After losing its season opener on Wednesday, Sept. 6, against No. 7 Syracuse (4-0, 0-0 ACC), field hockey (1-2, 0-0 Ivy) looked to bounce back when it returned to Ithaca for the home opener against the University of Connecticut (1-4, 0-0 Big East) this past Friday, Sept. 8.
After falling behind early in the first quarter, the Red had to play defensively to stay within a goal. The Huskies held a 5-1 lead in shots, overtaking Cornell offensively.
Looking to break through, senior defender/midfielder Caroline Ramsey made a clutch save, allowing the momentum to swing back in Cornell’s favor. She then scored off two penalty corners late in the third and early in the fourth to take the lead over the Huskies.
Her second goal proved to be the game winner, with the Red taking the contest, 2-1. With her two goals over the Huskies, Ramsey moved into fifth-place on Cornell’s all-time scoring list.
Looking to sweep the home weekend, the Red faced University of Albany for a Sunday afternoon matchup. With the Great Danes (3-2, 0-0 America East) coming into Ithaca with a 9-3 all-time record over the Red, Cornell was looking to flip the script.
In a back and forth contest, the Red once again began on the defensive, with midfielder/defender Alison Smisdom of Albany scoring off a penalty corner in the first quarter. It was a sibling affair for the Red, starting with Caroline Ramsey scoring to tie up the game late in the second quarter.
Her sister, freshman defender Julia Ramsey, scored late in the fourth quarter to once again tie the game up after another goal by Smisdom. It was the younger Ramsey’s first collegiate goal.
With a tie after regulation, the game went to overtime. The Red outshot the Great Danes, 5-2, in the first overtime, but with no goals from either side, the game headed to double overtime.
The Red once again outshot UAlbany, this time 4-0, but with no goals scored, the match went to a shootout. Both teams converted on their first two chances, but the Red fell behind with missed shots on its third and fourth attempts.
With a miss and a goal for the Great Danes on its third and fourth chances, UAlbany sealed the win with a score on its fifth attempt, taking the shootout, 4-3, and a 3-2 overall win over the Red.
Cornell will head down to New York City to face Columbia on Friday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m. to kick off Ivy League play. The Red will then return home on Sunday, Sept. 17, to face American University at Dodson Field at 2 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.