Yesterday, the men’s soccer team needed to fight through the rain to defeat Long Island University by a score of 2-1. The Red (4-3-1) was forced to withstand not only a late charge from the Blackbirds (3-4), but also a constant down-pouring rain that soaked Berman Field.

The Red received standout performances from senior Matt Bouraee and junior Brett Sumpio, as both forwards scored and registered an assist. Bouraee believes that the wet field conditions benefited the Red’s style of play.

“We had a scrimmage in preseason in this type of weather,” Bouraee said. “This isn’t atypical weather for Ithaca. So I think we had an advantage because we are more accustomed to playing in these conditions. With home-field advantage, it becomes even better. If anything, you feel bad for the fans having to come out and support us in the weather. But, we thrive in the bad weather.”

The Red got out to a 2-0 lead in the first half before the Blackbirds mounted a bit of a comeback. The Red came flying out of the gates and remained persistent throughout the first half, firing 10 shots in the first 45 minutes.

The Red’s early offensive prowess paid off just 14 minutes into the game when Matt Bouraee made his way past a few defenders and brought the ball towards the middle of the field along the goal-line. Bouraee sent a cross over to Sumpio, who booted the ball past the Long Island goalkeeper Adam Janssen.

“There were a couple guys in the corner and I was able to get by them by dribbling,” Bouraee said. “I started to dribble down the end-line towards the goal, and I saw Brett, who made a nice run and created a lot of space for himself. So I gave him the ball, he gave it a good touch and placed it nicely near-post. We had the momentum in the first half and it was nice to get a goal early and declare our lead.”

The Sumpio-Bouraee connection struck again just seven minutes later. This time, Sumpio found Bouraee with a pass that got by Janssen. Bouraee received the ball and was able to send it home into the empty net from 15 yards out, putting the Red up 2-0.

Bouraee explained that he was not surprised by the chemistry between him and Sumpio, as the two have been practicing hard to improve their communication and connections on the attack.

“Brett and I have been working with each other over the offseason by trying to read each other’s run and try to really connect on the forward line,” Bouraee said. “It’s the two of us versus four defenders out there. So it’s pretty crucial to get some chemistry on the forward line. In this game, it made the difference in the first half and our team was able to follow through with that lead.”

Sophomore defender Matt Devitt was impressed by the chemistry shown by Bouraee and Sumpio, and believes that the continued success of those two forwards will be critical for the team’s success overall.

“Offensively, they really make us go,” Devitt said. “Bouraee and Sumpio are really good players and when they work together like that, we are a very dangerous team.”

However, Cornell’s lead was not completely safe. Just four minutes later, the Blackbirds got one back as sophomore Steve Jakubowski headed home a corner-kick from teammate Craig Stant.

The Blackbirds continued to press for the equalizer in the second half. As the rain continued to drench the field, Long Island ratcheted up its offense while the Red attack slowed down in the second half.

“It was a very sloppy game,” Devitt said. “It wasn’t necessarily pretty, especially in the second half. But the whole team really buckled down and absorbed a lot of the pressure from Long Island very well. I’m very proud of everybody.”

The Red’s defense and goalkeeper Scott Brody stood strong as Cornell was able to escape with its 2-1 lead still intact. Despite sending just one shot on goal in the second half, the Red earned its fourth victory of the season.

With the win, Cornell moves to 4-3-1 on the season while Long Island falls to 3-4-0. The Red now has a winning record on the year before Ivy League play is set to begin at Penn next weekend. This loss snapped the two-game winning streak that the Blackbirds had coming into this match.

Through the first eight games of the season, the Red players are generally happy with the level of play that they have shown. However, Bouraee believes they will be anything but complacent as they move into the Ivy League portion of the schedule.

“Having a winning record is crucial,” Bouraee said. “It provides a lot of confidence and momentum as well. Midseason — I feel like this is the time where teams either make it or break it for their season. Some teams fall apart, especially with prelims and tests coming around, but other teams thrive. Having a winning record will be very helpful if we keep working hard, don’t get relaxed, and continue to be greedy for goals and defend well.”