Box Score Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. — Junior forward Caroline Growney and sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Crowell had four-point nights, and the women's soccer team's defense yielded no shots on goal in a 5-0 victory over Virginia Military Institute on Friday night at Berman Field. Cornell (3-0) will now face Temple (6-0) in what amounts to the championship game of the inaugural Big Red Shootout at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Sophomore forward Meera Marhoefer scored her first goal of the season and second of her collegiate career to give the Big Red the lead in the 11th minute on a rare goal warranting two assists. Sophomore forward Dempsey Banks made a run around the left side before passing to Growney in the box. Growney then quickly slipped a pass toward the middle, where Marhoefer beat her defender to the spot and poked the ball into the net.

While the score remained 1-0 well into the second half, the Big Red did no worse than idle at any point — seldom allowing VMI (1-4) possession in its third of the field. But three goals in a span of less than seven minutes erased any doubt, including two goals off the woodwork from Crowell. The first came in the 73rd minute, when she received a pass from Growney and neatly tucked a shot off the right post into the net. She then converted a feed from senior midfielder Claire MacManus from along the end line in the 78th minute, with the ball bounding off the crossbar and over the goal line.

Just 93 seconds later, MacManus assisted on Growney's goal after a post-corner kick scramble. Growney now leads the team with seven points on two goals and three assists this season. Freshman defender/midfielder Kaylee Fitzgerald then capped the evening with her first collegiate goal. With the VMI keeper off her line after a misplayed ball, Fitzgerald hit an arching shot from 40 yards that found the upper righthand corner of the net to close the scoring.

Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Tierney was credited with her third shutout of the season, despite not needing to make a single save. VMI had two shots directed toward goal, including one in the last couple minutes of the contest. The Big Red's five-goal margin of victory was its largest since Sept. 5, 2010.

In Friday's first game of the Big Red Shootout, undefeated Temple outlasted St. Bonaventure, 1-0. Paula Jurewicz scored the lone goal for the Owls in the 55th minute, cashing in a rebound of a shot from Kayla Cunningham after it glanced off the goalkeeper's fingertips. St. Bonaventure will play VMI at 1 p.m. to kick off Sunday's games at Berman Field. Cornell can clinch the Big Red Shootout title with a draw or victory against Temple at 3 p.m. Sunday.