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Following this past Thursday’s loss to regional rival Syracuse, Cornell women’s soccer continued its tough start to the season with another loss, this time to Eastern Washington University in a 3-1 decision.
The Eagles managed to score their three goals before halftime, with two occurring in the first five minutes of the game. Cornell players and coaches agreed that the first half was full of missteps and defensive mistakes, and a halftime pep talk seemed to work. Senior forward Paige DeLoach was able to get Cornell on the board for the team’s first goal of the season well into the second half.
DeLoach made multiple breakaways throughout the game but was only successful after senior midfielder Katerina Weikert took control of the ball in the 70th minute from freshman midfielder Shelby Wray and sent it DeLoach’s way.
“We all agreed we had something to prove in the second half, and I just challenged them to lift their performance and play like the score was 0-0,” said head coach Dwight Hornibrook. “We made a very positive impression in the second half and got better penetration into Eastern Washington’s end and showed the capability that we have when everyone is playing at the right speed and the level that’s needed technically.”
Eastern Washington, though not a typical Cornell opponent, provided another challenging contest early in the season to get Cornell in form, especially before the Ivy League season starts, and Hornibrook was appreciative of the lessons despite the loss.
“Bottom line, the challenge at halftime was met,” Hornibrook said. “We did much better and looked more convincing in every aspect of the game. We got good performances off the bench and created a positive outcome, even though the score wasn’t in our favor. We have been taught some important lessons that only playing good opposition can yield. We will make the adjustments and get better.”
Cornell will travel to face its next opponent Buffalo this Friday, Sept. 8. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
By the numbers:
| Game Stats | Eastern Washington | Cornell |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 1 |
| Shots | 17 | 5 |
| Shots on Goal | 9 | 4 |
| Saves | 3 | 6 |
| Corners | 7 | 2 |
| Offsides | 1 | 1 |
| Fouls | 6 | 6 |