Following a devastating loss against Colgate, the Red (9-3-0,2-1-0 Ivy) looked to make a rebound against Penn (9-1-1, 3-0 Ivy), after a remarkable start to the season. However, things did not pan out and top-20 ranked Cornell took their second consecutive loss and third loss overall against the Quakers at home on Saturday.
In a battle of two rivals atop the conference, there was a lot of back-and-forth between the two teams. Senior defender Connor Drought, struck gold in the 14th minute of the match, giving the Red the initial lead. However, it was not long until the Quakers bounced back with a goal five minutes later, tying the game at one-a-piece. Penn broke first and added onto its tally with another goal with less than 10 minutes left in the first half.
Fifth-year forward Emeka Eneli tied it up for the Red in the 57th minute, and things seemed to be pointing to a draw for Ivy-rivals, but things changed at the very last minute. In the 89th minute of the match, the Quakers scored, pushing them past the Red for a final score of 3-2. A grueling back and forth match through and through, until the final minutes makes this game quite an upset for the No.16 ranked Red.
Although Cornell was ahead in terms of shots, having 13 while the Quakers had 11, only four of the Red’s shots were on goal compared to Penn’s eight.
Looking to bounce back, the Red welcomed regional rivals, Binghamton (3-6-5, 1-1-2 America East), to Berman Field on Tuesday. With the recent loss not too far in memory, the Red came out a bit weak. With the Bearcats outshooting the Red in the first half, Cornell went into the locker room at the half, trailing 1-0. Something clearly changed during the halftime and the Red came out roaring, with 10 shots within the first 15 minutes of the second half. Cornell mounted a comeback, scoring three goals and shutting out the Bearcats, giving the Red a 3-1 win.
Men’s soccer looks to maintain its momentum when it travels to New Jersey to face Princeton on Saturday at 4pm. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.