UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- For the second straight game, the Cornell offense exploded out of the gates and cruised to a win as the Big Red topped Penn State 14-8 on Saturday afternoon at Panzer Stadium. The Big Red improved to 4-1 on the season, while the Nittany Lions slipped to 2-4.

The Big Red got on the board first and the Nittany Lions knotted the score, but a 7-0 Cornell run put the visitors in the driver's seat. It was 9-2 at the end of 15 minutes, and Penn State never got back in it.

Senior Caitlin Slaminko was all over the field with five goals, four draw controls and three ground balls, while Kylie Gelabert scored once and assisted on three others. Ella Wilmot (two goals, one assist), Maggie Pons (two goals, one assist) and Josie Vogel (two goals) all had multi-point afternoons, while four players had multiple caused turnovers in a strong defensive effort - Lexie Tully, Alexa Donahoe and Sorelle Lawton. In goal, Ellie Horner won eight ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers in addition to making six saves in the cage. The Big Red held a 34-23 edge in shots, forced the Nittany Lions into 18 turnovers and won the ground ball battle (30-23). 

Erika Ho posted a hat trick for Penn State, with Kelly MacKinney being credited with a goal and four helpers. Penn State's Sydney Manning slowed the bleeding when she entered the game late in the first quarter, making eight saves.

Cornell went into the first break up 9-2 after  Wilmot snuck in a goal with four seconds left in the first quarter. The Big Red defense caused four turnovers and Slaminko had a hat trick when the horn sounded. In its past two games, Cornell has scored 19 goals in the first quarter alone.

The teams traded goals in the second with the Big Red going into the break up 11-5, thanks in large part to 11 Penn State turnovers, nine of which were directly caused by the Big Red. Horner made three saves and caused two turnovers while scooping up five ground balls around the crease.

Penn State never got closer than five goals the rest of the way as the second half turned into much more defensive battle with each team scoring just three goals. Four of Penn State's goals came with a woman advantage, just another example of how effective the base defense was in holding Penn State at bay and snapping the Nittany Lions' seven-game win streak in the series.

NEXT UP
• Cornell begins Ivy League play when it welcomes Brown to Schoellkopf Field in Friday, March 7 at 7 p.m.
• The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
• The Big Red leads the all-time series 25-18, though the Bears have won three straight and four of the past five contests.
• Cornell's last win came during the 2019 season, a 10-7 Big Red victory in Ithaca.