Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Cornell Daily Sun
Submit a Tip
Sunday, July 27, 2025

Women's Lacrosse

Women’s Lacrosse Falls to No. 16/18 Penn Despite Strong Final Push

Reading time: about 2 minutes

In its penultimate game of the season on April 19, the Red (9-5, 3-3 Ivy) went down the road to Philadelphia to play conference rivals No. 16/18 University of Pennsylvania (8-5, 4-2 Ivy). 

The Red came into the match hoping for a victory that would seemingly secure Ivy League Tournament qualification, but would end up falling short in a tough 18-10 loss against the Quakers.

The game started off evenly matched, with each team exchanging blows early into the game. However, five unanswered goals late in the first quarter would quickly shift the momentum in favor of the Quakers.

Head coach Jenny Graap ’86 said it is important to come into games “a little bit more strongly.”

“We lost a string of draw controls which put Penn in the driver's seat, and they were able to grab the momentum and put some goals in the back of the net,” Graap said. 

However, just as the Red has seemingly done all season, it refused to go down without a fight. With time slowly winding down, the Red went on a dominant 5-0 run, proving it is not a team to dismiss.

“I do think our team shows a lot of resiliency and a lot of guns,” Graap said. “They're a great group to coach because they are invested. Right until the bitter end, they're going for it.”

The presence of the Red’s young core was also evident late into the game, with multiple underclassmen having respectable performances. Freshman midfielders Lexie Tully and Holly Newman, along with sophomore midfielder Cameron Traveis, scored a combined four goals throughout the game.

“Holly Newman, coming in late in the game, off the bench and scoring two goals … was really impressive.” Graap said. “And then we needed an eight-meter shot; Cameron Traveis scored on an eight-meter shot. I think Lexie Tully scored on an eight-meter shot. It's nice to see young players getting in and making a mark.”

Even with the Red’s strong final push, the Quakers would be able to secure the victory. While it was an unfortunate loss, all focus is on next week's matchup against No. 6 Yale University, where a win would guarantee the Red a spot in the Ivy League Tournament.

“It's do or die time,” Graap said. “This is it. It’s gonna come down to Yale or Cornell, and the winner of this game is the team that's going to go to the postseason. It feels like a strong position to be in, knowing that your fate is in your hands.”

For its most important match of the season, the Red will travel to New Haven to face Yale at 12 p.m. on April 26. The game can be streamed live on ESPN+.


Read More