Box Score (PDF)

ITHACA, N.Y. — The men's soccer team held No. 2 Syracuse scoreless for 43 minutes and freshman goalkeeper Ryan Shellow made 13 saves, but the Orange managed to score three unanswered goals to beat the Big Red, 3-2, at Berman Field on Tuesday night.

Despite playing in its fourth game in seven days, Cornell (0-6-2) came out ready to set the tone and became the first team this season to score first on Syracuse (8-0-0). 

With Syracuse unable to crack the Big Red backline, it was ultimately Cornell that struck first in the 32nd minute.

Freshman Riley Adams received a ball on the right wing 15 yards into Syracuse territory and took a touch before sending a ball in over the top to freshman George Pedlow. The ball landed right in Pedlow's path and he was able to outrun the defender into the box and slot it home through the legs of Hendrik Hilpert for the 1-0 lead.

At the other end of the field, Shellow and the defense did a fantastic job of keeping the Syracuse attack at bay. Shellow made four saves in the first half and his backline sacrificed their bodies, laying out to block two others.

"I thought it was a good performance against a very good team," head coach John Smith said. "I thought we did pretty well in the first half and had a nice goal from George."

Syracuse was able to find the equalizer just before the half when Miles Robinson headed home a ball that was bouncing off of some heads in the box.

The second half proved to be the Orange's turn to come out strong, as Liam Callahan scored what would prove to be the game winning goal just five minutes into the half. Oyvind Alseth, from the right side of the box, fed a ball across the goal mouth that Callahan finished at the far post to make it 2-1.

Shellow made saves on several, close-range shots and came out aggressively to punch the ball away on numerous Syracuse corner attempts to keep the Big Red within striking distance. In the 36th minute, Shellow made a beautiful play to cut off a cross and then a few minutes later made a lunging dive to his right on a shot inside the box to keep the difference at one.

Syracuse fired 29 shots on goal to Cornell's four.

"Ryan in goal was brilliant again. He has been since he got in the starting lineup," said Smith.

Jonathan Hagman gave the Orange an insurance goal in the 73rd minute when he capitalized on a rebound. Shellow made the original leaping save on a chip shot attempt but the rebound fell to Hagman near the six.

"When you get some great individual performances – and that's what I'm really looking at – you can see three or four guys that can come out of it with their heads held really high because they performed at the highest level against one of the top teams in the country," Smith said, adding that it bodes well for the future.

Cornell has a week off before it heads to Virginia on Sept. 27 to take on the Cavaliers. The team then returns to Berman Field on Oct. 2 to open Ivy League play against Penn.