Women's Soccer Starts Season on Right Foot

The women's soccer team began its 2002 campaign with a 1-0 shutout win at Stony Brook (0-3). Junior Emily Knight found the back of the net in 75th minute for the Red (1-0, 0-0 Ivy), beating out Stony Brook freshman keeper Cindy Bennett. Freshman Shannon Fraser assisted on the play.

The goal ended the 0-0 tie that had frustrated both teams for most of the game.

The booters had some close scoring chances in the first half, but were unable to convert against the Seawolves. For the first 20 minutes of the second half, neither team mustered a big offensive effort.

"The team hung in there and kept battling," said head coach Berhane Andeberhan. "They found their game [in the latter part of the second half]."

The slow start might have been attributed to Cornell's game-readiness. Stony Brook had two regular season games under its belt; the Red had none.

In the second half, the Red outshot the Seawolves 7-2, with senior co-captain Sarah Olsen recording three shots and sophomore Natalie Dew tallying two.

The Red's defense played a strong game, limiting Stony Brook to only five shots. Sophomore keeper Katie Thomas was solid between the pipes, earning her fourth career shutout.

"Thomas wasn't challenged a lot. There were one or two dangerous situations, and she read them well. She kept the team balanced," Andeberhan said.

This year's win avenged last year's tie against the Seawolves in Ithaca when a late Stony Brook goal resulted in a 1-1 deadlock at Berman Field.

Coming Up

The Red looks to improve on its 2001 record of 4-8-3. With seven freshmen and three transfers, this year's recruiting class will add a lot of depth to the roster.

Next weekend, Cornell starts its Ivy campaign against Columbia in New York City. The Lions bested the Red last year at Berman Field, 1-0. The booters then travel to Hamilton, N.Y. for a midweek battle against Colgate on Sept. 18 before facing Penn on Sept. 21 for the first home game of the season.