Cornell Men's Soccer on Three-Game Win Streak After 4-0 Takedown of Binghamton
ITHACA, N.Y. – After scoring two goals two games ago and three goals in its last outing, the Cornell men's soccer team one-upped itself again on Wednesday night against Binghamton. The Big Red fired away at the visiting Bearcats, scoring a season-high four goals in a 4-0 win.
Cornell is now on a three-game winning streak for the first time since the opening of the 2007 season and is on a five-game unbeaten run. Cornell is also two games over .500 for the first time since the start of the 2007 campaign. The Big Red's 12 goals on the season is also just one shy of the entire total from 2010.
In the last three games, the Big Red has outscored its opponents 9-0, and the team has not given up a goal in 324 minutes. Rick Pflasterer got his third consecutive shutout on a night when his offense did more than enough to take the pressure off him.
Sophomore defender Patrick Slogic got the party started in the 26th minute when his height – at 6-foot-5, he's the tallest player on the team – finally paid off. Stephen Reisert hooked a corner kick into the box, and Slogic got his head onto it for his second goal of the year. It was the team's first goal of the season off a corner kick.
Reisert's night wasn't over yet. The sophomore added a goal to his assist in the 39th minute thanks to one-touch soccer from Daniel Haber and Scott Caldwell. Haber played a ball down the left side to a streaking Caldwell, who quickly crossed the ball from right to left in front of Binghamton's keeper. Reisert was on the end of the cross, flicking the ball into the net to put the Big Red up 2-0.
After halftime, Cornell didn't cool down. Senior captain Jimmy Lannon made a run into the penalty box in the 63rd minute, threatening with a shot that the Bearcats keeper was barely able to stop. But Tyler Regan came in for cleanup duties, sliding the ball into an open net after the rebound landed at his feet.
The Big Red's scoring efforts were capped in the 71st minute by freshman Matt Kagie, who earned his first college goal one game after he got his first college assist. Haber created havoc in Binghamton's area by bringing the ball into the left side of the penalty box. A quick pass back to Kagie was too much for the Bearcats defenders, and Kagie was left open to pick up the fourth goal of the night.
Wednesday night was the first time Cornell scored four goals since Sept. 2, 2007.
The defense once again played a terrific game, keeping the Bearcats grasping at the few opportunities they had. When the 90th minute had elapsed, Cornell held a stunning 24-5 advantage in shots. Slogic, Peter Chodas, Kyle Parsons and Jake Rinow all contributed on defense to keeping that margin so lopsided.
By the end of the game, Cornell was able to give first career minutes to freshman midfielder Matt Leach and also gave nine minutes to freshman goalkeeper Zach Zagorski. Zagorski's entrance meant Pflasterer left the net for the first time all season.
With this successful three-game home stretch complete, the Red head on the road to a game against St. Joseph's in Philadelphia on Friday at 7:30.
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