Box Score

NEW YORK – With just 2:23 remaining in the second overtime period, Cornell senior Catie De Stio scored off a penalty corner to hand the Big Red a 3-2 win over Columbia this afternoon at the Columbia Field Hockey Venue in New York City. With the win, Cornell improves to 5-1 overall (2-0 Ivy), while the Lions slip to 4-3 on the season (1-1 Ivy). The Big Red is back in action on Sunday, as it travels back to Ithaca to play host to No. 3 Virginia at Marsha Dodson Field at noon.

The game was as closely played as the final score would indicate, with Cornell holding slim advantages in shots (15-12), shots on goal (12-8), and penalty corners (9-7).

Goalie Alex Botte stopped six shots to earn the victory, while Christie O'Hara made nine saves in the loss. Each goalie was called upon to stop one shot in each of the overtime periods.

After a back and forth battle to start the game, a flurry of activity over an 11 minute period saw Cornell take a 2-1 lead as the first half wound down.

The Big Red got on the board first when it was awarded its first penalty stroke of the season and freshman Hannah Balleza converted at the 19:23 mark, beating O'Hara to the lower left-hand corner.

Julia Garrison, who scored both Columbia goals, knotted the game for the first time in the 24th minute, scoring off a penalty corner with a on a low shot on a direct pass from Desi Scherf.

Cornell responded just six minutes later when rookie Christine Hibler scored on a breakaway to give the Big Red the 2-1 lead heading into halftime.

Both teams had their chances early in the second half, but with time winding down, the Lions turned up the pressure and Garrison knotted the game with just over four minutes to play, scoring off a scrum in front of the net after a penalty corner.