By Alana Pelosi
Like last season, the women’s lacrosse team kicked off the season in a 2-0 fashion. Unlike last season, however, this year’s team has increased their record to 3-0 and is on the brink of a very exciting match up.
On Saturday, March 7 the team plays host to Cornell at James M. Shuart Stadium and this time, they are looking to increase their record to 4-0.
The match up is big for both teams as they both are undefeated. It obvious that both teams intend to remain that way, but for the Pride this game comes with a vengeance. “For most of us, we don’t want to feel like we did last season again. We are going to do everything in our power to win,” said Ruszkowski.
While the Pride has not started off their season 4-0 since 2005, the Cornell game is a bit more personal. Even though the Bid Red is not a conference rival, they defeated the Pride in a mess of a road trip last season that hurt the team a bit. The Pride returned from upstate 2-3 after falling to Syracuse and Cornell and they returned home anything but happy. For one, the 14-3 outcome of their last match up was not definitive of the team’s talent. Even more costly was the beating they took in the blustery weekend and the subsequent injuries.
“We take every game one at a time, but it is one that in the back of our minds we do feel like we have something to prove,” said senior defenseman Alysse Ruszkowski.
No doubt has the squad matured, and there are a few players that Cornell will have a hard time containing. Coach Abby Morgan described junior midfielder Corrine Gandolfi as being “unstoppable” and so far that is the case. Currently, she leads the team with 12 goals and 16 points. If that is not impressive enough, she is ranked 12th in the nation in scoring with 5.33 goals per game and she has picked up the first two CAA Player of the Week titles of the season.
The offense is continued to be backed up by Ashley Jones, Steph Rice and Maryann Miller and Ruszkowski and Katie Hertsch lead the defense.
This past weekend, the team took its first road trip of the season up to Providence, RI where they defeated Brown, 11-7. Against Brown, Gandolfi tallied three goals and two assist and Lauren Whitcomb and Steph Rice also added two goals apiece.
Not only has the team been playing better, but the communication on the field and their speed has visibly increased as well. “We are more confident because we know we have each others’ backs and we want to forge forward down a positive path,” said Ruszkowski.
And there is reason for them to feel more confident as they broke into the Inside Lacrosse poll at No. 20. But they are not about to let it get to their heads, either. Cornell should not be taken lightly as they are currently ranked No. 14 in the same poll.
After the Cornell match up, the Pride will take the road for four straight games. Starting March 12, they face four-time defending national champion Northwestern, followed by Notre Dame, Mount St. Mary’s and Rutgers.