It was well worth the extra 11-day wait for Cornell’s men’s soccer team to complete a pivotal 1-0 victory over Midwest Conference rival Knox Sunday.
The Rams clinched a postseason berth, took over first place in the MWC and claimed their first series win over the Prairie Fire since 2004, covering a 16-match span.
Aidan Lerch’s assisted goal from Fox Wight in the 10th minute of the Oct. 11 suspended match held up as the game-winner. The teams played out the final 23 scoreless minutes on Sunday.
Cornell (6-6-4 overall, 4-1-1 MWC) is guaranteed a spot in the four-team MWC Tournament Nov. 3-4. Now the Rams will battle for positioning in a tight league race heading into the final week of the regular season.
The Rams have 13 points with showdowns ahead against contenders Illinois College (11 points) Wednesday and Lake Forest (12 points) Saturday. Beloit is also in the hunt with 11 points.
Sunday’s match resumed with Knox (6-5-3 overall, 2-2-3 MWC) down one field player. Cornell’s defense held strong for its fifth shutout of the season.
Goalkeeper Floris Huiskers was credited with his 11th complete game of the season and finished with four saves.
Lerch’s decisive goal was his team-high eighth of the season. The Rams fired 19 shots in the match, five coming from George Archer. Wight had four attempts, all on goal.
Earlier in the week, the Rams won a draw against Grinnell.
Coach Nate Grosse’s Rams remained in strong title contention at 3-1-1 in a congested MWC race with three matches remaining.
Cornell is tied with Illinois College for second place with 10 points, one behind league-leading Lake Forest. Monmouth, Beloit and Knox are chasing with eight points apiece.
Huiskers came through with five saves, including a clutch diving stop of a Grinnell penalty kick shortly after intermission in the 56th minute that kept the match scoreless. The sophomore goalkeeper has surrendered only one goal since Sept. 17, a stretch that covers more than 500 minutes of field time.
Cornell’s defense held strong throughout against the Pioneers (6-4-5 overall, 1-2-2 MWC), who put up 19 total shots. The Rams also had their chances, firing six of their 10 shots in the second half.
First-year Fox Wight had two shots on goal and three total attempts for the Rams. Aidan Lerch also finished with three shots.