No. 20 Cornell men’s soccer opened its College Cup run with a dominant 4-0 win over Lafayette on Thursday night at Berman Field, securing a spot in the tournament’s second round for the second consecutive year. The Big Red will now head to Connecticut to face UConn on Sunday.
Cornell’s attack clicked early and often, using its pace to put the Leopards under pressure from the opening whistle. Sergio Zapata opened the scoring in the seventh minute, finishing a setup from Dominik Kolbl to give the Big Red immediate control. After carrying a 1-0 lead into halftime, Cornell doubled its advantage in the 51st minute when Connor Miller converted on a chance created by Westin Carnevale.
The Big Red pulled away for good with a pair of goals from Adam Schaban. The forward struck in the 57th and 68th minutes, with Miller assisting on the final tally, to cap a clinical offensive performance. Cornell outshot Lafayette heavily and consistently generated high-quality looks in the attacking third.
Goalkeeper Ryan Friedberg recorded his 10th shutout of the season, anchoring a defensive group that limited the Leopards’ chances throughout the match. Lafayette goalkeeper Eric Axtman made six saves but was unable to slow Cornell’s momentum, while the visitors registered a team save in the second half.
Cornell now turns its attention to Sunday’s matchup against Big East runner-up UConn at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium, with kickoff slated for 2 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].