CU takes on Cornell for first Ivy game

After a two-game home stand, the Columbia women’s soccer team hits the road to face Cornell and Colgate. The Lions’ matchup with the Big Red is Columbia’s first Ivy League game of the year.

Last season, the Lions entered the final weekend of conference play in the thick of the Ivy title race. Columbia had amassed a 4-1-1 league record and shared the top spot in the Ivy standings with Harvard and Princeton. However, the Lions suffered a 2-1 loss to the Crimson—after a penalty kick with nine seconds left in the second overtime—and dropped to third place.

In its most recent matchup, Columbia (3-3-1) relied heavily on its offense and beat Central Connecticut State by a 3-2 score. The Blue Devils produced their second tally in the 90th minute and took a shot with one second left that sailed wide.

“We rotated an awful lot of players in that game, and I think that might have contributed to some of the confusion in the last 30 seconds or so,” Columbia head coach Kevin McCarthy said. “It’s certainly not a situation that we enjoyed—it’s not one that’s difficult to sort out.”

While senior midfielder Sophie Reiser and sophomore forward Ashlin Yahr lead Columbia with four tallies apiece, junior defender Kelly Hostetler and sophomore forward Marissa Schultz scored all of the Lions’ goals against the Blue Devils.

“We’re always looking to get the ball forward,” Reiser said. “It’s definitely an overall mentality for the team that everyone’s going to follow through, and goals are going to come from every player on the field.”

Cornell (1-5-1) beat Colgate by a 2-0 score on Sept. 16 but was blanked by William & Mary and George Mason in its next two games. Sophomore defender Sidra Bonner leads the Big Red with two goals, while freshman forward Maneesha Chitanvis earned Ivy Rookie of the Week honors on Sept. 21.
Colgate (2-5-2) scored two goals in a shutout against St. Bonaventure but followed that victory with a 1-0 loss to Albany on Sept. 20. Senior midfielder Jillian Arnault and sophomore midfielder Maddie Malone have each scored a team-high two goals for the Raiders.

Kickoff at Cornell is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, while kickoff at Colgate is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.