PHILADELPHIA – The Cornell women's soccer team was handed a 2-0 loss on Saturday by Penn, which won its sixth straight game at Rhodes Field to even both teams' Ivy League records.
 
While Laurence Gladu was credited with just one save in earning the shutout for Penn (6-2-2, 1-1 Ivy), Cornell (2-6-2, 1-1) made its best push for a goal with a handful of chances early in the second half. The Quakers struck first in the 12th minute, then needed to stave off the Big Red until Paige Kenton's goal in the 68th minute gave the home side some breathing room.
 
After a relatively quiet first half in which neither side generated much in the way of Grade-A scoring opportunities, the Big Red was able to bare its teeth by finding and utilizing space through the attacking midfield shortly after the intermission.
 
In the 55th minute, Cornell was able to win possession of its own goal kick in the midfield and generate a three-on-three break toward goal – but junior Ashley Durik's shot from near the top of the 18-yard box missed the target. A minute later, senior Evanthia Spyredes saved a ball headed toward the Penn end line that ultimately turned into menacing service on a high arc to the far post. From there, fifth year Naomi Jaffe's header went over the crossbar.
 
Perhaps the closest near-miss then came about nine minutes later, when a skillful double flick from freshman Reinna Gabriel and sophomore Ava Laden gave the latter a chance on the run up the right side. But as she entered the corner of the box, Laden's shot zipped just high and wide of the near post.
 
About four minutes later, Penn's second goal all but ended the threat and improved the team's record at home this season to 6-0.

The insurance goal came after the Quakers created a quick turnover on a slide tackle about 40 yards from the Cornell goal that was immediately served back toward the Big Red's 18-yard box. That caught Cornell's back line a little off guard and allowed Ginger Fontenot a one-on-one chance against senior goalkeeper Miranda Iannone, who stormed off her line to cut down the angle. The shot was only able to catch a chunk of the far post, but the bounce proved advantageous for the Quakers when it landed in the path of Kenton for an easy conversion on the rebound.
 
Penn's first goal came from seemingly nowhere after a battle for possession on the flank near midfield, with the Quakers able to create a brief two-on-one to spring Emily Pringle sprinting with the ball up the left side. The Big Red had numbers back to ward off passing options, and Pringle's immediate defender recovered to meet the ball on a sharp angle inside the 18-yard box. But Pringle was able to generate a little more space after that initial confrontation and enter from the edge of the 6-yard box, then chipped a shot over a sliding Iannone into the far-side netting.
 
Though the teams combined for 22 shot attempts, just four were on target on a breezy day at Rhodes Field. Gladu and Iannone each made one save.
 
Cornell returns home for its next two games, starting with a 6 p.m. Tuesday non-league clash against Colgate before shifting back to Ivy League play with a 1 p.m. Saturday game against nationally-ranked Harvard.