Cornell men’s soccer failed to capitalize against Brown throughout 90 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of extra time, ending with a 1-1 draw in its fourth Ivy League match.
The Red (7-5-1, Ivy League 1-2-1) was the clear favorite going into the game, as the Bears (2-8-3, 1-1-2) came in as one of the weakest teams in the Ancient Eight with only two victories to their name. But after conceding an early goal, Cornell found itself fighting just to keep pace with Brown.
The Red continued to utilize young players to build chemistry with upperclassmen. Freshman goalie Brady McSwain started in the net, while freshman midfielder Brandon Morales and freshman defender Will Citron each appeared in the lineup. Sophomore midfielder Jonah Kagen — who usually plays as a wingback — was tested in a bigger role by starting at wingback.
Brown’s Derek Waleffe dealt an unexpected blow, scoring the opening goal. The ball was crossed in from Jackson Goebel, and Matthew Chow passed it out of the box to Waleffe. The Red was now on the chase for the equalizer.
Fortunately for Cornell, senior midfielder Jonah Scearce came to the rescue, knotting the game at one apiece just six minutes after Brown’s score. After a throw-in by junior midfielder Harry Fuller, junior forward Charles Touche put forth a beautiful cross to Scearce, who headed the ball into the back of the net.
Each squad attempted to grab the lead in the remaining minutes of the first half. The Red had a number of opportunities in the tail-end of the frame, but the team’s inability to finish held it back.
In the second half, Cornell struggled even more. After outshooting the Bears by five, the Red only launched six shots compared to Brown’s four. The Bears’ scoring chances were either stopped by Cornell’s sturdy defense or by McSwain, who came up with a few big saves.
The same storyline continued in the two extra time periods. Brown appeared to score a goal off a set piece, but it was waved off due to a foul. That was the closest that either team would come to finding a goal as the game concluded in a draw.
Even after the disappointing result, the Red added another game to its unbeaten streak at home. If it wasn’t for Scearce, who led the team in shots and scored the team’s only goal, Cornell would have instead lost to the lowly Bears.
The Red will aim to get back on track as it stays at home to face Bucknell in its final non-conference game at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Berman Field.