After grinding out a narrow victory against the University of Pennsylvania in the semi-finals, men’s soccer ultimately fell short in heartbreaking fashion to Princeton on Saturday.
The Red made the trip to Princeton hoping to heal sore wounds from last year’s overtime defeat against the Tigers in the semi-finals, but only ended up leaving its first-ever Ivy League Tournament Championship appearance with more disappointment.
The Tigers got off to a scintillating start, scoring on a well-taken shot to the bottom right corner through senior midfielder Sam Vigilante in the sixth minute of play. Already having a mountain to climb before heading into this game against the top-ranked team in the nation, the early goal didn’t help its chances.
Despite the setback, the Red continued to push on, dominating the ball and creating decent looks on net throughout the first half. Princeton continued to pile on the pressure, however, getting the better opportunities despite possessing far less of the ball.
Quick linkup and a precise cutback led to Princeton’s biggest chance since its first goal, giving its onrushing midfielder a clear-cut chance within the 18-yard-box. Luckily for the Red, the shot bounced its way onto the crossbar and somehow avoided the back of the net in what was a much-needed break for the Red.
After more back-and-forth play with little to split the two sides, the Red had seemingly found what it needed with only two minutes until halftime. A race for a loose ball in the Tigers’ box led to First Team All-Ivy senior midfielder Westin Carnevale being taken out and awarded a penalty kick upon confirmation from the video replay.
Cornell knew that its struggles with penalties had been an achilles heel throughout the season; the Red had tried multiple different takers and found little success. Up stepped sophomore forward Kasper Wollstein, facing off against Princeton’s junior keeper Andrew Samuels, who had already saved two penalties on the year.
Time stood still after Wollstein struck the ball — the whole crowd watched it roll into the path of the diving Samuels and comfortably into his hands. Wollstein could only put his hands behind his head as the Princeton faithful erupted into cheer.
As the Red kept pushing after the break, Princeton’s backline held strong, not ceding even the slightest of space to the pressing Red. Similar to the first half, it was a tale of the Red dominating the ball and the Tigers ending up with the higher quality chances.
With 18 minutes to spare, Princeton’s Daniel Ittycheria, who was just named All-Ivy Offensive Player of the Year, found himself one-on-one with Cornell sophomore midfielder Campbell Reece. Taking a touch down the line, he blasted it at Second Team All-Ivy senior goalkeeper Ryan Friedberg’s net, only to find his shot ricochet off the crossbar, just as Princeton had done in the first half.
Unlike the first 45, however, the Red wasn’t able to find a golden opportunity to get itself back in the game. With three minutes left, Princeton found a way past the high line and chipped Friedberg, icing the game and clinching the Ivy League title for the second year in a row. Just like in the regular season, the Tigers walked away as 2-0 winners, only this time, for much bigger stakes.
Despite a disappointing Ivy League result, Cornell must bounce back as it begins its NCAA Tournament campaign shortly. Though the Red didn’t automatically qualify by winning the Ivy Tournament, it did receive an at-large bid and thus made its way into the tournament for the third time in four years.
The Red now looks to the first round of the tournament against Lafayette College on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m. on home turf. Coverage is available on ESPN+.
