Cornell defeated Harvard 13-11 on April 11 after a decisive second quarter and strong defensive performance in the final period at Jordan Field.
The win is important for Cornell as it improves their overall record to 8-5 and their conference standing to 3-2, keeping them in contention for the Ivy League tournament with two games remaining.
Harvard started the game by scoring first, but Cornell quickly responded with a goal from Emily Iacobellis. After falling behind by three goals, Ellie Bergin scored to cut Harvard’s lead before Cornell surged ahead in the second quarter. Six different players contributed during an eight-goal run that gave Cornell a four-goal halftime lead. “Ellie Bergin really stepped up and made a big difference in the draw control,” head coach Jenny Graap said. “She helped us gain more possession time and offensive opportunities which allowed us to get in sync. Also, scoring on free position opportunities was a big part of our success. Emily Iacobellis with her first career hat trick was also amazing. The four goal lead at halftime gave us some cushion and allowed us to hold strong after Harvard tied it up.”
Harvard rallied in the third quarter, tying the game at 11-11 while limiting Cornell’s offense, but could not score again as Cornell’s defense held firm through the fourth quarter. Senior goalkeeper Mackenzie Clark made four saves in the final period for a total of eight saves during the match. “Defensive effort was stellar,” Graap said. “Clark had four saves, tons of credit to her for coming up big under pressure.” Defensive contributions also came from Gretta White, Lexie Tully, and Caitlin Tully who forced key turnovers.
Offensively, Bergin led all scorers with four goals while Iacobellis and Lexie Tully each recorded hat tricks; White, Ella Wilmot, and Kathleen Michaud also scored one goal each for Cornell.
Looking ahead, Graap commented on what this victory means: “A road win at Harvard on their senior day is never easy,” she said. “These Ivy games are always a battle, so it’s huge for us and keeps our spirits high as we have two games left and are eyeing the Ivy tournament.” The team will next face Penn at Schoellkopf Field on April 18.
