ITHACA, N.Y. — Boston College's Paige Peltier scored twice over a five-plus-minute stretch of the second half to break open a 1-1 tie and aid the visiting Eagles to a 3-2 victory over the Cornell women's soccer team on a picturesque Thursday evening on Berman Field.

The victory for Boston College snapped Cornell's 14-match non-conference unbeaten streak, handing the Big Red its first loss outside of Ivy League play since Sept. 11, 2022, when it lost to Syracuse, 3-0, at SU Soccer Stadium. Thursday's setback was Cornell's first on Berman Field against a non-Ivy League opponent since falling to Marist, 2-1, on Aug. 28, 2022.

Joining Peltier in the scoring column for the Eagles was Ella Richards, who opened the scoring with a goal in the seventh minute. Boston College's goalkeeping duties were split between Wiebke Willebrandt and Olivia Shippee, with Shippee earning the victory after making a pair of second-half saves. Willebrandt, who started the match, made three saves in the opening 45 minutes.

Senior forward Ava Laden and junior midfielder Tanum Nelson registered the goals for the Big Red (1-1-2), and junior goalkeeper Natalie Medugno played all 90 minutes between the pipes for Cornell, making two saves.

"We played well in the first half, not in the first five or 10 minutes. They got the better of it and scored a decent goal," Cornell women's soccer head coach Rob Ferguson said. "We responded very well, got back on the front foot, and deserved to get the equalizer. It was pretty even, but we played the better of the chances created.

"Then the second half was different. We weren't good enough. That's what was said in the huddle at the end. Everyone was on the same page. We didn't compete well enough. We got penned back, and after the first 10-15 minutes, once we eventually managed to get out of [our defensive zone], they made an adjustment. We have to adjust to that quicker, more impactfully and efficiently."

Richards opened the scoring in the seventh minute when she sent a left-footed shot from the left side of the goal box into the bottom right corner of the net. Emily Sapienza set up the tally with a through ball from outside of the penalty area.

Cornell responded quickly, leveling the match in the 16th minute on a designed give-and-go between Laden and senior forward Laken Gallman, which led to Laden's right-footed shot from inside the 18-yard box.

The Big Red controlled momentum for the remainder of the first half before Boston College opened the second half with intense pressure inside Cornell's defensive third. The Eagles' constant pressing led to the pair of goals scored by Peltier over the opening 19 minutes of the latter half.

Peltier's first goal came following a blocked Cornell shot off the boot of senior midfielder Peyton Nichols on the edge of the box. The block set up a 2-on-1 opportunity for Boston College, where Peltier sent a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the goal off a pass from Sydney Segalla.

Almost six minutes later, Cornell blocked a shot from Georgina Clarke, which Peltier capitalized on the rebound to double Boston College's lead.

Nelson trimmed the Eagles' lead in half when she sent a sliding right-footed shot on the edge of the penalty area toward the top left corner of the net, out of the reach of Shippee.

"[Tanum's] goal was a moment of individual brilliance," Ferguson said. "We know Tanum is a threat anywhere on the field, in and around the edge of the box. If people give her half a yard — not even a half-yard — give her a few inches, she's prepared to keep her head down and strike through it."

Gallman had a close scoring chance to tie the match in the 82nd minute, but Shippee made a leaping save to preserve the Eagles' lead.

"We showed a bit of resiliency and character at 3-1 down," Ferguson said. "We didn't stop working, didn't stop trying to get back in the game. Great goal to get back in it at 3-2, and it felt like there was enough in the game to get the equalizer, but it didn't come."

MATCH NOTES
• Thursday was the seventh all-time meeting between Cornell and Boston College, and the first between the programs since Oct. 2, 1994, when it played in the Harvard Invitational in Cambridge, Mass. Boston College took the lead over Cornell in the series, 3-2-2, as the Eagles upped their unbeaten streak over the Big Red to five (3-0-2).

• Laden's first-half goal extended Cornell's streak of matches with a goal to 10, its longest streak since also compiling goals in 10 successive matches between Oct. 29, 2022, and Sept. 27, 2023. The 10 consecutive matches with a goal are tied for the second-longest streak in program history. Over its last 21 contests, the Big Red has scored in 20 contests, averaging 1.50 goals per match.

LONGEST STREAK OF MATCHES WITH A GOAL
Cornell Program History
1. 13 matches (Sept. 10, 2003 - Nov. 1, 2003) — 28 goals (2.15 goals per match)
T2. 10 matches (Sept. 17, 1988 - Oct. 22, 1988) — 24 goals (2.40 goals per match)
T2. 10 matches (Sept. 24, 2000 - Oct. 24, 2000) — 18 goals (1.80 goals per match)
T2. 10 matches (Oct. 29, 2022 - Sept. 27, 2023) — 15 goals (1.50 goals per match)
T2. 10 matches (Oct. 4, 2023 - Present) — 15 goals (1.50 goals per match)
T5. 9 matches (Nov. 4, 1992 - Oct. 12, 1993) — 22 goals (2.44 goals per match)
T5. 9 matches (Oct. 13, 1996 - Sept. 13, 1997) — 24 goals (2.67 goals per match)

• Cornell also increased its goal-scoring streak in matches at Berman Field to 13 on Thursday, establishing a program record for the most consecutive home matches played with a goal, besting a 12-match streak from Sept. 13, 2013 to Oct. 3, 2014.

LONGEST STREAK OF HOME MATCHES WITH A GOAL
Cornell Program History
1. 13 matches (Oct. 29, 2022 - Present) — 21 goals (1.62 goals per match)
2. 12 matches (Sept. 13, 2013 — Oct. 3, 2014) — 32 goals (2.67 goals per match)
3. 10 matches (Oct. 16, 1985 - Sept. 30, 1987) — 24 goals (2.40 goals per match)
4. 9 matches (Sept. 22, 1996 - Oct. 14, 1997) — 20 goals (2.22 goals per match)
5. 8 matches (Sept. 23, 2011 - Oct. 2, 2012) — 13 goals (1.63 goals per match)

• With the Eagles' one-goal victory, six of the seven all-time matches between Cornell and Boston College have been decided by one goal or less.

UP NEXT
Cornell will travel to Bethlehem, Pa., on Sunday afternoon for a match against Patriot League rival Lehigh (1-3-1). First touch between the Big Red and Mountain Hawks is scheduled for 1 p.m. Match action will be broadcast on ESPN+.

It will be the second consecutive year Cornell and Lehigh will face each other as the programs played to a 2-2 draw on Berman Field in the Big Red's home opener last year on Aug. 27, 2023. Senior forward Laken Gallman assisted on both Cornell tallies, coming off the boots of Abigail Bishara and Maddie Leroy.

The Big Red will be seeking its first victory over Lehigh as the Mountain Hawks own a 2-0-2 record against Cornell in the series that dates back to the first meeting on Sept. 14, 2008.