Women’s soccer endured a difficult week on the road, falling to the University of Delaware and Syracuse University in back-to-back matches. Despite some moments of individual strength, notably by sophomore defender Ella Koschineg and freshman goaltender Samantha Qureshey, the Red were unable to overcome early deficits.
Thursday’s game in Newark started with Delaware striking twice in the opening 15 minutes, putting Cornell in a hole early on. Koschineg responded in the first half, converting a free kick into her first career goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Despite creating several other chances, the Red couldn’t find an equalizer, and Delaware sealed the result with a 62nd-minute strike to hand Cornell a 3-1 defeat.
Cornell wrapped up its road trip on Sunday with a 3-0 loss to Syracuse, as the Orange pulled away with goals late in the first half and early in the second. Cornell held strong through the first half before the Orange broke through just before halftime by a close-range finish as the Red struggled to clear the penalty area.
Syracuse then put the game out of reach early in the second half, as two players scored just 23 seconds apart to extend the lead to 3-0. Despite the result, Qureshey stood out for Cornell, recording a season-high eight saves.
With back-to-back losses, Cornell falls to 1-2-1 on the season and will look to rebound on Thursday, Sept. 11, when they travel to face Providence College. The matchup offers the Red a chance to reset and recover before Ivy League games begin on Sept. 20 with a home match against Columbia University.
