ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell found itself in a hole during its Tuesday-night home game against Lafayette College, but it was a hole that lasted a mere three minutes. Sophomore forward Daniel Haber gave the Big Red life with a dramatic individual effort, receiving a throw in and creating enough space to score the game-tying goal in the 72nd minute.

Haber's goal came on a throw-in by sophomore defender Jake Rinow minutes after Lafayette had taken a lead and the momentum out of the Big Red crowd. Haber got his feet on the ball near the top of the penalty box. With two quick moves, he was around his defender and had space on the right side of the box for a shot. Haber fired high into the net, and Lafayette's diving keeper was unable to get a hand on it. With the goal, Cornell managed a 1-1 tie.

Throughout the night, the Big Red (0-1-1) had outshot the Leopards (1-1-1) but could not find the finishing touch. After 20 minutes of scoreless overtime, Cornell held a 24-7 advantage in shots and a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal. After Haber's strike, the Big Red was relentless, having multiple chances to take the lead in a chippy game.

The team's two best opportunities game in the overtime periods. With about six minutes remaining in the first overtime period, Haber again had control of the ball and was streaking down the right side. Having beaten his defender, he drew Lafayette's keeper into him and created an open net. At the last second, Haber slid the ball to teammate Tyler Regan for the easy tip-in, but a Leopard defender arrived just in time to knock the ball away from the goal.

Forty seconds into the second overtime, Patrick Slogic, already on a yellow card for using his head aggressively near Lafayette's goalie, nearly got the game-winner with a header. His shot was aimed well into a gaping net, but the ball sailed just high. With just three minutes left in the game, junior Nico Nissl floated a long shot into the box that Lafayette's keeper barely got his fingers on before it sunk into the back of the net.

The two sides played an aggressive game, with constant pressuring on the ball and 17 fouls called between them. An aggressive move led to the Leopards' lone goal, as senior forward Wayne Maminski burned down the left side of the field in the 69th minute. A crossing pass went into the box and found junior Blake Fink, who promptly headed it past Big Red goalie Rick Pflasterer to break the scoreless tie.

Cornell didn't flinch, however, getting right back into the game three minutes later on Haber's goal and dominating the rest of play. One sequence near the end of the second half nearly kept the game from going to overtime. Sophomore Justin Orden had a clear shot attempt blocked in front of the net in the 87th minute, and Regan had the ball eventually land at his feet on the right side of the net. Regan shot quickly, but Lafayette's goalkeeper was in the right spot to punch the ball away.

Cornell plays next in the Mayor' Cup tournament this weekend in Oneonta, taking on Robert Morris University on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and following that with a Sunday contest against Hartwick at 3 p.m

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