On a cloudy Saturday afternoon at Berman Field in Ithaca, New York, Princeton women’s soccer (5–3 overall, 1–0, Ivy League) shutout the Cornell Big Red (1–5–4 overall, 0–1 Ivy League) by a score of 3–0.
The two Ivy League teams have a history of heated competition. The last time these teams had met in Ithaca was in 2022, when the Big Red pulled out a narrow 2–1 win, ending the Tigers’ 25 year win streak in the series. In their 2023 matchup, however, the Tigers secured a 4–2 win.
“We had nine days from our game against Fairfield [University] to our game against Cornell,” senior forward and captain Heather MacNab told The Daily Princetonian, “We had time to reset, get some injured people healthy, and recenter our trainings around things we needed to focus on.”
The game began with opportunities on both sides, with both the Tigers and the Big Red earning shots on goal within the first ten minutes. The start of the game was physical and tense, seeing a handful of turnovers in the middle of the field.
Cornell possessed the ball early in the half, but the Tigers’ veteran defense forced many defensive turnovers. Princeton’s offense, led by MacNab, worked to create offensive momentum for the Tigers by maintaining possession within Cornell’s side of the field.
“With Zoe Markesini back from international duty at center back with Ryann Brown, we have a very composed and experienced defense,” MacNab explained. “Being able to keep the ball in their half helped our offense create a lot of chances.”
These efforts soon paid off, as with 28 minutes left in the half, Princeton capitalized on a set piece play taken by MacNab. The inswinging ball was headed into the goal by senior midfielder Kate Toomey, putting the Tigers up 1–0. This was Toomey’s first goal of the season.
27' left, 1st half | Princeton 1, Cornell 0
— Princeton WSoccer (@PrincetonWSoc) September 28, 2024
Heather MacNab ➡️ Kate Toomey ➡️🥅 !
Kate Toomey heads it home on the set piece to get Princeton on the board
💻: https://t.co/Z41QH4es4o pic.twitter.com/FZY8KNEsv5
In relentlessly pressuring the Cornell defense, just four minutes later, sophomore forward Isabella Garces forced a turnover from the Big Red’s defense and scored Princeton’s second goal of the game, extending the lead to 2–0.
Following the second goal, Cornell began to intensively press the Princeton defense. Although the Tigers allowed several opportunities, the Big Red were unable to put a goal on the board.
Princeton’s pursuit continued despite the efforts of the Big Red. After a series of loose ball possessions in Princeton’s offensive third, first-year forward Alexandra Barry netted the Tigers’ third goal of the game, giving Princeton a convincing three goal lead.
Just before half, the Tigers nearly added a fourth goal to their tally, with a shot by junior forward Ally Murphy narrowly hitting the crossbar.
Despite several more opportunities and a set piece play in the Tigers’ half, Cornell remained without a goal, as the match headed into halftime with a score of 3–0 Princeton.
In the first half, Princeton had 13 total shots, with six on goal, compared to Cornell’s two total.
Ten minutes into the second half, Princeton had three consecutive opportunities, taking shots from inside Cornell’s box. However, the Big Red’s goalkeeper Erica Fox was up to the task, as she made several saves to keep the team in the game and prevent the Tigers from extending their lead any further.
From here, the game was a chess match. For every offensive play Cornell had, the Princeton defense had a response. Princeton’s senior goalkeeper Tyler McCamey only made one save the entire match thanks to the efforts of her stout defensive line.
“The defense did a fantastic job of staying organized today and working as a cohesive unit behind the ball,” Toomey said. “They also looked good slotting passes inside for our midfield to receive and move up the field.”
With six minutes left in the half, Princeton nearly had another breakthrough, with senior defender Pia Beaulieu forcing through the Cornell defense for a chance on net.
Though Princeton possessed the ball for the majority of the second half, they would not add on to their three-goal first half, and the match ended by a score of 3–0.
All three goals today at Cornell! 📽️ pic.twitter.com/8tUsF3pNTw
— Princeton WSoccer (@PrincetonWSoc) September 28, 2024
“What was great about today’s performance was the plethora of goal scorers involved,” Toomey said to the ‘Prince,’ “It is great that we have had a variety of offensive threats, as showcased throughout the season, and this is something that we will hope to continue moving forward.”
Princeton women’s soccer will return home for their game on Tuesday, Oct. 1 against the Lafayette Leopards (4–3–1, 1–1–1 Patriot League) at 5 p.m.
Lily Pampolina is a staff Sports writer and staff Audience creator for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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