Ripmaster Leads No. 11 W. Soccer Past Cornell

ITHACA, N.Y.—The days when the Harvard women’s soccer team struggled to score on corner kicks are now a distant memory.

Led by junior midfielder Orly Ripmaster, who set up two goals on corner kicks and scored once herself, the No. 11 Crimson (7-1, 3-0 Ivy) defeated struggling Cornell (2-5-2, 1-2) 3-0 on Saturday to push its winning streak to seven games. Harvard has allowed just one goal—on a penalty kick—over that stretch.

Harvard already has five corner kick goals this season, including two from freshman back Liza Barber. She scored Harvard’s third goal on Saturday early in the second half when she headed an Orly Ripmaster serve into the right corner of the net from several yards out.

“After Liza’s goal, the linesman comes up and goes, ‘That should have been on ESPN,’” said Harvard Coach Tim Wheaton. “It was a sweet, great header.”

Barber also set up Harvard’s first Ivy goal of the season against Brown by heading a corner to co-captain Caitlin Costello. She also scored the double overtime game-winner off a Ripmaster serve against then-No. 17 Marquette.

“This one was a little cleaner [than the Marquette goal] because she up and powered it,” Wheaton said.

Ripmaster set up the Crimson’s first goal on its first corner kick just eight minutes into the contest. Aiming for Barber at the far post, she found junior forward Joey Yenne there instead. The ball was deflected several yards outside the goal to Totman. She gathered the ball and sent it high over Big Red freshman keeper Katie Thomas, off the crossbar and into the net.

“They work hard off the ball and they’re very aggressive because they know that in order to take advantage of those situations you’ve got to go after the ball,” Wheaton said. “We just found a hole [on the first goal].”

The Crimson has now scored half of its 18 goals this season off of free kicks or corner kicks. Last season its inability to score on set pieces was a major difference in its games against top ten teams. Harvard’s 1-0 defeat against then-No. 6 Penn State came on a direct kick, and both goals in its NCAA Sweet 16 defeat at No. 1 Notre Dame came on corner kicks.

Now Harvard may have an attack that can beat such high-caliber teams.

“I feel that with our corners, Liza’s such a power in the air, if we can find her, we can score,” said Ripmaster, who has two goals and a team-best five assists on the season.

I think we’re good in the air, and we have people who can serve good balls,” Wheaton added. “We take pride in that part of the game. We want to get a set piece goal every game if we can, and we’re pretty much averaging that.”

Ripmaster scored Harvard’s second goal four minutes after setting up the first. After controlling a through ball on the right side from sophomore midfielder Katie Westfall, Ripmaster comfortably pushed the ball past Thomas, who had come out of the net to challenge her.

Westfall, whose six goals last season were second on the team only to Yenne’s 11, has yet to score this year outside of a penalty kick in the season opener. She had a golden chance to break that drought on a setup deep in the box, but with little time to react, she powered the ball straight into Thomas’ hands.

“[Westfall] is a little snakebitten,” Wheaton said. “Even if she might not be getting goals, she’s running our offense for us, and she’s a great, great player.”

Co-captain Colleen Moore, who logged her highest minute total since tearing her ACL late last season, almost scored the first goal of her comeback. After a shot from Yenne deflected off the crossbar, sophomore back Lauren Cozzolino served the ball off Moore’s head into the net in dazzling fashion. The play was originally tabbed as a score, but the officials ruled it was offsides following several minutes of discussion.

“I was so upset when that goal was taken back, because that would have been such a great goal for her to get back into the season,” Ripmaster said. “She’s just progressing so well. Her speed is totally back and her leadership is great, so we’re excited to have her back on the field.”

The Big Red could not match the Crimson’s firepower. On the few occasions when Cornell made a run downfield, its forwards could not beat Barber or Cozzolino one-on-one. Whenever they controlled the ball within shooting range, they typically missed the net. When they actually got the ball on net, their shots were no match for junior goalkeeper Cheryl Gunther.

Senior goalkeeper Robyn Scatena came in late in the second half and was forced to make as many saves—three—as Gunther had during her time in net, including a Cornell scoring bid with thirty seconds left which had the potential to spoil Harvard’s sixth shutout in eight games this season.

“Today is one of those days where we’re most proud of everybody playing,” Wheaton said. “Robyn Scatena, a senior, gets in and does a great job. It’s not like she goes in and just stands there, she had to make a big save. Meghan O’Brien steps up, did a great job, almost got an assist. That’s the depth of our roster and how strong we are.”

Harvard will next be in action when it hosts regionally-ranked Boston University on Wednesday. It will be the Crimson’s final tune-up before it hosts once-nationally-ranked Princeton.

The Crimson is 8-0 against the Tigers since 1993 and 9-0-1 all-time against the Terriers.