Highlights
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BALTIMORE, Md. — Sophomore goalkeeper Meghan Kennedy made five saves to record a shutout in her collegiate debut, as junior forward Paige DeLoach's fifth-minute goal proved to be all the offense in the women's soccer team's 1-0 victory Friday night against previously undefeated Loyola at Ridley Athletic Complex.
 
"It's not the sort of game we've been used to winning," head coach Patrick Farmer said. "We were outperformed and we had the least amount of shots you can have in a game and still win."
 
Cornell's only official shot came on DeLoach's goal. Senior midfielder Elizabeth Crowell won the ball toward junior forward Tess Pullano about 40 yards from goal. Pullano turned the ball toward the left side to sent DeLoach off to the races. She beat her flank defender to the inside and, with a central defender closing, slipped a low shot inside the far post from about eight yards out.
 
Loyola (3-1-1) had some chances, forcing Kennedy into the action early. In just the second minute, a corner kick bounced around the box before Mary Theresa Corcoran unleashed a shot that forced a diving save to the goalkeeper's left. Perhaps the home side's best chance came shortly after DeLoach's goal when Morgan Crable blistered a shot that had Kennedy beat, but it ultimately bounded away after thumping against the far post.
 
"Kailey Joyce, Zoe McCormick and Kaili Gregory had as good a performance of clearing high balls out of the box as we've seen since we've been here," Farmer said. "They had a bunch of play, but most of their dangerous opportunities came on balls bouncing around the box."
 
While also pushing Cornell to 2-0 on the young season, the victory also gives the Big Red a 13-game unbeaten streak in non-league play dating back to October 2014. The Big Red returns home to take on Syracuse at 1 p.m. Sunday in its home opener at Berman Field in Ithaca, N.Y. It kicks off a stretch of demanding games that includes a trip to Rutgers and visits from San Diego State and Seton Hall.
 
"Our speed of play has to be better under pressure," Farmer added. "We need to be making better decisions under pressure and not just whacking the ball. We need to be playing at a higher tempo — where we are just isn't fast enough."