Unable to pick up the first win of the season, the Cornell women’s soccer team fell 4-1 to Lehigh and 1-0 to Manhattan College this weekend.

The Red (0-3-1) traveled to Bethlehem, Pa., for the first of the weekend’s two games. Lehigh (3-1-1) plagued Cornell with its powerful offensive line, which put four goals in the back of the net.

The Mountain Hawks were the first to score, with Leah Kulp netting Lehigh’s first goal of the game 19 minutes into play. The Red was quick to tie up the score, when sophomore defender Sidra Bonner aimed a header into the Lehigh net after a cross from the corner by freshman midfielder Xandra Hompe. Bonner has tacked on two goals for the Red this season.

Lehigh netted another goal before intermission and kept the lead for the remainder of the game. During the second half, the Mountain Hawks increased their lead to 1-3 with a goal off a corner kick by Lena Cannon.

Cornell made five shots in the second half, but was unable to convert attacks onto the scoreboard. In total game shots, Lehigh had a 17-8 advantage and a 9-3 edge in corner kicks.

Just kickin it: Sophomore defender Sidra Bonner (11) lines up a kick against Manhattan College yesterday. Bonner has scored both of the team’s goals this season.The Mountain Hawks scored again before the end of the match, to bring the final tally to 4-1.

“Friday, I don’t think the score necessarily reflects how we played. I think that we gave them a fight,” said sophomore forward Brook Chang. “Everyone worked their butts off, but Lehigh came out and took advantage of the weather — it was pouring — and they finished all of their opportunities. So, it was unlucky on our part.”

Sophomore Kelly Murphy was defending the pipes for the Red, stopping six shots. The Mountain Hawks’ goaltender Lauren Mains made four saves.

Cornell hosted Manhattan College (3-3-0) in yesterday’s close 1-0 contest.

“This was a game that we should have and could have won. The past three games, we have little things we’ve had to improve on…every game we’ve gotten better, it’s just a matter of putting the ball in the net,” Chang said.

The Jaspers scored midway through the first half and successfully held their lead until the end of play. Manhattan College’s forward Caroline Morse made use of an assist from teammate Courtney McMahon to net the only goal of the game at 21 minutes.

The Red was noticeably energetic toward the end of the first period, and it looked like Cornell might tie up the score. Chang and senior forward Eva Dixon came close, driving towards Manhattan’s net a number of times.

Throughout the game the Red held a solid defensive line, anchored by sophomores Sidra Bonner, Sam Wright, Jessica Brockmeyer and junior Katie Hayes.

“Everyone is just trying to focus on their position on the field, and right not we are just trying to combine the forwards with the midfields and with the back.,” Bonner said. “Once we are able to mix those three more together, we will definitely be a stronger team.”

Entering the second period, the Red rallied looking to even the score, but could not seem to get its offensive line to finish up its goal attempts, or to get past the Jaspers’ skilled goaltender. Yet the Red’s offense, often with energetic leadership from junior Lena Russomagno, made several close calls near Manhattan College’s net.

“It was definitely an improvement from our game against Lehigh on Friday. Really, the only thing that was missing was putting the ball in the back of the net,” Bonner said. “We outshot them 14-6, we dominated in the air, we dominated on every aspect of field, but at the end of the day we couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net.”

With eight minutes left in the game, the Red pulled together to attack the Jaspers’ side of the field, and the ball came inches from finding the back of Manhattan’s goal.

“We have such a talented group of girls this year, and I think it’s just going to be a matter of refining our forwards’ movement up front, just getting the ball to the forwards to score, and finishing our opportunities, but the opportunities are there,” Chang said.