Rams drop tight matches in opening week

Cornell's men's soccer team fell on the short end of a pair of one-goal outcomes during a busy stretch of matches to open the 2011 season.

The Rams gave up a second-half goal in Thursday's opener, falling 1-0 on the road to Grinnell. Cornell battled Illinois College to extra time Saturday in a 2-1 overtime loss at home. The Rams were back on the road Sunday and dropped a 3-0 match against Augustana in Rock Island, Ill.

"We played well in our first three games, but are still fine-tuning team roles," Cornell second-year head coach Andres Leza said. "By the end, our legs were heavy and tired. But the point of the three-game stretch was to condition the players and work through the games to find a set starting lineup."

Solid defensive play gave the Rams a chance in the first two contests. Sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Setser made good on nine saves against Grinnell, which was able to crack Cornell's back line for the day's lone goal at the 68-minute mark.

Grinnell outshot the Rams, 22-9. Alex Beehler and Julian Peota each had two shot attempts for Cornell.

The Rams (0-3) were in control for most of the match against Illinois College. Sophomore Casey Gilbert opened the scoring with an assisted goal from Peota that gave Cornell a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.

Illinois College answered with a score at the 65-minute mark to force overtime. The Blueboys ended it on a goal eight minutes into the extra session.

Cornell held an 11-10 edge in shots, getting two attempts apiece from Gilbert, Peota and Adam Westerby. Setser had six saves.

Westerby attempted two of the team's six total shots in the loss at Augustana, which gained momentum early with two scores in the initial 22 minutes. Setser finished with 11 saves against a Viking offense that fired off 28 shots. Junior Ben Folan worked 11 scoreless minutes at keeper in relief and wound up with one save.

Coming up - Cornell takes some time off from competition before hosting Upper Iowa in a 2 p.m. kickoff Saturday, Sept. 10. The Rams visit Clarke Wednesday, Sept. 14.