ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell women's soccer team looks to keep its season-opening unbeaten streak alive as it kicks off a three-match road swing this weekend. The Big Red travels to Newark, Del., to face Delaware on Thursday before returning to Central New York for a Sunday clash with regional rival Syracuse at SU Soccer Stadium.

MATCH NO. 5: Cornell at Delaware
WHEN | WHERE: Thursday, Sept. 4 | Stuart & Suzanne Grant Stadium – Newark, Del.
RECORDS: Cornell (2-0-2, 0-0-0 Ivy League), Delaware (5-0-1, 0-0-0 C-USA)
SERIES: Delaware leads, 1-0-0 (L1)
WATCH: ESPN+ | WEATHER: 79°, mostly sunny, S 10-15 mph
STATS: CornellBigRed.com

MATCH NO. 6: Cornell at Syracuse
WHEN | WHERE: Sunday, Sept. 7 | SU Soccer Stadium – Syracuse, N.Y.
RECORDS: Cornell (2-0-2, 0-0-0 Ivy League), Syracuse (3-1-2, 0-0-0 ACC)
SERIES: Syracuse leads, 10-3-2 (W2)
WATCH: ACCNX | WEATHER: 63°, mostly sunny, WNW 5-10 mph
STATS: CornellBigRed.com

WEEKEND REWIND
Cornell extended its unbeaten start to the season with a win over La Salle and a draw with Kent State at Berman Field last week, moving its record to 2-0-2 on the year.

In Thursday's win over La Salle, senior midfielder Mariana Kessinger netted her first collegiate goal to lift the Big Red to a 1-0 victory over La Salle. Kessinger buried a right-footed strike into the top left corner in the 27th minute after a failed clearance by La Salle, while freshman goalkeeper Samantha Qureshey and the Cornell defense locked down the clean sheet. Qureshey made three first-half saves before the Explorers were held without a shot attempt over the final 67 minutes.

The Big Red returned to action on Sunday, battling to a 1-1 draw against Kent State, highlighted by junior midfielder Brooke Brown's first career goal. After the Golden Flashes struck early in the 10th minute, Cornell controlled much of the match and finally broke through in the 63rd when Brown intercepted a back pass and chipped into an open net. Despite late chances generated by Cornell, Kent State goalkeeper Leah Shaffer made nine saves to preserve the draw.

Qureshey once again stood strong in net for Cornell, matching her season high with four saves to help the Big Red remain unbeaten through its first four matches for the 10th time in program history.

STARTING STRONG
Cornell is unbeaten through four matches for the 10th time in program history (1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2019, 2023, 2025).

A result at Delaware on Thursday would mark the Big Red's eighth five-match unbeaten start (1986, 1991, 1992, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2023), and its first since 2023 (2-0-3).

With a win over Delaware, Cornell would be off to its best five-match start since 2019, when it began the season with a 4-1-0 record.

Avoiding defeat in both contests this weekend would mark Cornell's sixth time not having a loss through its first six matches (1986, 1991, 2005, 2015, 2023).

Wins over Delaware and Syracuse would give Cornell its best six-match start since 2015, when it also began with a 4-0-2 record.

FRESHMAN IN FOCUS
Freshman goalkeeper Samantha Qureshey has made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season. By starting the season opener match at Boston College on Aug. 22, she became just the eighth true freshman in program history to start in goal, joining a group that includes Lisa Brigham (1982), Kate Thompson (1983), Kate Alexander (1992), Katie Thomas (2001), Jodi Palmer (2007), Nicole Shulman (2019), and Erica Fox (2021).

Qureshey's clean sheet against the Eagles placed her among a selective group, becoming only the fifth Cornell freshman goalkeeper to post a shutout in a season opener, alongisde Thompson (1983), Alexander (1992), Thomas (2001), and Fox (2021).

Qureshey followed with another shutout in last Thursday's win over La Salle, making her the ninth true freshman goalkeeper in program history with multiple solo clean sheets, and the first since Kelsey Tierney (2 in 2013).

One more shutout would make Qureshey just the fifth Cornell rookie to post three or more in a season, joining Brigham (3 in 1982), Thompson (9 in 1983), Sherrie Chocola (5 in 1984), and Alexander (6 in 1992), Thomas (2 in 2001), Taylor Hendren (2 in 2005), Palmer (2 in 2007), Kelsey Tierney (2 in 2013).

Through four matches, Qureshey owns a 0.50 goals-against average, ranking among just five freshmen nationally with a sub-0.50 mark this season. She is joined by Michigan State's Kennedy Zorn (0.29), Stanford's Caroline Birkel (0.33), Georgia's Hannah Folliard (0.41), and Abilene Christian's Bella Medrano (0.44).

TOP FRESHMEN GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGES
This Season (through 9/1/25)
• 0.29, Kennedy Zorn, Michigan State
• 0.33, Caroline Birkel, Stanford
• 0.41, Hannah Folliard, Georgia
• 0.44, Bella Medrano, Abilene Christian
• 0.50, Samantha Qureshey, Cornell
• 0.55, Khadijah Cisse, Kentucky

Qureshey's .875 save percentage is tied for third among Division I freshman goalkeepers, alongside Zorn and Niagara's Julia Poissant, trailing only Bellarmine's Anna Jenkins (.917) and Medrano (.909).

TOP FRESHMEN SAVE PERCENTAGES
This Season (through 9/1/25)
• .917, Anna Jenkins, Bellarmine
• .909, Bell Medrano, Abilene Christian
• .875, Julia Poissant, Niagara
• .875, Samantha Qureshey, Cornell
• .875, Kennedy Zorn, Michigan State
• .864, Aubrey Haesche, Holy Cross

NO 'L' IN BIG RED
Following Monday's matches, Cornell is one of just three unbeaten Ivy League teams — and one of only 45 Division I programs nationally — still without a loss this season, joining Dartmouth and Penn, both with 2-0-1 records.

The Ivy League is one of only five conferences nationally with at least three unbeaten programs, while standing as the sole non-Power Four conference to reach that mark, alongside the Big 12, ACC, SEC, and Big Ten. Among non-Power Four conferences, it is also one of five with multiple unbeaten teams, joining the Big East (Georgetown and Seton Hall), Big West (Cal Poly and Cal St. Fullerton), Mountain West (Colorado State and New Mexico), and WCC (San Diego and Seattle), who all have two unbeaten programs.

CONFERENCES WITH 3+ UNBEATEN TEAMS
This Season (through 9/1/25)
• 10, Big 12 (Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU, UCF)
• 5, ACC (Duke, Florida State, Notre Dame, Stanford, Virginia)
• 5, SEC (Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M)
• 5, Big Ten (Illinois, Nebraska, Rutgers, USC, Washington)
• 3, Ivy League (Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn)

AGAINST POWER FOUR OPPONENTS
Sunday's match at Syracuse will Cornell's second and final contest this season against a Power Four opponent. The Big Red opened the year with a scoreless draw at Boston College on Aug. 22, in Newton, Mass.

The meeting with the Orange will be Cornell's 25th match against a Power Five program (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC), with the Big Red entering with a 4-17-3 (.229) record in such contests.

This marks the second straight season in which Cornell has faced multiple Power Five opponents, with both slates featuring Syracuse and Boston College. In program history, the Big Red has played multiple Power Five foes in a single season just six times: 1990 (Duke, N.C. State), 1995 (Penn State, Maryland), 1997 (Florida, Penn State), 2000 (Colorado, Penn State), 2024 and 2025 (Syracuse, Boston College).

Cornell has enjoyed recent success against Power Five opposition, earning victories in each of the past two seasons with home wins over Syracuse (1-0 in 2023, 2-1 in 2024). The Big Red is 2-2-2 over its last six matches against Power Five programs, dating back to 2021.

SCOUTING DELAWARE
Delaware (5-0-1), off to its best start in nearly two decades, welcomes Cornell to Stuart and Suzanne Grant Stadium on Thursday evening to begin a four-match homestand.

The Fightin' Blue Hens enters Thursday's contest averaging 2.17 goals per match, which includes scoring multiple goals in four of its first six matches. Maggie Groh, who has nine points (three goals, three assists), and is tied with Lilli Lubic for the team lead in goals (three). Brooke Vogel, Adiat Olaogun-Dickson, and Taisiya Reid have added two goals apiece.

In goal, freshman Sophia Hall has played every minute this season, posting a 5-0-1 record with a 0.83 goals-against average and .808 save percentage. Hall has already recorded three clean sheets this season, blanking George Mason (Aug. 21), Navy (Aug. 24), and UMBC (Aug. 31).

SCOUTING SYRACUSE
Syracuse (3-1-2) enters this week's slate riding a four-match unbeaten streak, including draws  in its last two matches against Quinnipiac (1-1 on Aug. 28) and Princeton (0-0 on Aug. 31).

Despite being held scoreless by Princeton, the Orange are averaging 2.33 goals per game, highlighted by a five-goal season opener against Charleston Southern (Aug. 15), followed by four goals versus Canisius (Aug. 21) and three against Holy Cross (Aug. 24).

Ashley Rauch leads Syracuse with three assists and 11 points and is tied with Mia Klammer for the team lead in goals (four). Rauch and Klammer are two of seven players who have scored for the Orange this season and two of three players with multiple goals, joined by Maya McDermott (two).

In goal, Shea Vanderbosch has played 495 minutes, posting a 3-1-2 record with a 0.73 goals-against average and .846 save percentage. Vanderbosch has 2.5 clean sheets, including a split shutout of Charleston Southern (Aug. 15).