Sept. 6, 2011

Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. - Blake Fink found the net for the second time this season, and Graham Heydt made five saves - including two in overtime - as the Lafayette men's soccer team battled to a 1-1 draw at Cornell on Wednesday night.

With the 110-minute stalemate, the Leopards move to 1-1-1 on the season. Cornell remains winless at 0-1-1.

Fink's second goal of the young campaign came in the 69th minute when he buried a cross from Wayne Maminski to give the Leopards a 1-0 advantage. Cornell tied the score less than three minutes later on an unassisted tally from Daniel Haber, and the 1-1 lead held up for the remainder of the match.

Big Red was the aggressor offensively with a 24-7 advantage in shots and a 6-3 edge in shots on goal. Heydt made five saves minding the Leopards' net to move to 0-1-1. Rick Pflasterer made two stops in goal for Cornell.

Most of the action in the first half was in the middle third of the field, as the Leopards and Big Red combined for just eight shots. The only shot on target came off the foot of Cornell's Scott Caldwell in the seventh minute and was corralled by Heydt to maintain the scoreless draw. Two shots from Fink and an attempt by Chandler Fraser-Pauls accounted for Lafayette's three shots.

Heydt was tested early in the second half as well, stoning Nico Nissi in the 49th minute. With their goalkeeper keeping Big Red in check, the Leopards' offense broke through when Maminski found Fink to give a 1-0 lead to the Maroon and White.

Haber knotted the score at 71:00, just 55 seconds after checking into the game, as he used his fresh legs to dribble through the Lafayette defense and bury a strike in the top corner of the net for the equalizing goal.

The deadlock held up for the remainder of the contest, as Heydt made two stops and Pflasterer made one in extra time to preserve the 1-1 score.

Lafayette returns to the pitch this weekend for the Lafayette Puma Soccer Classic. The Leopards will host Mount St. Mary's on Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. and La Salle on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 2:30 p.m.