Cornell women’s lacrosse used a fast start and balanced scoring to earn a 12-6 victory over Columbia on Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field, improving to 6-3 overall and 1-1 in Ivy League play.
The Big Red jumped out early, building a 4-1 lead by the end of the first quarter behind goals from Emily Iacobellis, Kathleen Michaud, Lexie Tully and Ellie Bergin. Cornell extended the advantage in the second quarter with a 5-0 run, highlighted by Bergin’s natural hat trick, with all three goals assisted by Ella Wilmot. Lilly Whaling capped the surge as Cornell carried a 7-2 lead into halftime.
Columbia responded in the third quarter, outscoring Cornell 2-1 to cut the deficit to 9-5, but the Big Red regained control in the final period. Wilmot and Tully each scored, and Whaling added a power-play goal off a Wilmot assist to push the lead to six. Michaud added the final goal late in regulation.
Wilmot led the offense with two goals and four assists, while Bergin finished with three goals. Michaud and Tully each scored twice, and Whaling added two goals and an assist. Iacobellis also found the net.
Defensively, Mackenzie Clark made seven saves as Cornell limited Columbia’s opportunities. The Big Red held advantages in shots (28-20), shots on goal (17-13) and ground balls (16-13).
Cornell returns to action Saturday, March 28 against Dartmouth, with the opening draw scheduled for 12 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.