March 2, 2003
Ithaca, N.Y. – The ninth-ranked Cornell Big Red scored nine unanswered goals to snap a 4-4 tie on the way to a 13-5 win over the seventh-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sunday afternoon at Berman Field.
Lindsay Steinberg and Sarah Fischer had four goals each for the Big Red and Sarah Averson added three as Cornell wins its season opener to go to 1-0 on the season. For the Irish (0-1), the loss marked the first time in the program’s seven-year history that Notre Dame dropped its season opener.
The Irish got two goals and an assist from senior midfielder Danielle Shearer (Hampstead, Md.) while junior Meredith Simon (Flemington, N.J.) collected a goal and two assists. Senior Eleanor Weille (Garden City, N.Y.) and freshman Mary McGrath (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) had single goals for the Irish.
Simon, who had 28 goals as a sophomore, opened the scoring for Notre Dame. She scored her first of the season at 23:19 of the first half. Steinberg answered back for Cornell getting her first of four at 22:22. Fischer gave Cornell its first lead of the afternoon when she scored at 17:38.
That lead lasted close to five minutes when Simon set up McGrath for her first collegiate goal at 12:57 to even the game at 2-2.
The Big Red made it a 4-2 game on goals by Averson (12:16) and Kate Hirschfield (free-position goal at 11:05) but the Irish answered back on goals by Shearer and Weille to tie the game at 4-4 with 4:53 left in the first half. From there it was all Cornell.
Steinberg gave Cornell a 5-4 lead going into halftime when she got her second of the game with just 49 seconds left in the opening half.
Cornell then ran off eight straight second-half goals to build a 13-4 lead. Steinberg scored the first two goals of the half to make it 7-4 with 20:24 left in the game. Averson added two goals and Fischer had three while Jaime Quinn got her first goal of the game in the eight-goal run for the Big Red.
Shearer closed out the scoring for Notre Dame with her second goal of the game with just four seconds left in the game for the 13-5 final score.
On the afternoon, Cornell outshot the Irish by a 34-26 margin. Jen White made 11 saves for Notre Dame while Ashley Charron had eight stops for the Big Red.
Notre Dame will return to action next Sunday, March 9 when the Irish travel to Providence, R.I., for their first-ever meeting with the Brown University Bears. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.
Game Summary
First-Half Scoring
Team Time Score Goal AssistND 23:19 1-0 Meredith Simon Danielle ShearerCU 22:22 1-1 Lindsay SteinbergCU 17:38 1-2 Sarah Fischer Jaime QuinnND 12:57 2-2 Mary McGrath Meredith SimonCU 12:16 2-3 Sarah AversonCU 11:05 2-4 * Kate HirschfieldND 9:33 3-4 Danielle ShearerND 4:53 4-4 Eleanor WeilleCU 0:49 4-5 Lindsay Steinberg - 2 Katie Lavin
Second-Half ScoringTeam Time Score Goal AssistCU 29:47 4-6 Lindsay Steinberg - 3 Katie Lavin - 2CU 20:24 4-7 Lindsay Steinberg - 4 Julia HugheyCU 14:29 4-8 Sarah Averson - 2CU 13:12 4-9 Jaime Quinn Kristen SmithCU 11:52 4-10 Sarah Fischer - 2 Kate HirschfieldCU 3:22 4-11 Sarah Averson - 3CU 1:23 4-12 Sarah Fischer - 3 Kate Hirschfield - 2CU 0:16 4-13 Sarah Fischer - 4ND 0:04 5-13 Danielle Shearer - 2 Meredith Simon - 2
* indicates free position goal
Scoring: 1st 2nd FinalNotre Dame (0-1) 4 1 5Cornell (1-0) 5 8 13
GoalkeepersND: Jen White, (60:00 min., 13 goals, 11 saves)CU: Ashley Charron (60:00 min., 5 goals against, 8 saves)
Shots on GoalND 26CU 30
Free Position ShotsND 0CU 4
Ground BallsND 27CU 41
Draw ControlsND 12CU 8
Turnovers/Caused TurnoversND 21/11OSU 11/21