PHILADELPHIA – Two teams looking to gain separation atop the Ivy League standings, the #16 University of Pennsylvania men's lacrosse team heads to Ithaca, N.Y. for a top five matchup against #5 Cornell Sunday at noon on national television through ESPNU.
 
The Quakers are 1-0 in Ivy play for the first time since 2019 following a defensive-minded 9-8 victory over Princeton at Franklin Field last Saturday evening. Likewise, Cornell is also 1-0 to start the league year after blitzing Yale, 20-10, in New Haven.
 
GAME 7: #16/15 Penn (3-3) at #5/5 Cornell (5-1)
Sunday, Mar. 26 | 12:00 p.m.
Schoellkopf Field | Ithaca, N.Y.
Watch (ESPNU) | Live Stats | Game Notes | Tickets
 
Battling On National TV
*So, yeah, this one should be entertaining. We knew Penn and Cornell on ESPNU was going to be a good decision on paper heading into the start of this season, but after the two games these two teams played last weekend in Ivy League openers, Sunday's matchup should be pretty quality.
 
Sunday's matchup features the top two stingiest defenses in the Ivy League so far this season. Penn has given up an average of 10.83 goals per game this season to Cornell's 9.33.
 
The Quakers are playing their first Top 5 opponent this season in the Big Red and just their third Top 10 opponent and first since a 14-12 loss to #10 Duke on Feb. 25.
 
Sunday will mark the first national television appearance for Penn during the regular season since a 14-7 win at Princeton on Mar. 17, 2018.
 
The Penn-Cornell Series
 *It's the 96th meeting between Penn and Cornell on Sunday in Ithaca, the Big Red leading the all-time series with a record of 65-27-3. The Quakers have won four of the last five matchups including two in a row which contains a 15-11 victory over the Big Red at Franklin Field in 2022.
 
Penn has emerged victorious in two straight matchups in Ithaca dating back to the 2017 season and have not fallen on the road against Cornell since Mar. 21, 2015.
 
The Last Time Out
*After a heartbreaking 9-8 defeat to Villanova last weekend at home, Penn turned the tide and turned in one of its most elite defensive performances of the season in a 9-8 overtime victory over #18 Princeton Saturday evening at Franklin Field.
 
Penn scored the first goal of the game just three minutes into the contest, but from that point forward it was Princeton who controlled the tempo all the way up until the opening stages of the third quarter.
 
Trailing 7-5 with 12:22 remaining in the third frame, Hugh Mullane scored the first of three straight goals for the Quakers as Ben Smith netted his third and fourth strikes of the contest which included a man-up goal to put Penn ahead, 8-7 with 6:06 to play.
 
The Tigers' Christian Ronda equalized with just 3:20 remaining in regulation, forcing OT for the second time this year. With just 19 seconds to play in extra time, Sam Handley ripped his second OT winner in three games to lift the Quakers to victory.
 
Stepping Up In A Big Way
*There's no question that the loss of Dylan Gergar affects Penn's offense in more ways than one. So, who's going to step up?
 
*Ben Smith scored a season-high four goals in the Quakers' win over Princeton on Saturday, upping his season total to nine through the first six games of the year.
 
*Penn's enjoyed a breakout start to the season for Mullane, who has scored five goals in five games off the bench. He's recorded at least two points in his last pair of appearances and has at least one point in four straight games.
 
*After just one goal in three games to start the year, senior Gabe Furey has three goals in his last two with 11 shots during that span as well.
 
Creating Chaos
*Penn's defense has been spectacular this season, especially in its last two games, allowing nine or fewer goals in three games this season going 2-1 overall.
 
A big key to that success has been guys like Ethan Till who have dominated so far on the defensive end. Till leads the Quakers with seven caused turnovers and is tied for third with 11 ground balls.
 
The Opposite of Swiss Cheese
Emmet Carroll has certainly impressed to the start the season between the pipes. He allowed just eight goals with 10 saves against Princeton Saturday, continuing his impressive start to the season by winning Penn its first Ivy League Player of the Week honor after his great set of performances against nationally ranked Saint Joseph's and Villanova. Carroll totaled 35 saves with a save percentage of .625 over those two contests, making 14 stops in an OT win at Saint Joseph's and a career-high 21 against Villanova. In six games this season, Carroll ranks fifth in the nation in saves per game (14.83) and seventh in save percentage (.578).
 
Sam's The Man
*Handley is beginning to come into his own six games into the season, becoming a real focal point for the Quakers' offense thus far. He's tied for the team lead with 11 goals, adding a team-high 11 assists and leads Penn with 22 points. He had a season-high four helpers in the win over Princeton on Saturday.
 
In addition, Handley is beginning to make his way up the Penn record book in several career-stat categories including points (9th, 161), goals (11th, 85) and assists (T-7th, 76). 
 
Keeping The Streak Alive
*Handley increased his point-scoring streak to 39 straight games with two goals and four assists vs. Princeton for a total of six points. That number is good for fifth nationally. Handley has at least one point in every game he has played for Penn during his career.
 
Penn In National Stats
*1st in clearing percentage (.945).
*9th in fewest turnovers per game (14.00).
*9th in saves per game (14.83)
 
Penn Players In National Stats
*Carroll is currently fifth in the nation for saves per game (14.83) and seventh in the nation for save percentage (.578).
 
Penn In Ivy Stats
*The Quakers rank first amongst Ivy opponents in clearing percentage (.945) and second in fewest turnovers per game (14.00) heading into Sunday. Penn is second in saves per game (14.83) and second in scoring defense (10.83).
 
Penn Players In Ivy Stats
*Ben Smith leads the Ivy in individual man-up goals (3). He's 27th nationally in that category. Smith is also second in shot percentage (.474).
 
*Carroll is second among Ivy goaltenders in save percentage (.578), saves per game (14.83) and goals against average (10.68).
 
*Handley is ranked third in assists per game (1.83).
 
Scouting The Big Red
*Cornell enters Sunday's matchup ranked #5 in both major national polls (USILA and Inside Lacrosse) after an impressive and dominant 20-10 victory at Yale last weekend to kick off Ivy play with a 1-0 start.
 
*That win comes after the Big Red fell to Penn State, 10-6, on March 11 for their first loss of the year.
 
*Cornell has scored at least 12 goals in five of its six games so far, winning all of them.
 
*Junior CJ Kirst is quickly showcasing himself as a front runner for the Tewaaraton Award this season, scoring 27 goals with seven assists for 34 points in just six games for the Big Red. Billy Coyle is second with 15 goals and nine assists, with Brian Piatelli adding seven scores.
 
*In net, senior goalie Chayse Ierlan was stupendous for Cornell in its victory over the Bulldogs last weekend, stopping 21 shots. He's recorded 21 saves with a .677 save percentage in back-to-back games against both Penn State and Yale.
 
Follow The Action
*Sunday's game will air nationally on ESPNU and through the ESPN App with Anish Shroff (PxP) and Quint Kessenich (Analyst) on the call. Live stats will also be provided.