ITHACA, N.Y. -- Senior Vivienne Mueller got the scoring going on Senior Day and sophomore Uma Käding delivered the knockout punch as the Cornell field hockey team closed its weekend homestand with a 2-0 shutout of Lehigh on Sunday afternoon at Marsha Dodson Field. The Big Red improved to 9-2 on the year, while the Mountain Hawks slipped to 3-9.
The Big Red dominated possession throughout, outshooting the Mountain Hawks 22-1 and earned a 12-1 advantage in penalty corners. Senior goalkeeper Jane McNally earned the shutout, her third solo one of the season, without facing a shot on goal.
After a scoreless first half, Mueller put Cornell in front in the 36th minute when she cleaned up a rebound off a saved shot for her fourth goal of the season. Käding doubled the lead midway through the fourth, hammering home a direct strike from a penalty corner off assists from Rease Coleman and Julia Ramsey.
Lehigh goalkeeper Kate Burgess kept the game close with 11 saves, including several key stops off corners The Mountain Hawks finally squeezed off a shot in the 58th minute and never got one on goal.
Prior to the game, the Big Red honored its seven seniors - Coleman, McNally and Mueller, as well as Georgia Kelly, Grace Leahy, Jenna Villeneuve and Olivia Weir.
QUOTABLE
"I'm thrilled we could get a win on Senior Day for this remarkable group of seven seniors who've meant so much to our program. We created a lot offensively and generated plenty of chances, but we need to start converting more of those opportunities. That'll be a big focus in training as we prepare for two crucial games against Princeton and UNC." -- Andy Smith, Head Coach of Cornell Field Hockey
GAME NOTES
• Junior Julia Ramsey posted her 32nd career assist, good for third in program history. She is now one assist behind former All-American Cari Hills '98 (33) for second place.
• Sophomore Uma Käding posted her team-high 10th goal of the season and 16th of her career. She moved to 17th in school history, matching Carissa Mirasol '04, Lindsay Grace '04 and Alyssa DePaola '08.
• Her 10 goals this season also ranks as the 17th-most in a single season at Cornell.
• She has scored in four consecutive games and in nine of 11 games this season.
• Senior Rease Coleman upped her career assist total to 13 and is one shy from joining the top 20 list at Cornell.
• Senior Jane McNally posted her third solo shutout of the year and also has been a part of two combined shutouts.
As part of Cornell's 7-0 non-conference start, the Big Red has massive advantages in shots (190-27) and penalty corners (97-21) while outscoring opponents 24-4.
NEXT UP
• Cornell will meet a pair of top 10 foes when it visits No. 8 Princeton and returns home to face defending national champion and third-ranked North Carolina.
• The Big Red will face the perennial Ivy League contending Tigers on Friday, Oct. 17 at 4 p.m.
• Princeton holds an eight-game win streak in the series to go up 38-6-3 dating back to the first-ever meeting between the teams in 1978.
• The Big Red and the Tar Heels will square off on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 12 p.m. at Marsha Dodson Field in the second meeting between the two schools.
• This will be the first meeting between the teams since UNC captured a 6-1 triumph over the Big Red on Sept. 2, 2012 in Ithaca.
