Box Score Box Score

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Facing its toughest task of the young season, the Cornell men's soccer team dropped a 4-1 contest to #19 Monmouth on Friday night to open up the Princeton Invitational in Princeton, N.J. The loss snaps Cornell's three-game unbeaten streak.

Cornell (2-2-1) was done in by a pair of goals right before the half that gave the Hawks a 2-0 lead at the break. After holding Monmouth (6-0) scoreless for the first 40 minutes, Monmouth finally broke through in the 42nd minute as Ryan Kinne scored to put the Hawks ahead. Two minutes later, Kinne added a second goal off a rebound of a shot by Chase Barbieri.

Still, the Big Red didn't give up, as they got on the board with just the third goal conceeded by the Hawks all season. Freshman Nico Nissl scored his first career goal in the 51st minute, tapping home a loose ball in front of the Monmouth goal to cut the deficit to one.

Barbieri and Kinne combined to restore the Hawks to a two-goal lead five minutes later, this time with Barbieri tapping home a feed from Kinne across the box. The Hawks finished out the scoring in the 84th minute when Ryan Clark finished off a cross from Cody Calafiore on the right flank.

Scott Brody made five saves in taking the loss for the Big Red, while Monmouth goalkeeper Bryan Meredith stopped three shots in the win. The Hawks held a 22-9 advantage in shots, though both teams recorded three corner kicks.

Cornell returns to action on Sunday, finishing out the Princeton Invitational with a game against Fairleigh Dickinson. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.