ITHACA, N.Y. -- Sophomore
Grace Leahy lifted a shot over Syracuse goalkeeper Abby Neitch after a rebound from a
Caroline Ramsey penalty corner attempt in double overtime, lifting No. 18 Cornell over the 13th-ranked Orange 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at Marsha Dodson Field. The win was the Big Red's fifth straight in improving to 10-3, while the Orange slipped to 9-5 with the defeat.
Leahy's game-winning goal was only possible because of the brilliant play of freshman goalkeeper
Martha Broderick, who made five saves, including two on penalty strokes from Orange All-American Eefke van den Nieuwenhof, who entered the day perfect on seven career attempts. The freshman's second save on a stroke came with just over 70 seconds left in regulation and allowed the game to get to overtime in the first place. Broderick entered the contest with consecutive shutouts, though she didn't need to make a save for the clean sheets. The freshman made her collegiate debut earlier in the season against the Orange, making a career-high 10 stops.
Rease Coleman snuck home the first goal midway through the third quarter after
Caroline Ramsey faked a shot and slid a pass over to a cutting Coleman who deposited her second goal of the year. Ramsey was credited with the assist, her sixth of they ear to up her season total to 46 points, building on her single-season school record.
Leahy's 10th score of the year and 14th in two seasons set off a celebration near the Big Red goal after avenging a 4-2 Orange win on Sept. 6 in Syracuse.
Cornell head coach Andy Smith's first career win came against a ranked Syracuse team on Dodson Field in 2019, but this one had possible NCAA Tournament implications and sets up the Big Red for its final regular season push. Cornell also enters the final two weeks of the regular season in control of its Ivy League title hopes.
After a scoreless first half that saw the Big Red hold territorial advantage in the first quarter and Syracuse flip the script in the second, Cornell was able to strike first. Coleman redirected a Ramsey shot into the goal in the 40th minute on a penalty corner, the third time in two games the Big Red converted against the Orange on a set play. The goal and assist set Cornell's single-season points record as a team with 149, surpassing the previous mark of 147 from the 2015 campaign. The team ended the night with 151 points and 50 goals, matching the single season goals mark.
It stayed that way for 12 minutes of game time before Hattie Madden tipped a shot past Broderick after Pieke van de Pas sent it in from outside the circle. The goal was sandwiched around two Broderick saves on Syracuse penalty strokes. She went to her left to snuff out van den Nieuwenhof on the first one, then to her right with just 70 seconds left in regulation to keep the game tied.
The Orange earned a pair of penalty corners in the first overtime, but couldn't put a shot on goal. Cornell started with possession in the second overtime and never allowed the Orange to possess, getting back-to-back penalty corners and capitalizing on the second one.
Cornell will play its final road contest of the season when it visits Brown on Friday, Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. before returning home for Senior Day on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. against Boston University at Marsha Dodson Field. Both contests will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
