OLEAN, N.Y. – In the earliest women's soccer game in program history, a late goal made the difference.
Kaili Gregory scored on a free kick in the 100th minute, capping Cornell's rally for a 2-1 overtime victory against St. Bonaventure on Friday night at Marra Athletics Complex.
Naomi Jaffe scored the first goal for Cornell (1-0), which already has 40 percent of its goal total from the 2017 season.
After the Big Red equalized on Jaffe's first collegiate strike in the 65th minute, St. Bonaventure (0-2-1) made a push on its home turf. Goalkeeper
Meghan Kennedy made her last of three saves on the night with just 51 seconds left in regulation time. It was all Cornell from there, following up on its 1-0-2 record in extra time from a season ago.
Kennedy Yearby forced a save from St. Bonaventure's goalkeeper in the 92th minute, then she sent a header off a cross from
Juliana Comer just wide nearly five minutes later. The Big Red then capitalized on a free kick with 56 seconds remaining on the clock, after a beautiful scoop pass from
Jessica Ritchie to Yearby at the corner of the box then created a handball after Yearby attempted to play the ball. With the free kick set up outside the post from about 22 yards out and three in the wall,
Carolyn Ruoff ran over the ball and left it for the left-footed Gregory, who curled a ball just inside the far post to the goalkeeper's right. It was Gregory's second collegiate goal, with her first also serving as a game-winner on a restart when she thumped in a penalty kick last year against Maine.
Cornell got off to a good start Friday in sending five shots on target in the first half, but it was the host Bonnies who struck first on Bella Marra's bizarre goal in the 40th minute. Maddie Mason cleared a ball from 50 yards out that sailed over everyone before descending onto the crossbar. Marra was the only player to follow up on the play, heading in an uncontested rebound from 10 yards out.
The Big Red tied the game just shy of 20 minutes into the second half. Gregory started the play from the center line with a perfect long ball, picking out Jaffe running up the right side. Jaffe maneuvered around a defender alongside the edge of the 18-yard box and approached the end line. With
Julianna Shrekgast and
Victoria Bubrick in the middle, Jaffe sent a drive toward goal that ended up picking the far corner of the net over the goalkeeper.
With the win, Cornell improved to 21-11-5 in its 37 season debuts in program history. The Big Red is also now 11-4-1 all-time against the Bonnies.
Cornell returns to Ithaca for its home opener at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31 against Buffalo at Berman Field. The game will be broadcast on the Ivy League on ESPN.
