ITHACA, N.Y. – Senior Madison Carter tied a career-high with six goals to lead the No. 10 Penn State women's lacrosse team to a 14-12 win at Cornell on Saturday. The Nittany Lions tallied eight goals in the first half and six in the second to improve to 3-0 this season.
Carter led the Nittany Lions with seven points, including her sixth six-goal performance of her career. The senior now has 210 career points, moving into ninth all-time at PSU. On the day, she moved past Michele DeJuliis (203; 1994-97) and Colleen O'Hara (208; 2000-03). Carter is one point behind Steph Lazo (211; 2014-17) for eighth place. She also won four draw controls.
Senior Kayla Brisolari collected two goals and an assist, while junior Kristin Roberto scored twice. Junior Quinn Nicolai and freshman Sydney Wolfington each contributed a goal and an assist. Freshman Lauren Craft and senior Delaney Muldoon each scored a goal, while sophomore Sophia Triandafils had two assists, while junior Maria Auth and senior Kelly Daggett each had one assist. Freshman goalie Taylor Suplee made a season-high nine saves.
Cornell's Caroline Allen led the team with six points, including two goals. Sarah Phillips found the net four times, while Genevieve DeWinter had three goals. Ellie Walsh contributed a goal, an assist and seven draw controls. Junior Katie McGahan made five saves.
The Nittany Lions held an 8-6 advantage at halftime. Carter led the squad with four goals, including one free position shot, and four draw controls. Roberto found the net twice, while seniors Brisolari and Muldoon each scored once. Auth, Nicolai, Triandafils and Wolfington each tallied an assist. Suplee made six saves.
Penn State scored the first three goals of the game, starting with a free position goal by Roberto just 48 seconds into the game. Carter tallied her first goal of the afternoon with 27:43 left in the half, off a feed by Triandafils. Carter added another score just 38 seconds later to give PSU a 3-0 lead.
However, Cornell answered with a 4-0 run. Allen scored the Big Red's first goal with 19:53 left in the half, followed by a pair of tallies by Phillips. With 15:52 left in the half, Cornell earned their first lead on a goal by Walsh.
The Nittany Lions responded with four unanswered goals. Brisolari evened the score at 4-4 with 12:19 to go in the period. Carter clinched a hat trick with 10:47 left in the half and added her fourth goal on a free position attempt just 28 seconds later. Muldoon added a tally at the 9:57 mark to give PSU a 7-4 advantage.
Cornell's Allen cut the Big Red deficit to two with 4:21 left in the half but Roberto busted through the middle of the Cornell defense to answer with 4:08 remaining in the period. The Big Red found the net on a shot by Phillips with 3:23 to go in the half.
Penn State scored the first four goals of the second half. Carter found the net for the fifth time off an assist by Brisolari just 24 seconds into the half. Brisolari tallied her own goal with 28:39 remaining before Carter put home her career high-tying sixth goal with 27:40 to go. Nicolai found the net with 26:22 remaining in the half to give PSU a 12-6 lead.
Cornell answered with back-to-back goals by DeWinter, the first coming on a free position shot, to cut its deficit to four with 23:42 remaining. However, Wolfington extended PSU's advantage to 13-8 three minutes later.
The Big Red's Shannon Bertscha scored with 16:29 left to go in the game and DeWinter earned her third tally of the contest a minute later. Phillips cut the PSU lead to two, 13-11, with 11:03 remaining.
Penn State extended the lead back to three on a man-up goal by Craft, scoring off a pass from Kelly Daggett with 9:46 left. Cornell's Shannon Brazier scored with 7:55 remaining to cut the deficit to 14-12, but the Nittany Lions were able to hold off a comeback.
The Nittany Lions take on another Ivy League opponent on Wednesday, February 27 when it travels to No. 9 Princeton. The 5 p.m. matchup at Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Senior Madison Carter