Game Notes
2012 Schedule
2012 Roster
2012 Quick Facts

ITHACA, N.Y. – Lacrosse season is finally upon us. Two weeks after an exhibition at Penn State, the regular season begins for the Big Red with a promising year ahead. Cornell starts its calendar with a date at Rutgers at noon on Saturday.

GAME INFORMATION
GAME #1: Cornell at Rutgers
GAME TIME: Saturday, Feb. 25, 12 p.m.
GAME SITE: RU Turf Field (Piscataway, N.J.)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads 12-3
LAST MEETING: Rutgers won 11-7 on Feb. 26, 2011
2011-12 RECORDS: Cornell (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League); Rutgers (0-1, 0-0 Big East)
LIVE STATS: GameTracker
LIVE VIDEO:  None

ABOUT THE BIG RED
Coming off a 6-8 year in 2011, the 2012 edition of the Big Red is a senior-heavy, experienced team that will be looking to make a splash in the incredibly competitive Ivy League. Four Ivy League teams come into this year ranked nationally in the top 20, and Cornell is just outside that group but looking to move into it. Returning 10 starters from last year and losing just two, the Big Red will look to build on the momentum it began by defeating then-No. 2 Florida in the final game of 2011.

HEAD COACH JENNY GRAAP
Jenny Graap returned to her alma mater in 1997 with one goal in mind: to build the Cornell women's lacrosse team into a championship contender. Now entering her 15th year at the helm, the 2002 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Coach of the Year and 2006 Inside Lacrosse Magazine and IWLCA Northeast Coach of the Year has developed the Big Red women's lacrosse program into one of the most successful in the nation. She has posted a 129-88 record at Cornell and earned her 150th career win against Florida to close the 2011 campaign.

ABOUT RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights, out of Piscataway, N.J., have just one game under their belts so far this year. Rutgers lost to Temple 11-12 on Wednesday night to open their season. In that game, Ali Steinberg had three goals and two assists to lead the team. Playing in the Big East, Rutgers went 9-7 last season including one win and one loss in overtime. The Scarlet Knights were led by Marlena Welsh in scoring last year, but she is gone from the roster in 2012. The Scarlet Knights' remaining high scorers from last season are Steinberg (28 goals) – the twin sister of Cornell's Jessi Steinberg – and Lindsey Watts (24). Junior goalie Lily Katala (8.73 GAA, .443 save percentage) also returns from last year.
Rutgers is coached by Laura Brand-Sias, now in her 10th season of leading her alma mater.

THE SERIES WITH RUTGERS
Cornell and Rutgers met last season with the Scarlet Knights claiming an 11-7 victory over the Big Red. Jessi Steinberg and Katie Kirk led Cornell with two goals each in that game and the team's other goals came from Libby Johnson, Shannon McHugh and Caroline Salisbury. Historically, Cornell has a 12-3 series advantage over Rutgers and won the teams' first 10 meetings. Rutgers holds a 2-3 edge in the last five years, winning in 2010 and 2011.

A WIN AGAINST RUTGERS WOULD…
…put the Big Red over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2009 campaign…be Cornell's first win against the Scarlet Knights since 2009…move Cornell to 13-3 all-time against Rutgers…be the first season-opening victory since 2009…but the first season-opening road victory since 2008…bring the Big Red to 22-19 in season openers all-time.

FAMILY AFFAIR
A set of twins will be going head-to-head this weekend as Cornell senior attack Jessi Steinberg will face off against twin sister Ali. Ali, who plays midfield for Rutgers, was the team's second-leading scorer last year while Jessi led the Big Red in 2011. Both hailing from Suffern High School in Suffern, N.Y., the Steinberg sisters will be facing off for the fourth time in four years. Ali has a 2-1 lead in their college rivalry with Jessi looking to tie it in their senior seasons.

TEWAARATON WATCH LIST
Jessi Steinberg has been named to the 2012 Tewaaraton Award Watch list, InsideLacrosse.com announced Wednesday. Steinberg, who led the team in scoring last season with 42 points, is now in the early pool of players who will be considered for the Tewaaraton, college lacrosse's highest individual honor. Steinberg was one of 53 players named to the list across all three divisions of women's lacrosse.

NATIONAL POLLS
Though the Big Red is not ranked in any of the national polls at the start of this season, it has received three votes in Monday's LaxPower poll.  Ivy League competition Princeton (No. 6), Penn (No. 8), Dartmouth (t-No. 10) and Harvard (No. 18) are all in the national top 20.

OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN
Four Big Red players have been named captains for the 2012 season. Senior defender Cacki Helmer, senior midfielders Katie Kirk and Shannon McHugh, and senior attack Jessi Steinberg will be leading Cornell all season.

SENIOR CLASS
The Big Red will have a strong senior class of nine players. In addition to the four players listed above as captains, goalie Kyla Dambach, midfield/attack Shannon Tierney, midfield/defense Ali O'Neil, midfield/defense Beth Halayko and attack Olivia Knotts make up an experience core at the heart of the Big Red this season.

NEW ON THE BLOCK
Cornell's freshman class is eight deep this year. In goal, Carly Gneiwek will see her first college season. On defense, Gabby Weintraub, Christine Ferguson and Kristen Carr are new to the roster. In the midfield, Skylar Fidel, Sarah Hefner and Claire MacManus will be gracing the roster. Lindsay Toppe is the lone freshman attack this season.

NATIONAL NUMBERS
At the conclusion of last season, Jessi Steinberg was tied for 27th in the country with 2.71 goals per game. Junior defender Kate Ivory also ranked in the top 50 nationally in both caused turnovers per game and ground balls per game. She was 26th in caused turnovers (1.64) and 25th in ground balls (2.64). Goaltender Courtney Gallagher was 35th in the country with a 9.00 goals against average.

LAST TIME OUT
Cornell closed out the 2011 season with a 9-6 win against then-No. 2 Florida on Schoellkopf Field. Kyla Dambach had nine saves while Caroline Salisbury and Jessi Steinberg had three goals each.

CAREER NUMBERS WATCH
Approaching career numbers:
• Katie Kirk's next point will be the 60th in her career and the next turnover she causes will be the 30th.
• Kelly Lang will reach 10 career points when she scores next and needs two more ground balls for 20.
• Ali O'Neil needs to cause one more turnover for 10 in her career.
• The next point for Caroline Salisbury will be her 20th.
• Jessi Steinberg is eight goals shy of 100.

UP NEXT
Cornell continues its early-season road tour with a trip to No. 18 Harvard next Saturday. The Big Red follows that with another road game at Colgate on March 7 before its home opener against Columbia on March 10.