Box Score (PDF)

NEW YORK — The women's soccer team dropped its Ivy League opener Friday at Columbia, 1-0. It was the first time this season that Cornell has been shut out.

Columbia (4-1-3, 1-0 Ivy) scored the game's only goal in the 65th minute. Sarah Forthal spun off a double team in the right corner and got off a cross just before the ball slipped over the end line. Coleen Rizzo met the ball at the top of the 6-yard box for the easy conversion.

Cornell (5-2, 0-1 Ivy) had a handful of chances, but couldn't break the ice against Columbia goalkeeper Grace Redmon. The Lions have now played 387 consecutive minutes without surrendering a goal.

The teams played to a fairly even first half on the lightning-fast artificial surface at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium. Columbia was first to threaten after a Cadie Naquin corner kick from the left side in the 27th minute found the head of Rizzo inside the 6-yard box. But Big Red sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Tierney was quick to get a hand above her head and swat the ball over the crossbar.

Cornell's lone shot on goal in the opening 45 came a couple minutes later on sophomore Elizabeth Crowell's attempted chip from 25 yards, which fell comfortably into the hands of Redmon.

The Big Red's best chance came later on, with 9:23 left in the half. Freshman defender Whitney Farber's cross from the right side toward Crowell was poked away by a defender, but senior midfielder Claire MacManus then stepped into a shot from 20 yards that had Redmon cleanly beat -- only for the ball to rattle the crossbar and bounce harmlessly away.

Redmon was called upon to make just two saves for the clean sheet, with the other shot coming from junior midfielder Shanay Fischer just after the intermission.

But Cornell made more bids for an equalizer. With 38:50 left, sophomore forward Meera Marhoefer forced a turnover 40 yards away from goal and attempted a give-and-go with junior forward Caroline Growney. But by the time the return pass neared Marhoefer in the middle of the penalty area, Redmon had come off her line and secured the ball. The Big Red's last gasp came on Fischer's ball toward Growney at the penalty spot with 36 seconds left, but that was also turned away.

The Big Red returns to non-league action at 1 p.m. Sunday against Wagner at Berman Field in Ithaca.