Columbia
Cornell
Women’s Soccer Looks to Keep Rolling Against Cornell
10/9/2026 3:15:00 PM | Women's Soccer
The Lions will be celebrating their 40th anniversary and honoring Rocco B. Commisso all weekend long
TRIBUTE TO COMMISSO
Throughout the weekend, Columbia women's soccer will continue to honor the memory of Rocco B. Commisso '71SEAS '75BUS.
In addition to the commemorative patch featuring his initials, "RBC," on their kits that they have worn throughout the year, the Lions will be wearing special Commisso warm-up t-shirts prior to the game.
Commisso, who passed away on Jan. 16, 2026, at age 76, was a standout Columbia men's soccer player, longtime supporter of Columbia Athletics and accomplished business leader.
A three-year All-Ivy League honoree as both a defensive and offensive player, he helped lead the Lions to winning records in each of his four seasons. As co-captain of the 1970 team, he helped guide Columbia to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Commisso went on to become a successful entrepreneur, founding Mediacom Communications in 1995 and building it into one of the nation's largest cable television providers. He remained closely connected to soccer throughout his life, including ownership roles with the New York Cosmos and Italian Serie A club ACF Fiorentina.
40TH ANNIVERSARY
Throughout the weekend, Columbia women's soccer will be celebrating its 40th anniversary as a program.
At halftime of Saturday's game, the Lions will recognize women's soccer alumnae in attendance with a special on-field ceremony celebrating the program's history.
The recognition follows Friday evening's dinner celebration, which brought together past and present members of the program to reflect on its history, honor those who helped build it, and promote reconnection with former teammates.
HOW TO FOLLOW
All Columbia home games and all Ivy League contests will be streamed via ESPN+. Saturday's game against Cornell can be found HERE.
Live stats for Saturday's game will be available via gocolumbialions.com, HERE.
Follow @CULionsWSOC on X and Instagram for live updates and results during every match.
LAST TIME OUT
Columbia earned its first Ivy League victory of the season Saturday night, shutting out Dartmouth, 2-0, at Commisso Stadium.
The Lions handed the Big Green just their second loss of the season, snapping a five-game winning streak that included five consecutive shutouts. Dartmouth entered the contest with a 7-1-2 record and had not allowed a goal since Sept. 3.
Avery Sarzana opened the scoring in the seventh minute with her first career goal, giving Columbia an early advantage. Maia Beltran doubled the lead in the 48th minute, scoring her first goal of the season off an assist from Gabby Chan.
Goalkeeper Samantha Mahoney delivered a six-save shutout, highlighted by a penalty-kick save in the 52nd minute following a VAR review. The junior was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week for her performance.
The victory improved Columbia to 2-6-3 overall and 1-1 in Ivy League play.
SCOUTING CORNELL
Cornell enters Saturday with a 4-4-2 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Ivy League play. The Big Red opened conference action with a 1-0 victory over Yale before suffering a 4-1 loss at No. 24 Harvard last Saturday.
Cornell has recorded five shutouts this season, including three consecutive clean sheets before its loss to the Crimson. Emily Gibbons leads the Big Red with four goals and nine points, while Alanna Colbert has contributed two goals and two assists. First-year goalkeeper Sofia Kerrigan has been a key part of Cornell's defensive success, recording 34 saves on the year.
Last season, the Lions earned a 2-1 win over the Big Red at Berman Field in Ithaca. Columbia came back from down 1-0 and Dema Elder scored a game-winning header in the 89th minute.
ROSTER - SCHEDULE - STATS
Columbia hits the road next Saturday, Oct. 17, traveling to Philadelphia to face Penn at 1 p.m.
The Lions' full 2026 schedule can be found HERE.
For the latest on the Columbia women's soccer program, follow @CULionsWSOC on X, Instagram, Facebook at Facebook.com/ColumbiaWSoccer and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
