A pair of early mistakes proved to be too much for the women’s soccer team to overcome, as the Red fell to Brown (6-8-0, 2-3 Ivy), 3-0, Saturday night in Providence, R.I. The Red (4-8-2, 1-4 Ivy) dropped its seventh straight game, but the team’s attitude remains positive as a number of its young players are gaining valuable experience.
The Bears struck first in the second minute of play, as a routine clear from the Red defense went right to Brown forward Meghan Schreck, who was still in the Cornell box. Schreck buried the ball back into the net for her fourth goal on the year.
Schreck netted her second goal of the game by again capitalizing on a Cornell miscue in the 26th minute. Brown crowded Cornell goalie Katrina Matlin off of a throw-in as Matlin was able to get a hand on the ball. Unfortunately for Cornell, she was unable to control it, and the ball came out to Schreck, who was a few yards in front of the goal.
“There was no real threatening play, or major buildup, or anything like that, but we just mishandled the ball,” said head coach Berhane Andeberhan. “I feel like a broken record, but [after the mistakes] happened, we played well.”
Brown tacked on its final goal a minute into the second half after a questionable potential offsides call led to a Kathryn Moos breakaway, and Moos beat Matlin for her fourth goal of the year.
Andeberhan was pleased with the team’s play in the second half, but the Red was unable to finish on their scoring chances.
“A while ago, we had no scoring chances, and we worked hard on that, and improved that. But, there is a step between that and getting a goal,” Andeberhan said.
Cornell’s best scoring chance of the game came midway through the second half, as a series of combination passes led to a through ball in the air. Junior Kara Ishikawa ran in to head the ball on goal from 18 yards out, but the attempt curved around and hit the upper 90.
The Red was without the services of junior co-captain Shannon Fraser for the third straight game. Fraser has been battling an injury all season, and Andeberhan hopes that she will return to the lineup soon.
“It’s very difficult of course without Shannon again. She’s getting better, but we lose her ability and we lose her in spirit, and that’s a big thing,” Andeberhan said. “If Fraser gets healthy, that would give us a boost in the arm.”
With three games left on the season, the Red will shift its focus to gaining big-game experience for its players. Next Friday, Cornell will face one of the best teams in the country in No. 9 Princeton.
“The goals now are small goals, giving different people experience in game situations, and solving little problems,” Andeberhan said. “The wonderful thing has been that the kids have had a tremendous attitude and a tremendous work ethic, so we want to keep that and keep preparing for the future.”
Archived article by Jonathan Auerbach
Sun Staff Writer