Cornell forward Alex Harris scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Big Red to a 4-2 victory over Canisius in collegiate men’s soccer action Saturday at the Demske Field Complex.
With the win, the Cornell improved to 2-1-0 on the season while the Golden Griffins slipped to 1-3-1.
Game Recap:
The Canisius defense held strong against the aggressive Big Red attack in the early minutes before Harris tapped in a rebound off Griffs keeper Jack Petrie in the 21st minute.
Harris found the back of the net for a second time less than five minutes later, as Big Red defender Kisa Kiingi headed a corner kick to Harris, who deposited the ball into the Canisius goal to make it a two-goal game.
Cornell added to its lead in the final minute before the break as Harris took a shot that rebounded to forward Adam Schaban, who put home the loose ball to give the Big Red a 3-0 cushion heading into the halftime break.
Cornell opened the second half with another goal, using two quick passes from Conner Drought and Conner Miller to give Matthew Goncalves the shot and goal in the 53rd minute.
Canisius got on the board in the 66th minute as defender Josh Miller was able to streak up the field and receive a through ball from midfielder Kyle Pollard. Miller evaded the Cornell defenders and slid the ball under Cornell keeper Ryan Friedberg put the Griffs down 4-1.
In the 80th minute, an attempt off the foot of junior Ely Sidibe rebounded to sophomore midfielder Michael Switala, who punched in his third goal of the season to put the Griffs down, 4-2.
Canisius was unable to make further progress after Switala’s goal, allowing the Big Red to finish off the two-goal triumph.
Petrie made five saves throughout the contest, while Friedberg made three saves between the pipes for the visitors.
Game Notes:
•All three of Switala’s goals this season have come in the last two games, scoring once against Cornell and scoring twice last Monday against Central Connecticut State. He now leads the team in scoring this season
• Petrie has recorded five-or-more saves in three of his first four collegiate starts as the Canisius keeper
• Morris’ goal for the Griffs was his second career tally and his third point of the season. He also tallied an assist in the season opener against St. Francis (Pa) on Aug. 24.
•Cornell out-shot Canisius by a 20-8 margin, highlighted by a 9-4 margin in shots on goal and 6-4 edge in corner kicks taken.
Up Next:
Canisius returns to the Demske Sports Complex for their next opponent, welcoming in-state rival Binghamton to Buffalo Sept. 13. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. kickoff.
