PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Julia Ramsey and Vivienne Mueller each scored goals and the defense posted its second shutout of the season as Cornell field hockey topped La Salle, 2-0, on Sunday at Penn's Ellen Vagelos Field. Cornell improved to 3-0, while the Explorers fell to 1-4.
The win was the 50th at Cornell for head coach Andy Smith, who upped his career record with the Big Red to 50-37. Cornell is 7-1 in its last eight contests dating back to last season and is off to its first 3-0 start since the 2017 campaign when it began the year 4-0.
The Big Red dominated possession from the outset, firing 33 shots to the Explorers' four and earning 16 penalty corners. Ramsey opened the scoring late in the first quarter, while Mueller doubled the lead less than a minute into the third.
Goalkeeper Jane McNally recorded her second shutout of the season, needing just two saves thanks to a stifling Cornell defense that didn't allow a single shot after halftime.
La Salle goalkeeper Abby Boggs made 18 saves in the loss for the Explorers, including 10 in the second half alone.
QUOTABLE
"That was our most complete game of the season. We totally dominated the game and did some wonderful things. This coming week we need to have a real focus on goal-scoring and our efficiency in front of goal." -- Andy Smith, Head Coach of Cornell Field Hockey
GAME NOTES
• The Big Red has won seven of its last eight contests dating back to last year.
• The win was No. 50 for head coach Andy Smith, making him the third head coach in Cornell field hockey history to reach that milestone.
• In two weekend wins, the Big Red held an 80-6 edge in shots and won 39 corners to just five for its opponents.
• Ramsey's goal was the seventh in her career and the first to go down as a game-winner.
• She now has 39 career points (seven goals, 25 assists) in 36 career games.
• Mueller scored her fifth career goal and the first of the season.
• McNally is off to a 3-0 start with a 0.41 goals against average and a .800 save percentage in goal. For her career, McNally sports a 0.65 goals against average.
NEXT UP
• Cornell kicks off Ivy League competition when it visits Columbia on Friday, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m. at Columbia Field Hockey Stadium in New York, N.Y.
• The Big Red holds a 21-7 edge in the all-time series and has won four of the past five meetings between the teams.
• The lone Cornell loss came last season, a 1-0 Lions win in Ithaca.
• The home team had a dominant 19-9 edge in shots and recorded 10 penalty corners, including four in the final three minutes, but could not find the equalizer.
