ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell women's lacrosse is fueled and motivated, leaning on strong culture and high performance expectations for 2025 looking to break into the top of the Ivy League standings.
"We had a very talented team last year, but our results in 2024 didn't reflect our potential," said Karin Bain Kukral '82 Head Coach of Women's Lacrosse Jenny Graap. "There are no excuses—we simply need to stay committed to the process, continue building inspiration and motivation, and not let frustration take over."
With 43 athletes on the Cornell Women's Lacrosse roster, this marks the largest team Head Coach Jenny Graap has led in her career. As she prepares for the season, Graap aims to build on a strong returning offensive core while addressing key defensive gaps left by graduating players.
"Our goal is to earn our way back into the Ivy League tournament," said Graap. "We want to reestablish ourselves among the nation's most competitive teams, and winning more games will go a long way in proving Cornell belongs in the conversation with the top teams."
Graap Completes Coaching Staff
Cornell women's lacrosse added a third full-time assistant coaching position in January and moved its Director of Lacrosse Operations, Ashley O'Brien, to the team's dedicated full-time goalie and defensive coach. Moving O'Brien to the full-time coaching role provides specialized coaching for the team's strong goalie group and makes way for a new Director of Lacrosse Operations. Graap brought in Rachel Rosenberg, who played locally for Ithaca College and Stony Brook to fill out the staff for the Big Red.
"With the addition of a dedicated third assistant coach, something we have never had before," said Graap, "we are finally fully staffed. As a head coach it is a great feeling to take the field knowing our student-athletes have the support they need, and our coaches can focus on their areas of expertise. Previously it felt like we were fighting an uphill battle as our opponents had more coaches, more help on the sideline, more manpower to focus on player development and more eyes out there recruiting."
Along with the expanded coaching staff, the Big Red are heading into this season with a new offensive coordinator in Riley Donahue VanHolz.
"Riley joined our staff this past summer, making this her first season with Cornell," said Graap. "She played at Syracuse under Gary Gait and she was on our scouting reports for 4 years as a dangerous attacker. Riley gained valuable Division I coaching experience at East Carolina and Le Moyne where she honed her talents running the offense and working with the draw takers. She has an incredible offensive mind, and we feel so fortunate to have her leading our attack and draw units."
Oh Captains, My Captains
The Big Red is led by three captains this season: seniors Caitlin Slaminko and Lucy Dwyer along with junior Caitlin Tully. Slaminko returns as a two-time captain, while Tully and Dwyer take on the role for the first time.
"The leaders this year have been a powerful trio. Together with the upperclassmen they have worked passionately to strengthen our team culture by setting clear standards and reinforcing the mentality of 'no excuses' and 'we can do this," said Graap.
The biggest role for the captains this season lies in their ability to help the team "buy in" to the high level of play that every player needs to bring in order to elevate team success.
"Our program takes pride in developing impactful leaders, and the captains have done an outstanding job all year in communicating that different results require different methods. We can't keep repeating a formula that doesn't lead to wins. More competitive practices will lead to a higher level of execution on game day," said Graap.
Strong Upper-class Core Returns on Attack
The Big Red see a lot of experience in their attacking group with 13 players on the offensive side of the roster and the majority of that depth comes from seven seniors.
"We have a veteran presence on the offensive end with an outstanding group of juniors and seniors. Slam [Slaminko], Kylie Gelabert, Josie Vogel, Maggie Pons, Ella Wilmot, and Maggie Pons will all play important roles in our offense."
The Big Red returns its offensive super-star from last season in senior Josie Vogel. She led the team in goals in 2024 with 35 and tied for third in assists with 12 assists. Vogel was also named All-Ivy Honorable Mention for her efforts last season.
Slaminko comes into this offensive core as a fifth-year senior who was tied for second on the team last season with 21 goals and three assists in her 15 games played, which were all starts.
"Slam was a starting midfielder throughout her career, but in her final season we are making a strategic change to move her to a line attacking position. Her leadership is exceptional, and she has the feeding and finishing skills to make a huge impact on the stat sheet this spring," said Graap.
Senior Kylie Gelabert returns as a key contributor on attack after starting in all 15 games last season. Gelabert tied for the second most goals on the team with Slaminko netting 21, while also serving as a primary facilitator. Gelabert recorded a team-high 20 assists, the most by a Big Red attacker since 2019.
Junior Ella Wilmot also returns for the attacking core of Cornell. She logged six points and five assists last season. "Wilmot is fully healthy this year and looks amazing," said Graap. "She is going to be a challenge for other teams with her quickness and exceptional footwork around the crease."
Maggie Pons is an exciting player for the Big Red to see back on the field this season after sustaining an injury that sidelined her last year. Pons scored 11 goals in the first six games of 2024 and was leading the team in points before her injury.
"Getting Pons back in the line-up is an exciting prospect. She was playing so well last year, and she is such a tremendous competitor," said Graap, "we have to be smart with her minutes early on because we want her to be firing on all cylinders when our conference games begin in March."
Cornell runs a system with one attacker running from the box which opens up another slot from the depth chart. Junior Emily Iacobellis and sophomore Dylan Madigan are two players who could see time in that role in 2025.
"With our attackers rotating out of the box, we have the opportunity to insert different players. Dylan Madigan had a breakthrough game last year at Princeton, and she continues to improve. Emily Iacobellis is another speedy dodger who brings a spark to our transition game."
Another exciting name that could make an appearance for the Big Red is the Cal Berkeley transfer Kathleen Michaud. "Michaud redshirted her freshman year at Cal Berkeley due to injury and continued her rehab through the fall. She is healthy now and acclimating well to our attacking schemes," said Graap. "She has an excellent eye as a feeder, and her shot is powerful."
Adding depth to Cornell's attacking unit are seniors Lucy Dwyer, Lauren Riker, Bailey Mutch,along with sophomore Evelyn Hidy, and freshman Lilly Whaling.
Donahoe and Patten Spearhead the Two-Way Middie Group
Cornell's two-way midfielder unit is led by experienced players in senior Alexa Donahoe and junior Dillyn Patten. Close on their heels are sophomore Ellie Bergin and freshman Lexie Tully.
Last season, Donahoe scored nine goals and one assist while earning seven draw controls, seven ground balls, and six caused turnovers.
"Donahoe looks amazing," said Graap. "We'd love to set her up with more opportunities to score as she has the fastest and hardest shot on the team. She is one of the most athletic players on our squad, and she will be a force on the draw circle and in transition. As a senior she is playing the best lacrosse of her career, and she sets the tone at practice with her competitive drive and desire to win."
Patten returns this year after playing in all 15 games last season. She recorded the fourth-most goals on the team with 19, along with having three assists, six draw controls, six ground balls, and 7 caused turnovers.
"Patton is really hitting her stride as a junior. She is the fastest player in our program and her love of lacrosse inspires everyone around her," said Graap. "She is a do it all player who can use her incredible breakout speed to spark our transition."
Bergin comes in as a sophomore this year after appearing in all 15 games last season as a reserve and tallying three goals, securing three draw controls, having three ground balls, and causing two turnovers.
"As a freshman, Bergen played the most minutes of any freshman in the program," said Graap. "She is super dialed in and just an amazing athlete. In addition to playing at both ends of the field, Ellie will be an important part of our draw control unit."
Then, the Big Red have an exciting freshman in the midfield mix in Lexie Tully. Tully comes to Cornell being named to the Inside Lacrosse Women Class of 2024 Power 100 Rankings Watch List. Her older sister, Caitlin, is also a captain on the team.
"Lexie Tully is poised to make an immediate impact," said Graap. "In addition to being fast and skilled, she is crafty and creative at both ends of the field. Her versatility will be showcased on the draw circle and in our rides and clears."
Sophomore midfielder Cameron Traveis will also be seeing some time on the field as a draw specialist in the midfield. "Traveis did not get many minutes last season, but has made significant improvements," said Graap. "She will see time as a draw specialist and could also contribute as a two-way midfielder. We'd love to see her have a breakout sophomore season for us."
Adding depth to the midfield position for the Big Red this season are junior Ava Butz, sophomore Juliette Piersol and freshmen Sofia Ciaglo, Harper Friedholm, Mason Mantey, Lily Mullen and Holly Newman..
Plugging the Holes on Defense
The defensive end of the field is arguably the area of the team that needed the most rebuilding from last season. The Big Red graduated a lot of depth in the backfield losing captains Hilary Hoover and Grace Faircloth along with Alexis Reinhardt, Annie Thomas, and Olivia Wall.
"With the graduation of five seniors in the backfield, we had significant defensive roles to fill. We addressed some of those gaps by moving players from our midfield back to the defense, and so far, that approach has been really successful for us. We gained a lot of athleticism and speed in the backfield." said Graap.
Top defensive players for Cornell heading into the season are fifth-year players Marissa Stafford, Chloe Maister and Brynn McDonald.
Stafford played in every game last season on defense and recorded 10 ground balls, three caused turnovers and one draw control. She returns as a solid base for the defense. "Stafford is so feisty and quick, she is one of the toughest competitors on our team. Her leadership at the crease will be very important to our D unit."
Maister was unable to play a majority of last season due to injury, but appeared in eight games over the season. In her junior year, she played in every game and recorded six caused turnovers and three ground balls.
"Maister is healthy and ready to compete this spring. She plays an aggressive style and can handle her match ups. The experience she gained early in her career will prove valuable this season," said Graap.
McDonald is a player who has been consistent for Cornell over the past three years. Last season she secured three draw controls, three ground balls and caused two turnovers.
"McDonald's hard work over her career is going to pay off this spring as she is going to be a staple in our defensive unit," said Graap. "She is super quick and agile; in addition to playing great defense, we plan to utilize her on the draw circle as well."
Seniors Mia DiChiara and Annie Parker are key players in the Big Red's defensive schemes after transitioning from midfield to defense, bringing added speed and athleticism to the field.
Another midfielder who will see significant minutes as a defender is Sorelle Lawton, who will contribute to the team's defensive efficiency this season.
The Cornell defense is anchored by junior captain Caitlin Tully, who played in all 15 games during both her freshman and sophomore years. As a sophomore, she ranked third on the team with 9 caused turnovers, alongside 12 ground balls and 11 draw controls. A major contributor over the past two years, she will provide not only leadership but also a significant defensive presence as the Big Red faces a challenging schedule in 2025.
Adding depth to the defense in 2025 will be seniors Alessia Packard and Emma Calcagni and sophomores Morgan Massey, Kelsey Clark, Drew Parker, Julia Ramsey, and freshman Dylan Agron.
Talented Depth in the Net
The Big Red have four goalies this year, with returning senior Ellie Horner and junior Mackenzie Clark at the forefront. Horner has been the starter for the past two years. Last season, she had a 6-6 record in goal with a 12.54 goals against average and .378 save percentage in 14 games in net, which were all starts. Horner also recorded 88 total saves, finished tied for second on the team with 19 ground balls and had five caused turnovers. Horner has been a very steady and solid starter for the Big Red the past two seasons starting in almost every game and aiding Cornell both inside and outside of the crease.
Sophomore Lucy Gomez and freshman Angelia Oechsle are in the wings in more of an apprentice role, providing depth and support.
"I think the way the goalie position is shaking out this year is a real battle," said Graap. "We are considering rotating both goalies (Horner and Clark) as we currently have two very viable potential starters in the cage. Coach O'Brien has done an outstanding job developing all of our keepers, and the depth we have in this critical position is a huge strength for our program."
With two solid goalies specializing in different aspects of the game, the Big Red have a good tough decision on their hands this season regarding who is in the net.
Advanced Technology Plays a Role in 2025
This season, athletes will be wearing GPS trackers and using the Catapult system allowing the coaching staff to gather more information and data regarding athlete wellness and performance statistics.
Back in the day," said Graap, "being a fast and fit team meant running a lot. Now, with games stretching beyond two hours, managing the loads on athletes' bodies has become more important. I'm excited about the technology and how it will help us better prepare for game day."
A Strong Schedule Awaits in 2025
Cornell begins its strong season of play with three road games against Jacksonville, Syracuse and Colgate.
"Opening up in Florida is looking like a good choice now, especially given how much snow and how difficult the winter has been," said Graap. "The warm weather will be a shock to our system, but traveling over February break is strategic as our student-athletes don't have classes."
Syracuse has moved its way up in the schedule from a typical April game to an earlier date in February.
"I think facing Syracuse early will be very helpful for us, as they are a perennial powerhouse. Playing in the Dome is alway a challenge, and our squad loves the rivalry with the Orange," said Graap.
After its tough non-conference slate, Cornell will open its Ivy League play when it hosts Brown on March 7.
"Competing well in the Ivy League is our ticket to the postseason, and every game is a battle in our conference," said Graap. "Yale went undefeated in 2024, so they are the pre-season favorite. Penn and Princeton are always strong and every team in our league is well coached and well prepared."
Overall, Graap and her staff are pleased with the strength of schedule and believe every game will be important as they use their team inspiration and motivation to guide them to a successful season.
Cornell will officially kick off its 2025 season on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Jacksonville University at 11:00 a.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
