Cornell women’s soccer battled through a tense second half Sunday afternoon to earn a scoreless draw against Kent State at Zoeller Field at Dix Stadium, securing another clean sheet on the road.
The Big Red moved to 2-2-2 on the season after being tested early by the Golden Flashes. Both teams finished with 14 shots and four corner kicks, but Cornell held an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal.
Freshman goalkeeper Sofia Kerrigan played a key role for Cornell, making three saves to preserve the shutout. The Big Red also survived two shots that struck the woodwork, including Allison Collins’ attempt in the 71st minute that hit the junction of the crossbar and left post.
Kent State controlled much of the opening half, recording the first four shots of the match. Kerrigan stopped Samantha Miller’s attempt just 98 seconds into the contest before Cornell gradually found its footing. Ella Koschineg registered the Big Red’s first shot in the 24th minute, while Emily Gibbons forced a leaping save from Kent State goalkeeper Leah Shaffer late in the half.
Cornell came out with greater attacking pressure after halftime, generating 10 shots and putting six on target. Brooke Brown accounted for three of those shots on goal, while the Big Red recorded seven of the eight attempts during a stretch between the 56th and 76th minutes.
Kent State created several dangerous opportunities late, but Cornell’s defense held firm. Kiyomi McCausland sent a point-blank attempt over the crossbar in the 83rd minute before Ava Todd also missed high one minute later.
The result marked Cornell’s first consecutive scoreless draws since September 2017 and its first back-to-back clean sheets since 2023. Kerrigan has recorded three shutouts in her last four matches and carries a scoreless streak of 203 minutes, 40 seconds.
Cornell returns to action Thursday, September 10, at Army. The match begins at 6 p.m. at Malek Stadium at Clinton Field.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.