ITHACA, N.Y. – Freshman Reinna Gabriel scored her first collegiate goal and the Cornell women's soccer team rallied for a pair of strikes inside the final 30 minutes of a 2-1 victory over Colgate on Tuesday night at Berman Field.
 
Gabriel's goal came off an assist from sophomore Ava Laden about three minutes after Colgate opened the scoring during the second half. The winner then came in the 72nd minute on an own goal directly off corner kick-service from senior Aidan Julia Reineman.
 
It was a result befitting of the territorial advantage the Big Red enjoyed on the whole of the night with nearly two-thirds of its possession in the Raiders' half. Cornell took 17 shots toward goal with nine on target, both season highs.
 
Yet within those positive indicators were two recurring themes for the Big Red's season. The first – turning a game that it controlled into the contest's first goal – it could not rectify. But the second – continuing to play in the fashion that produced a lead until the final whistle – was much more successful.
 
At the forefront of the offensive push was Gabriel, who made the most of a new role with the Big Red's recently modified midfield formation. She was a factor well before the eventual tying goal, totaling seven shots toward goal and three that required saves from both goalkeepers deployed by the visitors.
 
But largely against the run of play, it was Colgate (6-5-1) that broke through first by connecting a pair of passes around the top of the 18-yard box to separate the Cornell (3-6-2) central defenders and spring Jordan Jutten into space for a goal in the 58th minute.
 
Cornell equalized a short time later on a play created by Laden, whose assist bumps her point total on the season to 14 – tied for third among Ivy League competitors entering the third week of the conference schedule. Junior Emily St. John spun eluded a pair of defenders in the midfield before finding Reineman, who then turned a pass up the right side for Laden to speed on to. After absorbing a bump from a defender, Laden skipped a cross from a sharp angle right across the top of the 6-yard box. Senior Evanthia Spyredes narrowly missed cashing in on a near-post run – but that drew the attention of the retreating defenders and helped create space for Gabriel to crash in and convert.
 
The winner then came off the right foot of Reineman, who was serving the Big Red's sixth and final corner kick of the night. The cross was directed toward senior Victoria Bubrick's position beside the near post to force an uncomfortable play from a defender, who accidentally steered a header into her own net.
 
Earning the victory in goal was junior Nicole Shulman, who was making her first start of the season after recovering from an injury. Her only two saves came inside the first 15 minutes – the most notable requiring quick hands on Nicole Apuzzi's close-range header off a corner kick.
 
With the game serving as the lone non-league respite inside the second half of the season, both teams took the opportunity to rest some of its oft-deployed options in league play. Junior Sydney Waiters and freshman Lily Ellingson had strong performances on the back line in their first starts of the season.
 
Cornell now turns its attention back to Ivy League play, starting with a test against 18th-ranked and undefeated Harvard at 1 p.m. Saturday.