While Cornell fought hard and controlled much of its match against Columbia on Saturday, the Lions scored their first goal at the end of the second half and made the winning goal during the second overtime to snatch a win from the Red.
Cornell (1-6-1, 0-1 Ivy) secured a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute with a goal from junior defender Kaili Gregory, with an assist by senior midfielder Jessica Ritchie.
However, Columbia (4-4-1, 1-0 Ivy) tied the game in the 86th minute. After a scoreless first overtime, it took the Lions just 28 seconds to net the winner in the second extra period.
“I think we could have taken care of the ball better in possession,” Gregory said. “We worked really hard as a team on defense, but as a whole we have to possess more so we’re not chasing the other team.”
Co-captain and goalkeeper Meghan Kennedy made 15 saves to keep the Red in the game.
“[Kennedy] had an especially phenomenal performance,” said junior defender Abby Adams. “She had so many incredible saves that kept us in the game.”
Along with Kennedy, the defenders for the Red were particularly successful last Saturday.
“Naomi Jaffe and Nicole Long, the starting outside backs, both had great games,” Gregory said. “They matched up against numerous speedy attacking players, and they defended with grit and skill.”
Columbia was a tough opponent to open league play, which made it an incredibly competitive game for the Red.
“Columbia was very sharp technically and also very athletic,” Adams said. “Their speed and ability to hold the ball in our half created numerous scoring opportunities for them.”
This made Kennedy’s 15-save performance even more impressive — the Lions had 17 shots on goal, while the Red had just one.
With the Ivy-opener loss in the rearview mirror, Cornell looks ahead to a conference-heavy schedule — through early November, the Red has just one non-league game.
“The intensity of Ivy League games is far above that of non-conference play,” Gregory said. “Since we don’t have an end-of-season tournament, we treat every game as a playoff. For the rest of our Ivy play we plan to remain positive and determined to win.”
The Red hosts Penn at 4 p.m. Saturday in its first home Ivy League contest of 2018.