Box Score
Photo Gallery

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Cornell women's soccer team opened the 2008 athletic year in fine fashion, taking the opening game of the Puma/St. Bonaventure Invitational with a 4-1 victory over Oakland. Sophomore Lena Russomagno scored two goals, one in each half, and sophomore Cristina Law and freshman Brook Chang added single tallies for the Big Red.

Russomagno wasted no time in picking up where she left off after her freshman season, a year that saw her score six goals, by putting the Big Red ahead in the first minute. Just 51 seconds into the contest, Russomagno streaked down the right flank and, from just outside the side of the penalty area, struck a high, arcing shot that looped over the head of Oakland goalkeeper Shannon Coley and into the far side netting.

Chang, who had dazzled earlier in the contest with some slick one-on-one skills, gave the Big Red a 2-0 cushion in the 25th minute. Chang took a dropped pass from junior Rebecca Flewelling and, after squaring herself to the goal, struck another high, looping shot from 25 yards out that again floated over the head of Coley and just under the crossbar.

Oakland (0-3-1) returned the favor in the 33rd minute when, after a Cornell corner kick was cleared out by the Grizzlies into the Cornell end of the field, Oakland's Deanna Colarossi stripped Cornell defender Emily Kuhn and raced in alone. Colarossi then struck a chip that Cornell goalkeeper Jodi Palmer got a hand on, but could not push it wide of the post as the ball caromed into the side netting to cut the Cornell advantage in half.

An even first 20 minutes of the second half gave way into another scoring opportunity for Russomagno, another one that she converted. Following a Cornell corner kick, Oakland cleared the ball out of the six-yard box, but right to Russomagno, who buried a rocket of a right-footed shot past Coley for a 3-1 Big Red margin in the 69th minute.

Cornell (1-0-0) made the score 4-1 in the 85th minute when Cristina Law struck for her first goal of the season. Law, who came on as a second-half substitution at forward, repeatedly gave the Oakland back line problems with her speed, and it finally paid off when freshman center back Sidra Bonner played a long ball deep into the Oakland end that Law ran down. After settling the ball, she struck a low shot to the right of Coley and into the far side netting.

The game also marked the debut of freshman goalkeeper Megan Bartlett, who came on in relief of Palmer in the 73rd minute, in addition to fellow classmates Bonner, Chang, Vonderweidt, Apistolas and Samantha Wright and sophomores Katie Hayes and Jules Lapsa. Friday night's victory also marked the first win for the Big Red away from Berman Field during the coaching tenure of second-year mentor Danielle LaRoche.

Cornell returns to action on Sunday, taking on Central Michigan in an 11 a.m. contest at the Aquinas Institute to open the second day of action at the Puma/St. Bonaventure Invitational.