With the passage of Title IX, the Cornell women's lacrosse team began its journey in 1972 as the first and only Ivy League women's lacrosse team. Stressing the core values of hard work, dedication, and respect, the team progressed into a strong state, league, and eventually national title contender. The program boasts 30 All-Americans, 55 first-team All-Ivy League selections, and four national or regional Coach of the Year honors. History is being made every day with the Big Red, and under the continued leadership of Cornell alum Jenny Graap '86, there is little doubt that this history will continue.
1972
Women's lacrosse is first recognized on the varsity level in 1972. The program's first-ever game, under head coach Sue Tyler, was played against local rival Ithaca College. Though the team would lose 7-4, it went on to win their very next game against a tough Brockport team 13-3, and finish the season with a 3-2 record.
1975
Head coach Judy Kosstrin takes the helm for the Big Red, as the team played games on Jessup Field. Cornell defeats Penn 8-7 in the first-ever meeting between the Big Red and an Ivy League opponent.
1977
Cheryl Wolf becomes the head coach, leading the team to consecutive wins over William Smith, Hartwick, and Ithaca.
1978
The Big Red posts the program's first winning record since its inaugural season when it went 3-2 by going 7-2-2 on the season. The program hosted the second annual NYSAIAW lacrosse championship, falling to Brockport in the final.
1979
The team moves its home games to Schoellkopf Field.
1980
Cornell would compete against a "full" Ivy League schedule for the first time, finishing 0-6. The only Ivy League school that did not have a women's lacrosse program at this point was Columbia, who would launch its program 17 years later in 1997. The first All-Ivy Team was selected, with Carol Johnson and Cate Snow capturing honorable mention honors.
1981
Another year of firsts, the Big Red recorded its first-ever Ivy League win with a 10-5 effort over Brown and its first New York state championship with triumphs over Rochester, William Smith, and Cortland.
1983
Cornell captures its second New York state title in three years, defeating Colgate 10-4 in the final.
1984
The Big Red is the repeat New York state champions and claims the crown for the third time in four years. The team wins six of its final eight games, including a win at Dartmouth en route to an 8-6 record. The eight victories set a school record for Cornell.
1985
Cornell registers its first win over Princeton in program history, topping the Tigers 11-10 on the road behind captains Jenny Graap, Kate Howard-Johnson, and Leane Sinicki.
1986
The Big Red wins its fourth New York state title in school history, topping Colgate 10-9 in the finals.
1987
Cornell wins its first seven games to capture the program's best-ever start. The season ends with the Big Red taking its fifth state crown and second straight, ending the year with an 11-3 mark and a 3-3 Ivy League record. It is the first time the program reaches .500 in Ivy play, defeating Yale, Penn, and Brown.
1991
Cornell earns its first-ever national ranking, finishing No. 13 with an 8-5 record. The squad ties for third in the final Ivy League standings with a 3-3 mark.
1992
Cornell finishes the season ranked No. 10 nationally and captures its first-ever ECAC crown, beating Towson 6-3 in the finals. The squad ties a school record for wins in a season with an 11-5 record, helping Cheryl Wolf capture IWLCA Regional Coach of the Year honors.
1994
The Ivy League established itself as one of the dominant leagues in the country, as every active Ivy League team entered the 1994 season ranked among the nation's top 20. In the last game of the season, a 22-11 win vs. Rutgers, senior Sara Gur tied the school record for goals in a game (8) and set a new school record for points in a game (10).
1995
Cornell is ranked as high as No. 14, finishing 7-6 overall. Included were losses in triple and quadruple overtime.
1996
In an attempt to create a more competitive environment, the Big Red decided to end its junior varsity program, and a young squad ends the season 5-9.
1997
In head coach Cheryl Wolf's final season, the Big Red finished 5-9 overall and 0-6 in the Ivy League. However, Cornell would beat Columbia in the two programs' first-ever meeting, 17-7.
1998
Jenny Graap returns to her alma mater to help rebuild the Big Red program. Graap makes an immediate impact, finishing an impressive 7-7 overall and 3-4 in the Ivy League following consecutive 0-6 Ivy League seasons. The season's first conference win over Penn snapped a 16-game losing streak against conference squads. However, no Ivy League game was as impressive as the Big Red's 9-8 upset over a then 13th-ranked Yale squad.
1999
The Big Red makes its first ECAC tournament appearance in five years, falling to Yale 11-5. The Big Red would finish the season with an 8-5 overall record and 2-4 in the Ivy League. One of the Ivy League wins came in the program's first-ever win over long-time rival Harvard (10-9).
2000
The Big Red set numerous team records, including wins (13), most goals (210), and most points scored (318), winning the ECAC title with a 16-4 victory over Johns Hopkins in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Sarah Averson captures tournament MVP honors. Cornell went 5-2 in Ivy League play for its first winning Ancient Eight record in program history.
2001
Cornell makes the program's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, finishing 11-4 overall after dropping a 14-4 decision in the first round at Princeton. The Big Red entered the year ranked No. 15 and spent much of the season in the top 10.
2002
The Big Red had a storybook season, posting a 16-2 record and advancing to the national semifinals. The squad became the first Cornell women's team in any sport to advance to an NCAA Final Four, setting school records for wins, consecutive victories (11), and Ivy League triumphs (6). Head coach Jenny Graap was named National Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association and four players were named to various All-America teams, including Ivy League Player of the Year and Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Jaimee Reynolds. Along the way, the Big Red ended Maryland's seven-year run as national champions with a 14-4 victory over the Terps in the NCAA quarterfinals at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell also defeated Syracuse before falling to Georgetown 12-10 in overtime. The Big Red's two losses came to the two teams in the national finals (Princeton and Georgetown).
2003
The Big Red captured an ECAC title and ranked among the top 10 in the nation throughout the year, finishing at No. 12. Cornell collected the program's 200th win in finishing 11-5 overall (4-3 Ivy).
2004
The Big Red won five of its final six games, including a triple-overtime victory over nationally ranked Syracuse en route to a 6-9 season.
2005
The 2005 Big Red finished the season ranked 17th in the nation, compiling a 6-1 home record. Cornell again finished strong, winning five of its last six games and captured the program's fifth winning league season in six years.
2006
The program claimed a share of its first-ever Ivy League title, finishing 6-1 with a win over eventual national runner-up Dartmouth at Schoellkopf Field. Head coach Jenny Graap was named Inside Lacrosse Magazine and IWLCA Northeast Coach of the Year as the team made its third NCAA tournament appearance. Goalkeeper Maggie Fava became the second Cornell player to earn Ivy League Player of the Year honors, Lyndsay Robinson earned the IWLCA National Community Awareness Award, and Courtney Farrell earned a spot on the U.S. Women's Lacrosse Developmental team. The Big Red finished the season with a perfect 7-0 record at home.
2008
The Big Red closes the season with a 10-6 record and placed second in the Ivy League with a 5-2 record. Cornell posted four wins over teams ranked at some point during the season. Senior Courtney Farrell became the school's all-time scoring and assists leader, joining classmate Katherine Simmons on the IWLCA All-America third team.
2009
Tissy O'Connor earns second-team IWLCA All-America honors after a fantastic season in the defensive midfield.
2010
Cornell plays in the first-ever Ivy League Tournament after finishing third in the regular season. The Big Red falls to Dartmouth 10-8 in the first round at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Jessi Steinberg and Tissy O'Connor are named first-team All-Ivy.
2011
The Big Red caps off the season by upsetting No. 2 Florida 9-6 in the 2011 finale, giving Cornell its biggest win in program history. Jessi Steinberg and Kate Ivory each earn first-team All-Ivy honors.
2012
Cornell makes the Ivy League Tournament for the second time in program history, placing third in the conference during the regular season. Jessi Steinberg and Cacki Helmer make the All-Ivy first team, while Steinberg is a nominee for the Tewaaraton Award.
2013
The Big Red reaches the Ivy League Tournament for the third time in four years, playing top-seed Penn in the semifinals. Cornell finished fourth in the Ivy League during the regular season and had a victory against then-No. 7 Penn State. Lindsay Toppe and Kate Ivory earn All-Ivy First Team, with Ivory earning Ivy League Defender of the Year.
2014
The Big Red reaches the Ivy League Tournament for the third straight season and fourth over the last five years. Cornell defeated Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown, and Yale during the regular season, while it also battled eventual National Runner-Up Syracuse in a close 7-5 loss. The team fell in the Ivy League Tournament Semifinals to host Princeton. Lindsay Toppe was named Ivy League Attacker of the Year, a First Team All-Ivy and IWLCA All-Region selection.
2015
For the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time in the last six seasons, Cornell makes the Ivy League Tournament, where the Big Red's season ends in heartbreaking fashion with a 7-6 loss to Penn in the semifinals. Five players are named to All-Ivy teams, tied for second-most in the league, with Lindsay Toppe making the first team for the third consecutive season. Toppe sets a new program record for career goals (149) and career game-winning goals (10), and the team sets a new school mark for goals scored in a single game in its 23-6 rout of Cal.Â
2016
Cornell gets off to a historic start, going 8-0 to begin the season, the best start in program history. Led by a balanced offense and a shutdown defense, the Big Red, as the underdog No. 3 seed, wins its first Ivy League Tournament Championship in program history, beating Princeton in overtime in the semifinal before defeating Penn in the title game on the Quakers' home field. The win earns Cornell an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, its first appearance since 2006, and the Big Red is named the No. 8 seed, earning the right to host First and Second Round matchups. Cornell's season ends with a narrow 7-6 loss to Massachusetts in the Second Round. Five players earn All-Ivy honors, while Joey Coffy and Catie Smith are named IWLCA Regional All-Americans. Co-captain Emily Tripodi sets a new program record for career assists with 116, and Catie Smith sets a new single-season mark in caused turnovers with 41. Six players finish with 30+ points.
2017
The Big Red once again had a prosperous season, going 13-6 en route to a shared regular-season Ivy League title, its sixth straight appearance in the league tournament, and its second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. In the Ivy League tournament, Cornell downed Harvard 16-11 to earn its way to the championship final against Princeton. Despite a comeback in the second half, the Tigers held on, 12-9, to hoist the trophy. The Big Red entered postseason play again, making it to the second round of the national tournament. In the first round, the team topped Notre Dame 12-7 before falling to Princeton, 11-9 in a tight battle. After rewriting the record books during the 2017 season, senior defender Catie Smith became a First-Team All-American. Smith, Amie Dickson, Renee Poullott, and Kristy Gilbert were designated with Regional All-American honors. In addition to those four, Catherine Ellis and Taylor Reed all earned spots on All-Ivy teams.
2018
Cornell went 7-8 on the season with a 2-5 record in Ivy League play, missing out on the league tournament for the second time since its establishment in 2010. With a difficult schedule featuring six ranked squads, the Big Red battled hard and won both overtime games against Colgate and UMass. A quartet of players garnered All-Ivy recognition with senior Joey Coffy leading the way with First Team accolades. Coffy was also an IWLCA Second Team All-Region pick. Senior captain Taylor Reed, sophomore Caroline Allen, and junior Hannah O'Reilly earn Second Team. Allen tied the program record for free position goals in a single season, and Coffy tied the single-game draw control record.
2019
The Big Red jumps back into the Ivy League tournament for the eighth time in 10 seasons with an 8-8 overall record and 4-3 mark in conference play. Cornell would fall 11-6 to a top-seeded Princeton squad that would make it to the doorstep of the final four of the NCAA tournament. Junior attacker Caroline Allen leads the Big Red in points (57), goals (37), assists (20), and draw controls (59) to secure first team All-Ivy honors alongside classmate Mary Kate Bonanni, who led the Big Red with 11 of her team-high 16 caused turnovers occurring in Ivy League action. Both Allen and Bonnani also garner IWLCA Second Team All-Region honors. Midfielder Ellie Walsh earns second team All-Ivy after leading all Big Red midfielders in assists (11), points (27), ground balls (14), and draw controls (37). Goalkeeper Katie McGahan and midfielder Grace Paletta round out All-Ivy honors for the red and white with honorable mention distinction.
2020
Cornell starts the 2020 campaign with a 4-2 overall mark before the rest of its season is canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Caroline Allen '20 leads the Big Red with 21 points (18 goals, three assists), followed by Katie Castiello '23 (15-3-18) and Grace Paletta '21 (12-1-13). Allen explodes for seven goals in an 18-13 victory over Marist, finishing one short of tying the single-game mark shared by Emily Montgomery (1975 vs. Hartwick)Â and Sara Gur (May 1, 1994 vs. Rutgers).Â
2021
Season canceled due to COVID-19 Pandemic.
2022
The Big Red matches its 2019 mark with an 8-8 overall record and 4-3 mark in conference play to make it into the Ivy League tournament, falling to Yale in the semifinals. Senior Genevieve DeWinter becomes the Big Red's first Midfielder of the Year honoree after finishing the regular season tied for fourth in the conference in goals (33), leading the red and white with 31 ground balls, and finishing in the top five for total points (third - 39), caused turnovers (third - 10), and draw controls (fourth - 19). DeWinter also takes home unanimous first team All-Ivy alongside IWLCA Northeast Region Second Team and Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention All-American honors. Defender Hilary Hoover '24 and goalkeeper Katie McGahan secure second team All-Ivy honors, anchoring a defense that allowed 12.28 goals per game. Hoover also leads the conference with 13 caused turnovers and finishes third in ground balls (31), while McGahan sat in the top five of the conference in saves per game (second - 8.7), save percentage (third - .447), and goals against average (12.28). McGahan finishes her career third in program history in saves (420) and wins (26). Katie Castiello '23, Amanda Cramer '23, and Annie Thomas '24 also earn honorable mention All-Ivy status. Thomas' 73 draw controls also surpass Sarah Hefner's previous season record of 68.
2023
Cornell comes within a game of the Ivy League tournament but falls short with a 7-8 overall record and 3-4 mark in conference action. Senior attacker Amanda Cramer secures first team All-Ivy honors after leading the Big Red with 55 total points (38-17) and finishing third on the team in draw controls with 36. Classmate Shannon Brazier also joins Cramer on the first team list after posting 20 goals and five assists while finishing second in draw controls (48) and third in ground balls (20). Junior defender Grace Faircloth grabs second team All-Ivy after leading the Big Red in caused turnovers (12) and finishing second in ground balls (25). Katie Castiello '23 closes out the four All-Ivy honors for the Big Red with an honorable mention nod after sharing the team lead with Cramer in goals (38) and finishing second with 46 points. Castiello also becomes the latest player to score 100 or more career points, finishing her Cornell career with 105.Â
2024
The Big Red sees some shift in the coaching staff as Sarah Burlingame '01 joins Jenny Graap's staff alongside two other additions in Ashley O'Brien and three-time NCAA Final Four player Hollie Schleicher from Boston College. Cornell goes 7-8 and 2-5 in conference play in a schedule that saw the red and white match up against six ranked opponents, including Final Four representative Syracuse. Defender Hilary Hoover '24 grabs first team All-Ivy honors after logging the second-most ground balls (19) and third-highest draw controls (31) on the team alongside her first career goal (vs. Jacksonville at Towson) and assist (vs. California). Bridget Babcock '24 secures second team distinction after finishing third with 32 points (18-14) and led the team in ground balls (29) and caused turnovers (19). Grace Faircloth '24 and Josie Vogel '25 each secure honorable mention All-Ivy. Vogel also became the 29th player in program history to join the century point club after leading the Big Red in goals (35) and points (47) over all 15 games. Annie Thomas '24 also became the first player in program history to surpass 200 draw controls, eventually finishing with 233 in her Big Red career. Jenny Graap also earns her 250th career victory with a 17-4 win over Le Moyne and became the 12th active coach in Division I to surpass 400 career games coached.
