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ITHACA, N.Y. – Men's Soccer notched its first victory of the season Wednesday night in the Big Red's home opener at Berman Field, scoring a golden goal in the fourth minute of the second overtime session to top Lafayette 1-0.
 
Cornell (1-1-1) drew a free kick from about 25-yards out to the right of net; setting the stage for two senior captains to combine on the Big Red's first scoring play of the season. Free kick specialist Peter Chodas sent a perfect cross into the box and Conor Goepel rose to meet it, tucking a header just inside the right post for the game-winning goal.   
 
Senior goalkeeper Zach Zagorski (W, 1-1-1) made six saves, including two game saving stops with less than eight minutes left in regulation, to notch his second clean sheet in three games this season and seventh of his collegiate career.
 
Wednesday night's matchup with Lafayette (1-3-0) played out similarly to several of the matchups between these two rivals in recent years. Both defenses dug in their cleats, contesting every single yard of the pitch, in the physical contest. The game went to overtime for the fifth time over the last seven matchups between the two schools.
 
The first half started slow, as the teams got acclimated to the physical play. Both teams fired five shots in the opening 45-minutes with only three finding their way to the net. The Big Red registered the best chance of the opening half, as Goepel sent a pass across the box to sophomore Stevin Bienfait, who fired a shot wide of the target with just less than eight minutes remaining.
 
The Leopards came out firing in the second half, launching ten shots in the final 45-minutes of regulation. Zagorski stood tall with five saves in the period, while the Big Red defense did not wilt despite the persistent pressure of the Lafayette attack.

The best sequence of sparkling defensive play came with 4:30 remaining in regulation, as the Leopards earned a corner kick. Freshman midfielder Daniel Felman sent a dangerous cross into the 10-yard box, causing a flurry of action in front of the Big Red net. The ball fell to midfielder Ben Marks, who fired a shot that was blocked. Fellow midfielder Quentin Anson corralled the rebound and laced a wicked shot on net; however, Zagorski was in perfect position to gobble up the save and exstinguish the threat.
 
The teams remained scoreless through the remainder of regulation to send the game to overtime, already the third such occurrence for the Big Red on the young season.
 
Cornell regrouped and had the better of the play in overtime, putting together a couple promising chances before the eventual game-winner. Just one-minute into the first overtime session, the Big Red earned a corner kick. Chodas sent a devilish cross in front of the net mouth, but Devin Morgan's header sailed just high and wide of the far post.
 
The close calls finally materialized into a goal in the fifth minute of double overtime, as Goepel potted his seventh career game-winner to send the Big Red faithful home happy.
 
Men's soccer returns to action this weekend, as it makes the short trip down I-81 to take on local rival Binghamton on Saturday. Opening kick is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.