ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell kicks off its 43rd season of women's soccer this weekend with a two-match slate, opening the 2025 season on Friday at Boston College in Newton, Mass., before returning to Berman Field for its home opener against Central New York rival Colgate on Sunday afternoon.

MATCH NO. 1: Cornell at Boston College
WHEN | WHERE: Friday, Aug. 22 | Newton Campus Soccer & Lacrosse Field, Newton, Mass.
RECORDS: Cornell (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Ivy League), Boston College (2-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC)
SERIES: Boston College leads, 3-2-2 (W1)
WATCH: ACCNX | WEATHER: 79°, sunny, SSE 5-10 mph
STATS: CornellBigRed.com

MATCH NO. 2: Colgate at Cornell
WHEN | WHERE: Sunday, Aug. 24 | Berman Field – Ithaca, N.Y.
RECORDS: Colgate (0-0-1, 0-0-0 Patriot League), Cornell (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Ivy League)
SERIES: Colgate leads, 22-18-5 (T1)
WATCH: ESPN+ | WEATHER: 81°, 50 percent chance of thunderstorms, SSW 10-15 mph
STATS: CornellBigRed.com

SEASON OPENERS
Cornell holds a 23-12-7 (.631) all-time mark in season openers, which includes having a 6-2-3 (.682) record in the last 11.

The Big Red are seeking for its first opening-day win since defeating Canisius, 2-0, in 2021. Since then, Cornell has lost to Canisius, 2-1, in 2022 and recorded back-to-back draws against Lehigh (2023 in Ithaca) and Colgate (2024 in Hamilton, N.Y.).

Entering Friday evening's match against Boston College, Cornell has scored in six straight season openers and in 19 of its last 23 season-opening matches, dating back to 2001. The lone instances where the Big Red were held scoreless to begin a season since 2001 was in 2004 (at Stony Brook), 2009 (vs. Binghamton), 2015 (vs. Siena), and 2017 (at Syracuse).

Should Cornell and Boston College play to a tie on Friday, it would be the first time in program history that the Big Red has played to a draw in three consecutive season openers. Along with the active two-year streak, the only other instance where Cornell played to ties in successive season openers was in 2003 and 2004, when it played to 2-2 and 0-0 draws against Stony Brook.

Friday marks Cornell's first-ever season opener against Boston College and just the second time the Big Red are opening play against an ACC opponent (Syracuse in 2017). It will be the fifth instance in program history where the Big Red are playing a Power Four opponent in a season opener, also joining matches against Penn State (Big Ten) in 1994 and 1995 and Colorado (Big 12) in 2000.

HOME OPENERS
Since Berman Field opened prior to the 1997 season, Cornell is 7-12-8 (.407) all-time in home openers on its current home pitch and has a 17-16-9 (.512) overall record in the first home match of a season.

The Big Red are unbeaten in its last two (0-0-2) home openers, playing to 2-2 and 1-1 draws against Lehigh (Aug. 27, 2023) and Buffalo (Aug. 29, 2024), respectively.

A win or tie against Colgate on Sunday, would serve as Cornell's longest unbeaten streak in home openers since having a 2-0-3 record between 2003 and 2007, where the Big Red defeated Buffalo (2-1 in 2005) and Hartford (1-0 in double overtime in 2007), and tied with Stony Brook (2003), Binghamton (2004), and St. Bonaventure (2006). With a victory, Cornell would have its first victory in a home opener since 2021 (2-0 win over Canisius).

Sunday's match with Colgate will mark the fourth time Cornell is hosting the Raiders in its home opener, with the other instances coming on Sept. 12, 1989 (4-1 Cornell win), Sept. 26, 2001 (1-1 draw), and Sept. 8, 2013 (3-0 Colgate win).

STARTING EARLY AND STRONG
Friday's contest at Boston College marks the earliest season opener in the 43-year history of Cornell women's soccer. The previous earliest start came in 2018, when the Big Red began play on Aug. 24  in Olean, N.Y., against at St. Bonaventure, which featured Cornell registering a 2-1 overtime victory secured by Kaili Gregory's goal in the 100th minute.

Cornell enters Friday unbeaten in its last four August matches (1-0-3), which includes a 2-0 shutout of Marist (Aug. 30, 2023) in Poughkeepsie, along with draws against Lehigh (2-2 on Aug. 27, 2023, in Ithaca), Colgate (1-1 on Aug. 25, 2024, in Hamilton), and Buffalo (1-1 on Aug. 29, 2024, in Ithaca).

A GLANCE AT WHAT'S BACK
Cornell returns 18 players who saw action last season, including four of its top six scorers. Collectively, the Big Red brings back half of its offensive production from 2024 (17 of 34 points — six goals, five assists).

Junior forward Sydney Allen, who tied Laken Gallman for the team lead in goals (three) and finished with six points, is the Big Red's leading returning scorer. Also back are senior midfielders Abigail Bishara and Tanum Nelson and junior forward Alanna Colbert, each of whom contributed one goal and one assist.

Bishara, a Second Team All-Ivy selection in 2024, is among 13 All-Ivy honorees returning across the Ivy League this fall, with all eight programs represented.

The Big Red's 18 returners are tied with Columbia and Penn for the second-most in the Ivy League, trailing only Brown (19). Cornell is also one of four Ivy programs to return at least half of its scoring output from 2024, alongside Brown (64.4 percent), Penn (64.1 percent), and Princeton (56.3 percent).

MOST POINTS RETURNING FROM 2024
Ivy League Programs — This Season
1. Brown — 64.4 percent
2. Penn — 64.1 percent
3. Princeton — 56.3 percent
4. Cornell — 50.0 percent
5. Dartmouth — 40.8 percent
6. Yale — 40.5 percent
7. Harvard — 39.0 percent
8. Columbia — 36.7 percent

Senior goalkeepers Natalie Medugno and Hannah Grimes are the Big Red's two goalkeepers returning who appeared in at least one match last season. Medugno logged 11 appearances last season (10 starts), posting a 2-4-4 overall record. Grimes made her collegiate debut against Pepperdine, entering for the final 9:27 after starter Erica Fox was issued a red card.

Cornell also welcomes back senior forward Sydney Malaga, who missed the 2024 campaign due to injury. In 2023, Malaga tied Gallman, Mia Gonzalez, and Ava Laden for the team lead in goals (3), highlighted by her game-winning strike against Colgate (Sept. 26, 2023).

AGAINST POWER FOUR OPPONENTS
Friday's match against Boston College will be the first of two contests against Power Four opponents this fall, with the Big Red also set to travel to Syracuse on Sept. 7.

The meeting with the Eagles will mark Cornell's 23rd all-time match against a Power Four program (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) with the Big Red holding a 4-16-2 (.227) record in the previous 22 contests.

The 2025 campaign is the second consecutive season in which Cornell faces multiple Power Four opponents, with both slates featuring matchups against Syracuse and Boston College. It is just the fifth time in program history the Big Red will play multiple Power Four opponents in a single season, joining the 1990 (Duke and N.C. State), 1995 (Penn State and Maryland), 1997 (Florida and Penn State), and 2000 (Colorado and Penn State) campaigns.

Cornell has enjoyed recent success against Power Four opponents, claiming a victory in each of the past two years — both against Syracuse in Ithaca (1-0 in 2023 and 2-1 in 2024).

Prior to that stretch, the Big Red's only other wins over Power Four competition came against Duke (4-1 win on Oct. 13, 1990) and Penn State (2-1 overtime win on Sept. 9, 1994).

THE FINISHING TOUCH
Junior forward Sydney Allen proved to be a difference-maker last season, recording all three of Cornell's game-winning goals. Each came on Berman Field in victories over Syracuse (Sept. 1), Dartmouth (Oct. 5), and Yale (Oct. 19).

With her decisive strike against Yale, Allen became just the 12th player in program history (14th instance) to notch at least three game-winning goals in a single season and the first to do so since Maneesha Chitanvis (three) in 2010.

Allen's three game-winning goals tied for the Ivy League lead with Harvard's Josefine Hasbo and Princeton's Brooke Dawahare and Pietra Tordin, while ranking 94th nationally.

Her clutch finishing contributed to a broader offensive trend for Cornell, which has scored in 42 of its 62 matches under head coach Rob Ferguson (67.7 percent) since the start of the 2021 season. That clip is the second-highest in program history, trailing only the 68.1 percent mark set by founding head coach Randy May across his 18-year tenure (1982-99).

HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF MATCHES WITH A GOAL
Cornell Program History
1. Randy May (1982-99) — 68.1 percent (192-of-282)
2. Rob Ferguson (2020-Present) — 67.7 percent (42-of-62)
3. Berhane Anderberhan (2000-05) — 66.0 percent (64-of-97)
4. Gretchen Zigante (2005) — 64.7 percent (11-of-17)
5. Patrick Farmer (2012-16) — 62.2 percent (51-of-82)

Although Princeton halted Cornell's program-record 14-match goal-scoring streak last Sept. 28, the Big Red has continued to generate consistent offense, finding the back of the net in six of its last seven matches, 16 of its past 18, and 19 of its previous 23, dating back to the final two matches in 2022.

Over its last 18 matches, Cornell is averaging 1.39 goals per game and has scored multiple goals on seven occasions — highlighted by a 4-0 victory over UAlbany on Oct. 17, 2023.Cornell has scored at least one goal in 42 of its 62 matches, dating back to 2021, which served as the first season of competition under current head coach Rob Ferguson.

CLEAN SHEET CLUB
At the other end of the pitch, senior goalkeeper Natalie Medugno continues to climb the program's record book, as her clean sheet against Lehigh on Sept. 8, 2024, raised her career total to 5.5.

Medugno enters the weekend just half a clean sheet  away from tying Meghan Cauzillo (1997-00) and Meghan Kennedy (2015-18) for the 10th-most clean sheets in program history.

One more full shutout would move Medugno into a tie with Katrina Matlin (6.5, 2003-06) for ninth, while two clean sheets would elevate her into sole possession of eighth place and surpassing Kate Alexander (7, 1992-93).

MOST CAREER CLEAN SHEETS
Cornell Program History
1. 22, Melissa Gambrell (1986-89)
2. 21.5, Kelsey Tierney (2013-16)
3. 20, Sue DeLong (1990-91, 93-94)
4. 16, Sherrie Chocola (1984-86)
5. 13, Katie Thomas (2001-04)
6. 10, Marybeth Bell (1995-96)
7. 9, Kate Thompson (1983-84)
8. 7, Kate Alexander (1992-93)
9. 6.5, Katrina Matlin (2003-06)
T10. 6, Meghan Cauzillo (1997-00)
T10. 6, Meghan Kennedy (2015-18)
12. 5.5, Natalie Medugno (2022-Present)

GETTING THE CAPTAIN'S BAND
Leadership this season will come from a three-player captaincy, with senior midfielders Abigail Bishara and Tanum Nelson joined by senior defender Gaby Gonzalez.

Bishara is in her third year in a leadership role after serving on the team's leadership council the past two seasons, while Nelson and Gonzalez are in leadership roles for the first time.

IVY PRESEASON POLL
In the Ivy League preseason poll released Aug. 18, Cornell was projected to finish eighth. Princeton, the reigning Ivy League Tournament champion, was tabbed the favorite with nine of 16 first-place votes, followed by Brown (six) and Harvard (one). Columbia, Yale, Dartmouth, and Penn rounded out the poll ahead of the Big Red.

2025 IVY LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
First-place votes denoted in parentheses
1. Princeton (9) — 118 points
2. Brown (6) — 105 points
3. Harvard (1) — 96 points
4. Columbia — 87 points
5. Yale — 61 points
T6. Dartmouth — 41 points
T6. Penn — 41 points
8. Cornell — 27 points

The top four teams at the conclusion of the regular season will appear in the 2025 Ivy League Women's Soccer Tournament, which will be held at the site of the No. 1 overall seed. Semifinal matches will be held on Thursday, Nov. 6, with the championship match being played on Sunday, Nov. 9.

SCOUTING BOSTON COLLEGE
Boston College (2-0-0) enters Friday's match riding momentum from a strong start to its season-opening three-match homestand. The Eagles opened the 2025 season with a 4-1 victory over Stonehill on Aug. 14 before posting a 4-0 clean sheet of Fairleigh Dickinson three days later.

Against Stonehill, Boston College erupted for four goals in an 11-minute second-half span, then carried that offensive rhythm into the first half against Fairleigh Dickinson, where it scored all four of its goals before halftime.

The Eagles are led by the trio of Amalia Dray, Sophia Lowenberg, and Milla Lee, who have each scored in both matches. Lowenberg paces the team with five points (two goals, one assist). In goal, Olivia Shippee has earned both wins, posting a 2-0-0 record and turning aside all seven shots on target she has faced.

Boston College was picked to finish 13th in the ACC preseason coaches poll, released Aug. 5. North Carolina, the defending national champions, was tabbed the league favorite after garnering 10 of 17 first-place votes.

SCOUTING COLGATE
Colgate (0-0-1) enters Sunday's home opener for Cornell coming off a season-opening two-match homestand where the Raiders played to a 1-1 draw with Buffalo (Aug. 17) and faced Marist on Thursday.

Jess Urena scored her first collegiate goal in the 61st minute in the draw against Buffalo, after the Bulls struck late in the first half. Goalkeeper Ella Poppinga made six saves in the draw.

The Raiders were picked sixth in the Patriot League preseason poll announced Aug. 7. Boston University, which claimed eight of 10 first-place votes, was tabbed the preseason favorite.

Colgate's attack is headlined by Ari Bezanson, the reigning Patriot League and ECAC First Team selection, who scored 14 goals and tallied 29 points last season. Bezanson also earned a spot on the 2025 Preseason All-Patriot League Team.