ITHACA, NY - The Rutgers women’s lacrosse team (0-1) fell in its season opener at No. 6 Cornell (2-0), 15-7, Saturday, March 8.

The Big Red took an early 2-0 lead as Sarah Fischer and Sarah Averson scored in the opening minutes of the match. Cornell’s Katie Lavin scored on a free position shot to give the Big Red a 3-0 advantage. Senior Claire Grooms (Camillus, NY) put the Scarlet Knights on the board, using a pass from junior Cali Wojdyla (Liverpool, NY). Wojdyla handed the ball off to senior Jess Apel (Bridgewater, NJ) who scored to cut the Big Red’s lead to one. Cornell scored four unanswered goals, taking a 7-2 lead, but Grooms, off a pass from Apel, boosted the Knights score to three. As the half came to an end, sophomore Alexis Hiering (Toms River, NJ) scored for the Knights with 47 seconds left on the clock as Cornell took a 9-4 lead into the locker room at the break.

After a quick goal from Cornell’s Kate Hirschfield, the Scarlet Knights scored back-to-back goals early in the second half. Junior Maggie Bopp (Lindenhurst, NY) used a free position shot to notch her first goal of the season, followed by Wojdyla’s first goal with an assist by junior Cristina Curiale (Summit, NJ). Cornell scored five more goals, taking a 15-6 lead before RU’s Jessica Mosey (Skaneateles, NY) scored the final goal of the afternoon off a cross from Bopp.

Sophomore Lyndsey Feldman (Ft. Myers, FL) faced 33 Cornell shots, making 12 saves in her first full game in the cage for RU. Cornell’s goalkeeper, Ashley Charon made nine saves, facing 19 shots on goal.

The Scarlet Knights will play their first home match of the season against Delaware on Tuesday, March 11, at 3:30 p.m. on the Rutgers Stadium Complex turf fields.

Scoring Summary:
1 2 F
Rutgers 4 3 7
Cornell 9 6 15

Goals:
RU – Grooms (2), Wojdyla, Bopp, Apel, Hiering, J. Mosey
CU – Averson (5), Fischer (4), Quinn (3), Hughey, Hirschfield, Lavin

Assists:
RU – Wojdyla (2), Apel, Bopp, Curiale
CU – Averson (3), Fischer, Friedman, Hirschfield, Hughey, Robinson

Goalkeeper Saves:
RU – Feldman (12)
CU – Charon (9)

Draw Controls:
RU – 6
CU – 18

Caused Turnovers:
RU – 5
CU – 9

Ground Balls:
RU – 26
CU - 32