Despite leading for the majority of the game and outshooting its opponent, Rutgers women's lacrosse (5-7, 0-2) suffered a hard fought 14-9 loss to No. 21 Cornell (6-3, 2-1) Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, New York. Senior Kerri Puckhaber led the team with three points on two goals and an assist, classmates Paige Paratore and Joanna Reilly each had two goals while junior Abbey Brooks contributed two helpers to lead the Scarlet Knights, who outshot the Big Red, 27-25, on Saturday. RU collected 11 ground balls to the Big Red's nine and led by as many as three in the second half, but Cornell used an 8-0 scoring run in the final 24 minutes to secure the win. Sophomore Samantha Budd secured a game-high seven draw controls for Rutgers to go along with a goal, while classmate Jenna Martinelli corralled a game-high five ground balls. Senior Nicole Kopyta and juniors Allie Ferrara and Dana Gisonno also contributed goals to aid the offensive effort. On defense, junior Devon Kearns stopped nine opponent shots, including six in the second half. "I am proud of our fight today," said head coach Laura Brand Sias. "We were fantastic for 40 minutes of the game and then lost steam for the last part of the game. Obviously, that can't happen against a quality opponent. We need to learn from that and build off that first 40 minutes." It was a strong first half for the Scarlet Knights, who outshot Cornell, 15-10, and converted all nine of their clear attempts in the first 30 minutes. RU scooped up six ground balls in the period, while senior Amanda Casten caused three Cornell turnovers before the half. Rutgers started the game with a 2-0 scoring run, as Budd dropped one past the goalkeeper on an unassisted strike at the 28:49 mark, while Paratore converted a free position attempt to increase the team's lead with 24:58 in the half. After Cornell managed its first goal of the afternoon, the Scarlet Knights muscled a 3-1 scoring run en route to its biggest lead of the half. Paratore and Reilly contributed goals during the stretch, while Puckhaber found Ferrara to make it a 5-2 game at the 17:29 mark in the half. Cornell ended the first half with a 4-1 scoring run to tie the score at 6-6 heading into the locker room. RU never trailed in the opening period, as Kearns saved three shots to help RU's first-half defensive effort. The aggressive play from Rutgers continued in the second half, as the team jumped out to a 9-6 lead in the first six minutes of the period. Gisonno and Reilly each added scores off assists, while Puckhaber buried a score on the restart with 24:25 left in the contest to add to the lead. Despite the strong play from RU down the stretch, Cornell ended the game on an 8-0 run to secure the win. Rutgers returns home for its next game as it hosts Lafayette on Tuesday night at High Point Solutions Stadium. Knight Notes • The five-point loss continued a streak of close games between the two schools, as each of the last six matchups between Cornell and Rutgers have been decided by five goals or less. • The game marked the fourth matchup with a ranked opponent and second against one on the road. • With her two goals on Saturday, Paratore registered her team-leading eighth multi-goal outing of 2018. • Budd now owns 44 draw controls to lead the team in that category after her game-high seven against Cornell. • Casten has now caused two or more turnovers in four of her last five games. • With her two assists, Brooks has produced two or more points in three of her last four games. • Senior Alana Navaroli is now tied with Megan Clements with 94 career draw controls. Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers women's lacrosse, follow the program Facebook, and on Twitter and Instagram @RULaxBrand. Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on both social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.