NEWARK, Del. – For the third time in four games, Marisa Siergiej tallied a pair of goals to lead the Big Red to a 4-2 victory this afternoon over reigning CAA champion, Delaware, at Rullo Stadium in Newark, Del. With the win, Cornell improves to 3-1, while the Blue Hens fall to 3-4.
 
The Big Red scored the first three goals of the contest, including a tally by Georgia Lord just 1:05 into the contest, as she took a pass from Elizabeth Horak and beat UD's goalie Emmeline Oltmans from close range.
 
Cornell kept up the pressure, outshooting the Blue Hens, 9-5, in the first half and added on a pair of Siergiej goals in a span of 5:13 late in the stanza when she scored on a penalty corner at the 20:39 mark, before converting her second-straight penalty stroke attempt at 25:52. Both Taylor Standiford and Ann DiPastina assisted on the penalty corner.
 
Marjelle Scheffers got the home team on the board in the 31st minute when she collected a rebound off a Kelly Johnson save and scored to make it a 3-1 game at the half.
 
The Blue Hens then converted a penalty stroke of its own when Michaela Patzner made it a one-goal game at the 52:40 mark, but Cornell countered just over three minutes later when Horak used a great individual effort to give the Big Red some breathing room and account for the 4-2 final.
 
Offensively, Cornell held the edge in shots, 15-8, and earned six penalty corners. The Big Red put 10 of its shots on goal to keep constant pressure on Oltmans, who finished with three saves, while  Allie Mikelson made three defensive saves to help the Blue Hens' cause.
 
On the other end of the field, the Big Red's defense was outstanding, holding the reigning CAA Player and Rookie of the Year, Esmee Peet, to just one shot during the contest, which was turned away by Johnson for one of her two saves on the day. Cornell also gave up just three penalty corners.
 
The Ivy League season opens next weekend when Cornell plays host to Penn on Saturday, Sept. 20, before facing Holy Cross on Sunday, Sept. 21.