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Cornell University Athletics

Brandon Morales looks to find an open teammate during game action against Vermont on Sept. 13, 2022
Eldon Lindsay/Cornell Athletics
2
Winner Cornell COR (4-1-0, 0-0-0)
1
Niagara NIA (1-5-1, 0-0-0)
Winner
Cornell COR
(4-1-0, 0-0-0)
2
Final
1
Niagara NIA
(1-5-1, 0-0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Cornell COR 1 1 2
Niagara NIA 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Morales' Brace Leads Men's Soccer to Victory Over Niagara

LEWISTON, N.Y. – Brandon Morales broke a 1-1 tie in the 85th minute with his second goal of the match, leading the Cornell men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Niagara at Niagara Field on Saturday night.

Morales recorded his first collegiate brace as Emeka Eneli assisted on both of Morales' goals in the win for Cornell (4-1-0).

"I thought we played some excellent soccer at times today," said John Smith, the Dr. Daniel P. Wood Head Coach of Men's Soccer. "On another day, we could have scored five goals with the chances we created.

"Brandon's two goals today were just rewards for his great performance. He took both opportunities really well."

Asher Barnes scored the lone marker for Niagara (1-5-1), while the Purple Eagles had a 10-save performance from goalkeeper Jamie Barry.

Cornell peppered Niagara with eight shot attempts – six of which were on goal – over the opening 12 minutes. The Big Red finally got a ball past Barry when Eneli set up Morales in the 19th minute for his first goal of the season.

Eneli, Alioune Ka, and Westin Carnevale each had two shots on goal before Morales' opening tally.

Niagara responded to Morales' goal with one of their own just 89 seconds later. Barnes deposited the Purple Eagles' first shot attempt of the night past Cornell goalkeeper Ryan Friedberg. The freshman keeper concluded the contest with two saves.

Cornell tried to break the tie with three shot attempts over the next 1:31 but to no avail. Eneli logged the only shot on target, which came 11 seconds after Barnes' goal.

Including the trio of Big Red shot attempts, 12 of the subsequent 13 shots between the two teams were off target. Daniel Samways had the lone shot on goal in the 28th minute.

Danny Lokko snapped a streak of 35 minutes without a shot on goal for either side as Barry stopped his 63rd-minute strike.

Noel Ortega had a chance to put the Big Red ahead in the 73rd minute, but Barry made a diving stop as he got his left fingertips on the ball.

Niagara had a chance to net the go-ahead goal on a goalmouth scramble following a corner kick in the 81st minute. Rodrigo Almeida's shot was stopped by Friedberg, who secured the ball into his stomach.

Following a set piece on a Niagara foul, Eneli set up Morales for the second time on the night, giving the Big Red the lead in the 85th minute.

Niagara was held in check for the remainder of the game. The Big Red prevented the Purple Eagles from recording a shot attempt in the final four-plus minutes, solidifying Cornell's fourth road victory in as many games.

"Hard work travels," Smith said, "and that has been evident in our first four road games." 

Game Notes

• Saturday was the fourth all-time meeting between the Big Red and Purple Eagles and Cornell's first time playing at Niagara Field since Sept. 29, 2013. Cornell evened the series at 2-all with its second consecutive victory over Niagara.

• Cornell improved to 4-0 on the road this season, marking the first time since 2012 that the Big Red has won its first four road matches. That year, Cornell won its first six road matches before concluding the year with a 7-1 road mark.

• The Big Red has posted a 22-9-1 (.703) road record since the beginning of the 2018 season. Entering the contest, the Big Red had the sixth-highest road win percentage by a Division I program over the last four-plus years. 

• With its season-high 23 shot attempts, Cornell extended its streak with at least 10 shot attempts to 16 straight matches.

• Morales' brace was Cornell's first since Tyler Bagley scored twice against Brown last year on Oct. 23.

• Eneli recorded his third career game multi-assist game and his second such game of the season. He now has four assists over his last three matches and is the first Cornell player with at least two multi-assist games in a season since Jimmy Lannon in 2011.

Looking Ahead

Cornell will continue its string of games against opponents from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) on Tuesday when the Big Red welcomes Canisius to Berman Field. First touch is slated for 7 p.m., with game action broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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