ITHACA, N.Y. – The California lacrosse team fell behind early for the second straight game and never led in a 13-7 nonconference loss at Cornell on Saturday at Schoelkopf Field. The game started in a heavy snow squall and the field was blanketed with the white stuff just minutes into the contest. The Big Red jumped out to a 2-0 advantage before
Kennedy Mason and
Kennedy Goss answered with back-to-back goals to tie the score with 3:25 to go in the opening period. But Cornell scored the next three goals and held on to at least a two-goal lead for the remainder of the contest.
Isabel King and
Addie Fischer each scored a pair of goals to lead the Cal offense with King also picking up an assist. King's goals and points were career bests and all came in the fourth quarter. Goss and Mason each finished with one goal and two assists with Goff's three points and Mason's two assists tying career bests.
Courtney Wong also tied a career best with two points on one goal and one assist.
Cornell's Maggie Pons registered four goals and two assists to total six points and lead all scorers. Bridget Babcock and Caitlin Slaminko had two goals apiece for the Big Red with Babcock also picking up an assist. Mia DiChiara, Kylie Gelabert, Dillyn Patten, Josie Vogel and Sophie Ward each had one goal for Cornell with Gelabert and Vogel each adding an assist, along with Hilary Hoover.
THE STORY
— Pons (assist Hoover) and DiChiara (unassisted) set the tone with the game's first two goals.
— Fischer put the ball in the back of the net to apparently give the Bears the first goal after the break but a stick violation was called and Vogel needed just 26 seconds to respond with a goal of her own on an assist by Pons to put Cornell ahead, 6-3, with 13:24 to go in the third and shortly after it briefly looked like the Bears had cut the Big Red's halftime lead to 5-4.
— Cal was held scoreless in the third quarter and had just three goals through the game's first 45 minutes before a four-goal fourth.
— Cornell dominated statistically with advantages in shots (26-13), shots on goal (19-10), ground balls (15-11) and draw controls (12-11). The Big Red also made good on 17-of-21 clears, while Cal was 14-of-16. Cal committed 19 turnovers, while the Big Red had 13.
— There were only three free position shots taken during the game and all were missed –
Mya Wang for the Bears; Alex Donahoe and Josie Vogel for the Big Red.
—
Callan Fritsch played a career-high 49:38 minutes in goal for the Bears and equaled a career best with six saves, while Ellie Horner was in goal the entire game for the Big Red finishing with seven goals against and three saves.
NOTES
— Cal has dropped four straight games played in the Eastern Time Zone after having previously posted a winning streak of five in a row.
— Cornell was Cal's third straight opponent playing its 2024 season opener.
— The temperature at gametime was 26 degrees.
— The field was cleared of snow at halftime and although snow returned in the second half little accumulated on the field.
UP NEXT
— Cal returns home next Friday to face Lindenwood and begin a five-game homestand that will be its longest stretch of consecutive regular-season home games since also playing five in a row at California Memorial Stadium from March 3-16, 2017, as well as one shy of the school record of six straight at home to open the 2007 campaign (Feb. 22 - March 15, 2007). After playing Lindenwood, the Bears host St. Bonaventure (Feb. 29), Army (March 6), Winthrop (Mar. 10) and Butler (Mar. 12) before starting their final season in the Pac-12 on the road at Oregon on Mar. 16.
WHAT THEY SAID
"I'm very proud of the way we bounced back from our game on Thursday. The team battled the snow throughout and overall we played a decent game. We get better throughout the weekend and I'm excited to get back home to prep for Lindenwood."
– Head coach Jennifer Wong
