ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell women's lacrosse team will play defending national champion Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 12:30 p.m. at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the first Rusty Red Fall Lax Classic. The game will highlight a fall schedule that began with the Cornell Alumnae Game on Sept. 12 and includes the Big Red Bonanza on Saturday, Oct. 3rd.

Cornell will host Syracuse, Albany and the New York Athletic Club on Saturday with games beginning at noon on McGovern Fields. The Big Red will cap off the fall season in New York City at the Rusty Red Fall Lax Classic.

"Competing against the top DI team in the country will be a fantastic challenge for our squad,"said head coach Jenny Graap. "After the game, we are looking forward to the opportunity to join the Wildcats in a combined effort to bring lacrosse to more inner-city girls. The post-game clinic sponsored by the Rusty Red Foundation will be a wonderful vehicle for community outreach in our home state of New York."

The Rusty Red Fall Lax Classic will provide underprivileged youth with the opportunity to see women's lacrosse played at the highest level, learn from some of the nation's best players, and get excited about the opportunities the sport has to offer. The day will include the game, followed by a free clinic at 2:45 p.m., and an autograph session at 4:15.

The Rusty Red Foundation, a charitable organization founded by Cornell lacrosse former tri-captain Joe Lizzio, helps youth programs across the United States. Lizzio, a former managing director at Citigroup, went from Wall Street to Italy where he now owns the Stefano Berti Vineyards and Winery. Rusty Red Wine was developed by Lizzio, who donates all profits from the sales of this wine to help to endow scholarships for underprivileged children and to fund community athletic projects in needy neighborhoods. Lizzio's daughter, Veronica, is a freshman midfielder on the Big Red women's lacrosse team.

2009-09-30