Women's Soccer Fails To Extend Winning Streak

Upper West Side NY

27 September, 2021

3:43 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY ADAM LANG SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 Saturday was the Lions' chance to prove the value of their preseason success, but the soccer team fell to Cornell after a disappointing and disorganized performance below the team's capability. Coming into Ivy League play, Columbia women's soccer (5-3-1, Ivy 0-1-0) was ranked 33rd in the country and third in the Ivy League behind Harvard and Princeton. The Lions went into Saturday's game against Ivy League rival Cornell (2-5-2, Ivy 1-0-0) with a five-game winning streak, hoping to begin Ivy play with continued high-level performance and perhaps even improve on their pre-pandemic record of fourth in the Ivy League. On paper, Columbia was off to a much stronger start than the Big Red. However, the Lions lost Saturday's game 1-0 on a late Cornell header. One of the factors which may have contributed to the loss was the complete transformation the Columbia women's soccer team has undergone since Ivy play was put on hold last year. Out of the 18 players who saw playing time on Saturday, only five had played an Ivy game before. While the Big Red led the historical matchup 19-15 before Saturday, it has struggled in recent seasons, going 0-7 in Ancient Eight play during the 2019 season. In that year's Ivy League opener, the Lions blanked Cornell in Ithaca, winning 2-0 on goals scored by now-senior forward Mallaika Tomar and now-sophomore forward Shira Cohen. Much of Saturday's game was defined by a messy battle for possession in the midfield. For long stretches, the ball was in the air being headed around by both teams, as neither team had any significant length of control of the ball with their feet. One of the reasons for the game's pace was the strength of Cornell goalkeeper Miranda Iannone's goal kicks and punts, which went well into Columbia's half of the field, threatening the Lions with potential sudden attacks. In comparison, the Lions' sophomore goalkeeper Paige Nurkin had a flatter kick, which was more difficult for the midfielders to handle against the aggressive Big Red. The Light Blue tried to capitalize on messy headers in the first half. As the players clashed for a high but short clearance, the ball was magically sent to sophomore forward Nata Ramirez, who sent it into the bottom left corner of the net. However, the goal was offside, and the Lions failed to get the early lead out of the chaos. Cornell's defensive organization was crucial for its win. In total, the Big Red forced the Lions' offense into seven offsides, while the Big Red offense only took one. Columbia's offense was aggressive in both halves and created many opportunities throughout the game, including eight corner kicks, seven shots, and four shots on goal. In addition, before Saturday's match, Cornell's defense appeared to be a weak point, as it had been giving up more than two goals per game on average. Nonetheless, the Light Blue could not break Cornell's defense. In the sixth minute of the game, sophomore forward Madi Pilla had a breakaway chance but missed the shot inches wide of the far-side post, and in the second half, the Light Blue's struggles continued. After receiving a brilliant through ball from first-year midfielder Sophia Cavaliere, Ramirez maneuvered past the goalkeeper but missed the shot on the open net. While the Big Red did not create as many opportunities as the Lions, it capitalized on an 82nd-minute freekick from the center circle. Cornell's midfielder Kendall Patten sent a high overhead ball into the box and midfielder Reagan Pauwels connected coming from the right side of the pitch to head the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal. Despite trying different offensive tactics in the two halves, the Lions could not find the back of the net. In the first half, Columbia's defenders and midfielders attempted some long overhead balls to attack the Big Red's backside. In the second half, the Light Blue often initiated its attack from left full back first-year defender Sam Cohn, who has big shoes to fill. In the pre-pandemic times, Columbia's legendary right full back, Amalya Johnson, CC '19, who was a three-time All-Ivy member, usually handled similar assignments. The young defender is still discovering and consolidating her role in the offense, but in this game, the old tactics were not as successful as when the graduated stalwarts were here. Aside from the offensive drought of the game, the Lions' defense kept a decent form. During its five-game pre-conference winning streak, Columbia only conceded one goal, and on Saturday, the defense did not allow any breakaway chances. Additionally, junior defender Rylee Hanna saved an almost-definite goal on the goalline in Cornell's first half corner kick. The season is still young, and the Lions have plenty of time to get back on track. They are also missing some key players currently, including their star Cohen, who led the Light Blue in points last season, and senior captain Jessica Schildkraut. Once everyone gets back onto the pitch, the Lions are targeting a promising result this year. On Saturday, Oct. 2, the Light Blue is hosting the Ivy League's defending champion, Brown (5-3, 0-0 Ivy). Kick-off is at 3 p.m. and broadcasting begins simultaneously on ESPN+. Staff writer Adam Lang can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow Spectator Sports on Twitter @CUSpecSports. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.