Cornell's women's soccer team was eliminated from Ivy League Tournament contention Saturday after a 4-0 loss at Brown, which scored three times before halftime.
Angelina Vargas scored twice in the opening 24 minutes at Stevenson-Pincince Field in Providence, Rhode Island. Cornell fell to 5-7-3 overall and 1-4-1 in the Ivy League, while Brown improved to 10-3-2 and 4-1-1, according to Cornell's recap.
Brown takes control in the first half
The Bears outshot Cornell 13-0 before halftime and earned five corner kicks to the Big Red's one. Freshman goalkeeper Sofia Kerrigan stopped Corine Gregory in the opening minute and Kyra Treanor in the fifth to keep the game scoreless early.
Vargas broke through at 16:01, assisted by Joy Okonye and Gregory. Gregory set up Vargas again at 23:15 for her eighth goal of the season. The opening goal was Vargas' team-leading fourth game-winner this year.
Kerrigan denied Gregory in the 29th minute and Anya Tansil in the 30th and 32nd minutes. Brown substitute Naomi Nnewihe then scored her first goal of the season at 41:28, assisted by Claire Silverman, to make it 3-0.
It was Cornell's first halftime deficit of the season after leading or being tied at the break in each of its first 14 matches.
"We lost the game in the first half through moments of both individual and collective hesitation and indecision, and against an offense like Brown, you cannot afford to do that," coach Rob Ferguson said.
Big Red manage five shots after the break
Gregory made it 4-0 at 61:53 off an assist from Maja Cenanovic. She finished with a goal, two assists and a game-high six shots.
Cornell's first shot came in the 67th minute, when Alanna Colbert sent an attempt off a corner kick over the crossbar. Emily Gibbons forced a save from Addison Etter in the 75th minute for the Big Red's only shot on goal. Lauren DiPierri had two attempts off the bench, and Ava Jung added one.
"I thought individually there were some good performances today, especially in the second half when we arrived on time, executed the plan and passed the ball with intention and quality," Ferguson said.
Brown earned four corner kicks in a three-minute stretch late in the match. Kerrigan turned away Jael-Marie Guy's shot toward the top-left corner in the 81st minute.
The Bears finished with a 23-5 advantage in shots, a 10-1 edge in shots on goal and a 9-2 lead in corner kicks. Kerrigan matched her season high with six saves, five in the first half.
Etter made one save in 80 minutes before Charlotte Banbury played the final nine-plus minutes to complete the combined shutout. Brown improved to 9-0 at home.
Cornell closes its season against Dartmouth at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Berman Field in Ithaca. ESPN+ will stream the match.
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