Just when it looked as though the women’s lacrosse team was going to have a disappointing record in Ancient Eight competition, it reached a dramatic turning point. If there was one victory that could make up for Cornell’s less-than-satisfying performance in the first half of the season, it was a win over Princeton on Easter Weekend. The Red (3-6, 2-2 Ivy) defeated the No. 17 Tigers (4-6, 2-1 Ivy), 11-8, in Princeton, N.J., on Saturday to at last gain bragging rights after a long and winless history against its conference rival.

“It was a must-win for us, and we collectively rose to the challenge,” said senior tri-captain Morgan Hale.

Not only did Cornell break a recent four-game slump, but it also put an end to a 22-year losing battle with Princeton. Before Saturday’s upset, the last Red win against the nationally-ranked Tigers came in 1988. Head coach Jenny Graap ’86, the second winningest coach in the University’s athletic department, can finally add Princeton to her list of conquered opponents. All the right moves: Sophomore Jessi Steinberg (1) added three goals and an assist in Saturday’s win. - By: Jade Tabony

“As a senior class, we have wanted a Princeton win since we became part of the team,” Hale said. “It’s such a great rivalry and one that always results in a really competitive game. In fact, after we won, the alumni outreach was awesome –– everyone, from more recent grads to players from previous generations, voiced their support in seeing the Tigers’ 22-year streak come to an end.”

In the trilling victory for the Red, sophomore attack Julie Klatzkin recorded her first-ever hat trick, which included Cornell’s final two scores to seal the win. Klatzkin, who got her first career and Ivy League start last week against Penn, is now well on her way to having a breakout season.  

“The sophomores are a big part of the lineup and, as a group, we acknowledged that this game was almost a must-win to have a post season,” Klatzkin said. “We also knew how much it would mean for the seniors to finally beat Princeton and for Coach Graap to get her first win versus Princeton –– and on their home turf.”  This one’s for the win: Shannon McHugh (12) scored the go-ahead goal with 14:51 remaining. - By: Jade Tabony

Fellow attacker and classmate Jessi Steinberg also netted three goals and handed out an assist, while junior tri-captain Libby Johnson put away a pair of goals and chipped in two assists. Sophomore midfields Katie Kirk and Shannon McHugh also made valuable contributions to the team offense. Kirk found the back of the net twice, and McHugh scored the momentum-changing goal in the second half to go ahead, 9-8, with 14:51 on the clock.  

“The last two goals were actually off of feeds from Jessi,” Klatzkin said. “What happened was that the defenders were too preoccupied about Jessi to notice that I was right next to her, and they left me wide open.”

While Klatzkin and the offensive crew were pivotal in the victory, the Cornell defense was the unsung hero of the game, as the Red denied the Tigers any opportunity to score in close to 20 minutes of action. Freshman midfield Kate Ivory picked up seven ground balls and forced three Princeton turnovers to shut down potential threats in the final defensive third. Protecting the crease, sophomore goaltender Kyla Dambach made 12 saves, a personal-best, and stopped six of nine Tiger attempts on the cage in the second half.  

A modest Ivory credited her success to the support of her teammates.

“Being part of such an exciting win was awesome, especially because it meant a lot, not only to our season, but also to the history of our program,” Ivory said. “The upperclassmen and seniors in particular helped inspire me to play with the intensity and focus needed to contribute to the win. Taking care of the ball in the defensive end wouldn't have been possible without their constant motivation.”

Despite out-shooting the Red, 27-22, and almost doubling its draw control statistic with 13, the Tigers could not capitalize against the Red’s strong defensive front. Princeton’s Kristin Morrison and Maisie Devine accounted for five effective scoring efforts and goalie Erin Tochinhara registered seven blocks for the Tigers.   

“The coaching staff did a great job of strategically preparing us for the game. We knew the key plays that Princeton’s attack was looking to run, and we were ready defensively to deny their top players,” Hale said. “The team did a great job of answering the coaches’ challenge of upping our personal game — that’s where we saw players like Julie Klatzkin netting three and Kivory causing three TO’s in the defensive end — breakout performances like that are the type of team-first play that inspires everyone.”

The Red wasted no time in getting on the board with two early scores from Johnson and Kirk to take the lead in under seven minutes of play. In retaliation, the Tigers posted a pair of goals to match its opponent’s, and from that point forward in the first period, the two teams fought back and forth, entering the locker room tied at halftime, 5-5.

Just 2:34 into the second stanza, Princeton went up for the first time, 6-5, but Cornell responded with a Klatzkin goal orchestrated by Steinberg. The Tigers had a 7-6 advantage again and just like before, Steinberg fired back. It was Kirk’s free position goal from the 8-meter only 37 seconds later that gave the Red the upper hand, 8-7. At the 18:53 mark, Princeton’s Lizzy Drumm scored the equalizer to make it 8-8. With under 15 minutes remaining in regulation, McHugh found the back of the net with the go-ahead ball and launched to Red into a 3-0 run.

“From a leadership perspective, we wanted to make sure that the entire team was on the same page in terms of how important this game was for our program at this point in the season,” Hale said. “Back in February, we set our team goal of making the Ivy tournament, and knew that we needed a quality win against a top competitor like Princeton to get one step closer toward this goal.”

 “It was a great day,” Klatzkin said. “Everyone was really excited at the tailgate because we knew we were better than our record showed, and we finally proved it.”

The Red will look to use the victory and the competitive spirit that it revived in its players as momentum for future contests.  

“This is definitely a solid and motivating win for our team to build on as we prepare for Dartmouth,” Hale said.