Box Score (PDF)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — After dominating its first four games territorially, the women's soccer team bent but never broke in a scoreless draw Friday at Syracuse to extend its program record for consecutive shutouts to start a season to five.
 
After earning league, regional and national honors for her efforts last weekend, junior goalkeeper Kelsey Tierney was leaned on exponentially more often Friday. She was called upon to make just seven saves over the first two weeks, but stood her ground to make six stops against the Orange. The Big Red has yet to concede a goal this season, a streak spanning 490 minutes — and Cornell actually has six straight shutouts dating back to its season-ending victory over Dartmouth in November 2014.
 
Syracuse (2-4-1) looked particularly strong in the first half, though Cornell (3-0-2) actually had the only quality chance in the opening 30 minutes when a corner-kick service from junior midfielder Elizabeth Crowell was headed in the box by senior midfielder Shanay Fischer before eventually bounding wide. The Orange's Jackie Firenze then hit the crossbar with shot with 10 minutes left before the half.
 
Cornell made some tactical changs in the second half and ultimately found a little more traction — but only after Tierney made a spectacular save. In the 48th minute, Syracuse (2-4-1) worked a short corner to perfection to set up Firenze for a shot as she entered the upper-left corner of the 18-yard box. Tierney somehow tracked the shot through traffic to the near post, sprawling to her right to stop the ball as it sat on the white paint of the goal line.
 
The Big Red's best chance of the second half came with about 32 minutes left, with senior midfielder Brenna Mockler whistling a shot wide to the right of Syracuse goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan. Cornell was then the benefactor of good fortune when, after Tierney made a diving save to stop Alexis Koval from point-blank range, Jessica Vigna blasted a shot from four yards over the crossbar of the net in the 78th minute.
 
With Syracuse particularly goal hungry in the midst of being shutout for the fifth time in seven games this season, Cornell was able to generate a handful of scoring chances on the counterattack after hasty Orange turnovers. Brosnan made two saves, including a snag of a chip attempt in overtime from junior midfielder Aimee Tavzel.
 
The game marked the just the second time in nine all-time meetings that the Big Red didn't lose to the Orange. The other draw between the two teams was Oct. 13, 2004.
 
Cornell returns home for its next game at 3:30 p.m. Sunday vs. St. Bonaventure at Berman Field in Ithaca.