Columbia
CORNELL
Field Hockey Drops Double-Overtime Heartbreaker to Cornell
9/24/2010 5:47:00 PM | Field Hockey
NEW YORK - Cornell scored a goal with 2:23 remaining in the second overtime period to defeat Columbia 3-2 on Friday, September 24 at the Columbia Field Hockey Venue. The Lions rallied twice during the game with a pair of goals by Julia Garrison, but it was the Big Red who scored the sudden victory goal to take the dramatic win.
"Again we came out and set the tempo of the game," said head coach Marybeth Freeman. "Twice we battled back from a goal deficit. That says a lot about the intangibles and character of this team. Our defense and the play of Christie [O'Hara] kept us in contention throughout the game."
Cornell struck first 19:23 into the game. Christie O'Hara made the initial save off the corner, but a Columbia foul gave the Big Red a penalty stroke. Hannah Balleza stepped up to the line and fired a shot to the low left corner to put the visiting team on the board.
The Lions would answer that goal four minutes later on a beautifully executed corner. Hannah Smith sent the ball to Desi Scherf who then passed it left to Garrison. The senior tri-captain fired a low shot to the left corner to knot the score at 1-1.
The Big Red managed to reclaim the lead before the halftime break when Christine Hibler scored off a breakaway at 30:41to give her team a slim lead heading into the break.
The Lions were not deterred, and came out strong in the second half. The two teams battled hard for the first 20 minutes of the second period. Columbia's offense came alive and put the pressure on Cornell's defense.
The Lions finally broke through at 65:51 to once again tie the game and ultimately force the extra time. Garrison collected a loose ball off a corner and buried for her second goal of the game and sixth of the season. With her two goals, Garrison passes Melissa Macomber and moves into second in the Columbia career points list with 60.
"Julia's late goal really lit a spark for us and it was great to see the energy and control of the game swing in our direction," added Freeman.
The overtime periods were equally as intense as regulation. Both teams got their chances, but neither team capitalized in the first 15 minute period. With just 2:23 to go in the second overtime, Cornell was awarded a corner. Hannah Balleza sent a pass to Catie De Stio who beat O'Hara and claim the win.
O'Hara finished with nine saves in goal while Cornell's Alex Botte made six. The Big Red outshot the Lions 15-12 and had a 9-7 advantage in corners.
"We continue to take one game at a time and there is a lot of season left to play," said Freeman. "We're looking forward to continuing to build on the progression of our technical and tactical skills."
Columbia (4-2, 1-1 Ivy League) returns to action on Friday, October 1 when it hosts No. 4 Princeton at the Columbia Field Hockey Venue at 6 p.m. Prior to the game, the newly renovated field hockey field will be dedicated.
