ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell women's soccer team had a pair of near misses early and late in the first half, then league-leading Harvard expanded on a one-goal halftime lead with two more strikes early in the second to pull away for a 3-0 victory on Saturday afternoon at Berman Field.
Murphy Agnew scored in the 11th minute for Harvard (9-2, 3-0 Ivy League), then assisted on the last two goals in the second half. The first was tapped in by Jordan Di Verniero in the 54th minute, then Sophie Hirst finished off a training-ground play off a corner kick in the 60th minute. Kat Hess made two saves for her third straight clean sheet in league play.
Cornell (4-5-1, 0-3), which has slipped below a .500 winning percentage for the first time this season, had its best two chances in the first half. The first came just shy of the three-minute mark, when senior
Kaili Gregory floated service in off a free kick from the left side and sophomore
Evanthia Spyredes rocketed a straightaway header from seven yards over the crossbar.
Agnew then gave the Crimson the lead off a quick counter following a Cornell goal kick. Gabby DelPico cleanly won a header in the middle third, then Agnew's header sent Angela Caloia behind of the Big Red's two central defenders. With the other now needing to commit to the ball, Caloia slid the ball back to a speeding Agnew entering the penalty area for a breakaway that she slotted inside the far post.
The Big Red stayed within reach the rest of the opening half, then almost equalized with about a minute remaining. Gregory played a long ball forward from Cornell's side of the center line that was flagged down by Harvard's back line, but pursuing freshman
Kendall Patten forced a turnover near the lower right corner of the Crimson's penalty area. Patten then calmly slid a left-footed pass to charging freshman
Emily St. John at the top of the box, but her curling right-footed shot sailed high.
Harvard then pulled away with two goals in the second half. Freshman
Nicole Shulman made three saves for the Big Red in her first action since returning from international competition with Israel at the UEFA Under-19 Championships.
Cornell returns to Berman Field to wrap up its non-league schedule at 7 p.m. Tuesday, when it hosts regional rival Colgate.