May 2, 2008

by J. Jude Hazard, Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online

The Cornell women's lacrosse team will look to snap a three-game losing streak in its young rivalry with Notre Dame - and in its final chance to impress the NCAA Division I tournament selection committee Saturday.

The Big Red (10-5) is ranked 9th in the latest NCAA RPI release and 15th in this week's IWLCA poll. The Irish (11-6) rank 13th and 10th, respectively. They draw in South Bend at noon in the final regular season game for both teams.

"We're very similar in how we're positioned, both Cornell and Notre Dame for this contest," Cornell head coach Jenny Graap said. "I think we've both had strong seasons, and the question is, is it strong enough to get one of the precious at large bids?"

The Fighting Irish have won three straight games against Cornell, including a 13-9 win at Cornell a year ago. Notre Dame leads the series 4-3 dating back to the first game in 2002.

"If you look, we've played them typically one of our first games of the season, in March," Graap said. "Historically, we're the kind of team that is going to get stronger as the season goes on."

Cornell comes into the game with senior leadership that includes attacker Courtney Farrell and midfielder Noelle Dowd. Farrell set the school scoring record this year when she notched her 206th career point against Yale on April 19.

"We like to do some of the same things, I think, that Notre Dame likes to do, which is to back door and transition," Graap said. "At this point in the season, we're looking to enhance our own strengths and execute our own strategies."

Dowd said the team used a brief travel delay in the Syracuse airport on Friday to think about strategy for Saturday's game. She said the Big Red are no stranger to travel delays this year.

"I think we just need to focus on our own game and not really worry about what they're doing, about the past, that they've beaten us the last three times," Dowd said. "We have to back each other up both ends of the field."

Cornell had won five straight games heading into its April 22 matchup against Syracuse, but the Orange crushed the Big Red, 19-7, in Ithaca that day. Cornell bounced back with a 12-9 win at Harvard last week.

Notre Dame is coming off of a devastating, triple-overtime loss to Georgetown in the Big East semifinals. Freshman Shaylyn Blaney scored five goals for the Fighting Irish in the 15-14 defeat.

Graap said that both Cornell and Notre Dame boast aggressive, fast-paced styles of play. Despite that, she said she doesn't expect a high-scoring game Saturday with rain in the forecast.

"I think that their strength is in their offensive end. I think they're also very strong on the draw control. I think that they're aggressive, and they push the pace," Graap said. "That can always be dangerous if you can't slow them down and you can't contain that."

Graap added that her team is preparing for this as just another regular season game, even though both teams' postseason destinies may depend upon Saturday's outcome.

"It is about the rivalry we have with the Fighting Irish, and it is about making a statement and being aware of the fact that they've gotten the better of us two years in a row," she said. "I think that's enough motivation."