Ivy League Release

ITHACA, N.Y. – For a terrific week where she caused four turnovers and picked up eight ground balls, senior captain Cacki Helmer has been named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in her career.

Helmer started her week off with four ground balls, four draw controls and one caused turnover at Colgate in a 15-10 Big Red victory. She was a huge part of Cornell's defensive efforts that kept Colgate to just three goals in the first half.

Cornell (4-0) played even better on Saturday in its home opener against Ivy League rival Columbia. Helmer had four more ground balls and caused three more turnovers in a 19-7 victory for Cornell.

Heading into last week, Helmer led the nation in ground balls and caused turnovers per game.

The weekly award is Cornell's first this season. Attack Olivia Knotts had 11 points on the week and was named to the league's Honor Roll. Helmer was an Honor Roll member the first two weeks of the season.

Cornell had just one weekly award winner last year, when Jessi Steinberg won Offensive Player of the Week on March 21, 2011. Helmer was the last Cornell Defensive Player of the Week when she won the award on April 26, 2010.

The Big Red, off to its best start since 2009, hosts Canisius in Schoellkopf Field on Tuesday at 4 p.m.