Boris Tsang / Sun Photography Editor

The team was neck and neck with the Raiders up until the last minutes of the game.

October 16, 2019

Late Tie-Breaking Goal Seals Women’s Soccer’s Fate Against Colgate

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Cornell women’s soccer looked to snap its four-game losing streak against non-league opponent Colgate on Tuesday night, but a lack of offense down the stretch allowed Colgate to take a 1-0 lead in the waning moments of the contest that ultimately won it the match.

In the first half, The Red (4-6-1) played tough both offensively and defensively, tallying eight shots and limiting Colgate (2-8-3) to only one. One of Cornell’s best chances to score came around the 11-minute mark, when freshman forward Liza Mariner charged past Colgate’s defensive line and put up a bottom-right shot on goal.

Junior Raider goalie Sophia Boggs, however, prevailed as she dove and deflected the ball. Despite multiple possessions and opportunities, the Red’s offense was no match for Boggs, who went on to record 5 saves on all 5 of the Red’s shots on goal in the first half.

Cornell’s defense stayed strong throughout the first half, stifling Colgate’s offensive strategy. The Raiders’ only shot on goal occurred with 32 seconds left in the half, as Colgate sophomore Nicole Apuzzi rifled the ball to the top right corner, but it was saved by freshman goalie Nicole Shulman’s leaping stretch.

The two teams headed into halftime locked at a 0-0 defensive stalemate.

The early portion of the second half looked promising for the Red, as it kept the offensive pressure on Colgate’s defense. Cornell recorded 4 shots, with one shot by sophomore midfielder Evanthia Spyredes coming closest to goal, but at the last moment was knocked high off the left post.

As the second half progressed in a tie game, the Red’s offense could not complete the job, as it recorded zero shots on goal in the second half. Colgate’s offense broke out and ended up outshooting Cornell, 7-4, with just one shot becoming the pivotal deciding goal.

At 81:55, a defensive miscue by the Red allowed Colgate senior Abby Sotomayor to race up the middle and pass to sophomore Hannah Pinkus who took the shot, but it was saved by Shulman. The ball skipped right back to Pinkus, quickly netting the eventual game-winning goal. Only 8:05 remained on the clock, leaving little time for the Red to respond and resulting in a 1-0 loss.

The late-game heroics by the Raiders overshadowed overall strong offensive and defensive performances by the Red.

Cornell looks to rebound with a victory when it continues Ivy League play at Yale at 1 p.m. this Saturday.