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Princeton University Athletics
Tigers Prepare For Early-Season Ivy Clash With Cornell
April 03, 2003 | Women's Lacrosse
April 3, 2003
Princeton, N.J. - When Princeton and Cornell meet, it's usually Princeton coming out on top. The Tigers have dominated the series, winning 22 of 24 prior games with the Big Red. This Cornell team, however, poses what might be the biggest threat to Princeton's repeat of an Ivy League title and when the Tigers and Big Red draw on Friday night in Ithaca, it will be No. 5 versus No. 7 in a major early-season Ivy showdown.
Princeton comes in with a four-game winning streak and is ranked No. 5 in the latest IWLCA Poll. The Tigers are 5-3 overall and are 1-0 in the Ivy League this season. Junior Theresa Sherry comes in with a team-high 21 goals and is averaging 3.75 goals per game during Princeton's current four-game win streak. Senior Whitney Miller is second in team scoring with 16 goals and senior Alex Fiore is third with 10 goals and a team-high five assists. The Tigers have won 14 consecutive games versus Cornell and hold a 10-1 all-time advantage in Ithaca. Last year Princeton handed Cornell its only regular season loss by defeated the Big Red 16-12 at Class of 1952 Stadium. Both squads made it to the NCAA Final Four last season-Cornell fell to Georgetown the Semifinals and Princeton defeated the Hoyas in the championship game.
This season has met expectations for Cornell, which is 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Ivy League. The Big Red is ranked No. 7 in the national polls and is returning from a four-game road trip. Senior Sarah Averson leads Cornell with 21 goals and 27 points after six games played.
Princeton is averaging 10.96 goals per game and has outscored its opponents by 20 goals in the first period of play. The Tiger defense is holding opponents to a .411 shot percentage and 7.91 goals per game. Senior Rachael Becker, the defensive leader and captain of the unit, has a team-high 32 ground balls this season to go along with her league-high 29 caused turnovers.
Friday's game is the only night contest at Cornell this season and is the fourth of five straight night games for Princeton. The Tigers and Big Red draw at 7 p.m. on Schoellkopf Field.