NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Cornell women's lacrosse saw its season come to a heartbreaking end Saturday afternoon, falling 16-15 in overtime to No. 6 Yale in a winner-take-all matchup for the final Ivy League Tournament spot.
 
The Big Red (9-6, 3-4 Ivy) needed a victory to qualify for the conference tournament for the first time since 2022, but Yale's Fallon Vaughn scored the decisive goal in overtime to secure the Bulldogs' place in the postseason.
 
Cornell entered the contest knowing the stakes were clear – win and in or lose and stay home. The Big Red came out strong, building a 4-3 first-quarter lead behind goals from seniors Josie Vogel, Kylie Gelabert, Caitlin Slaminko, and junior Dillyn Patten.
 
The teams traded goals throughout a back-and-forth second quarter that ended with the Big Red ahead 8-7. Cornell continued its strong play in the third quarter, using a 5-0 run during the frame to take a 13-10 lead into the final period.
 
However, Yale mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring Cornell 5-2 to force overtime. Vaughn, who finished with four goals and three assists for the Bulldogs, scored the game-winner in the extra period to end Cornell's seven-game winning streak in New Haven.
 
Senior Maggie Pons led the Big Red with seven points (three goals, four assists), becoming the 10th player in program history with 50 career assists, while Gelabert contributed five points (three goals, two assists). Slaminko and Patten each scored two goals, with Slaminko adding an assist. Junior Mackenzie Clark made nine saves in goal for Cornell, giving her 275 for her career, one shy of seventh-most all-time.
 
For Yale (12-3, 5-2), Jenna Collignon scored five goals, while Sky Carrasquillo and Vaughn each netted four. Niamh Pfaff recorded 10 saves in the victory.
 
The loss concludes a season in which Cornell ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring offense (14.26 goals per game), shot percentage (.462), and assists (7.9 per game). The Big Red reached double-figure scoring in 14 of 15 contests this season.