Men’s soccer opened the week with a pair of 1-0 results, beginning with an away win against Syracuse on Tuesday but a loss at Yale on Saturday.
On Tuesday, Sept. 24, Cornell took on Syracuse (3-2-3, 0-2-2 ACC) in what has become an annual Upstate New York rivalry.
With rain pouring down from the opening whistle, the first half was sloppy, passing with no goals for either team.
“It was an extremely rainy day, and the game came down to which team would capitalize on a limited number of chances,” said junior goalkeeper Ryan Friedberg.
While the Red did not register a shot on goal in the half, it was not without opportunities. In the 23rd minute, sophomore forward Alex Harris received the ball on the left side and sent a shot just wide of the right post.
In the 25th minute, Friedberg was forced to make a save as he punched out a Syracuse cross that was creeping toward the Cornell goal.
Just before the halftime buzzer sounded, senior forward Danny Lokko found freshman left back Aidan Martin as he ran behind his defender. In a strikingly similar play to Harris’, Martin sent a one-touch shot just inches wide from six yards out.
Cornell had a much more productive second half, forcing 5 saves out of Syracuse goalkeeper Tomas Hut, and finding the lone goal of the match.
Senior midfielder Sam Latona sought to net his first career goal in the 60th minute as he ripped a long shot on goal. Syracuse goalkeeper Tomas Hut was up to the task, tipping the ball over the bar for a corner.
But in the 85th minute, the tie was finally broken, with Lokko lofting a cross to the center of the box. Sophomore midfielder Connor Miller was the first one to the ball and found the back of the net on a half volley.
The 1-0 win moved Cornell’s undefeated record to 5-0-2 and marked Friedberg’s third straight shutout.
“The defensive performance was a complete team effort,” Freidberg said after his five-save game. “My back line was able to make play very predictable and manageable, making my life easy.”
However, the Red’s undefeated run soon came to an end, suffering its first defeat of the season 1-0 to Yale in its Ivy League opener on Saturday night at Reese Stadium. The loss moves the Red to 5-1-2 overall, while Yale improved to 3-4-1.
The first half was largely a defensive battle, with each team managing only one shot on goal. After halftime, Yale turned up the pressure, drawing six corner kicks in a 15-minute span. On the sixth corner, a handball infraction by Lokko led to a penalty kick for the Bulldogs.
Yale’s senior TJ Presthus converted the penalty in the 68th minute, beating Friedberg. Reflecting on the sequence, Friedberg said, “We were faced with multiple corner kicks in a row, and we should have managed those moments better. ... I tried to react to the penalty kick, but he was able to send me the wrong way.”
Cornell pressed for an equalizer in the final minutes, creating several chances around the Yale goal, but could not convert. Friedberg acknowledged the team’s defensive struggles, particularly in handling set pieces, saying, “specifically in the second half, the team and I found it hard dealing with their set pieces. This is a part of games that we focus on a lot in practice, and I know we will clean this area up leading into future games.”
Despite the loss, Friedberg remains confident in the team’s direction.
“While the result didn’t go our way, we knew we were the stronger side,” Friedberg said. “I’m very proud of the season we’ve had so far. It’s going to come down to conference play, and we’re heading in the right direction.”
William Cawley is a Sun Contributor and can be reached at wdc65@cornell.edu.
