started in all three outings between the pipes for Waves, logging a 2.40 goals-against average and a .571 save percentage while logging a 1-2-0 record.

PEPPERDINE'S LAST TIME OUT
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (SEPT. 8, 2024) — No. 20-ranked Pepperdine and Harvard battled to a 1-1 tie on Jordan Field.

Harvard's Josefine Hasbo opened the scoring with a tally on a penalty kick in the 77th minute, only to be countered quickly by Pepperdine's Megan Edelman's 82nd-minute strike.

Edelman's goal was the first goal Harvard had conceded on the season and was Pepperdine's third consecutive match it had dealt the opposition its first goal conceded of the 2024 campaign.

Both sides registered six shots on goal despite Harvard owning the advantage in shot attempts, 14-9. The Crimson also had a slight lead in corner kicks, 7-6.

1 YEAR, 2338 MILES, 0 MEETINGS
Sunday will be the first meeting between Cornell and Pepperdine in women's soccer and any sport on record in Big Red history.