CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard closed the first and opened the second half with a pair of goals in a span of 55 seconds to put the game out of reach en route to the 5-0 victory. The five-goal decision marked the first time since Cornell's 4-0 win in 2012 that the game wasn't decided by just a single-goal.
Harvard (8-4), which remains atop the Ivy League standings with a perfect 4-0 record, had a slim 11-7 edge in shots, but put six more shots on goal than the visitors (9-3). Penalty shots were even at 3-3.
Cornell carried the play through the first 15 minutes of action, with three shots in the first six minutes of action, but couldn't finish any of its chances.
Defensively, the Big Red turned away a pair of Crimson opportunities with under 16 minutes to play in the first half, the first coming on save from
Kelly Johnson, before
Maddy Conklin broke up Harvard's second penalty corner of the stanza. Johnson turned away another Crimson shot in the 25th minute, stopping Kathleen Young's reverse stick shot from the top of the circle, but just moments later Kyla Cordrey converted a penalty corner goal on a ball played to the near post.
Harvard tacked on a goal with just 38 seconds remaining in the first half when Emily Ott converted a pass from Marissa Balleza, and then Balleza scored just 17 seconds into the second half when she picked off a pass deep in the Cornell zone and ripped a hard shot from the right side of the circle past Johnson.
Balleza added a penalty stroke goal in the 53rd minute, making her the Crimsons' all-time leader in career goals and points, before Hannah Wellington capped the scoring in the 57th minute.
In goal, junior
Kelly Johnson made three saves and allowed five goals in 56:27 before giving way to freshman
Maddie Henry who didn't face a shot. The Big Red also picked up a defensive save from Conklin.
For Harvard, Libby Manela made two saves in 54:34, before Callie Rennyson came on in relief and made one save.
Cornell (6-7, 1-3 Ivy) is back in action next weekend when it travels to Brown on Friday, Oct. 21 to take on the Bears at 4 p.m., before returning home to take on Rider at Marsha Dodson Field on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m.
