BOX SCORE | Coach McCarthy Recap | Isabel King Interview

NEW YORK - The Columbia women's soccer team got the only goal it would need in the eighth minute from Isabel King, as the Lions began Ivy League competition with a 1-0 defeat of Cornell Friday night.

Columbia wasted little time getting on the board Friday night, tallying the opening goal in the eighth minute on just its second shot of the game. Chelsea Ryan played the ball deep into the Cornell zone down the left sideline where Erin Falk corralled it. Falk immediately passed the ball towards the goal to Natalie Melo, who touched it onto King. Streaking down the middle of the box, King one-timed it into the back of goal to put Columbia up 1-0.

The Lions maintained the momentum for the majority of the opening stanza. Each team would head into the halftime intermission having taken one corner kick, but Columbia held a 6-2 edge in shots.

The second half continued to go in favor of Columbia, despite not scoring another goal. The Lions controlled the action throughout the half, often turning defense into offense and keeping the ball in the attacking zone.

Cornell would take the final shot of the game in 79th minute, an attempt that Grace Redmon would stop. Redmon made a total of four saves in the game, earning her fourth shutout of the season. Columbia has now blanked its last three opponents and sits above .500 for the first time in 2012 at 4-3. Tonight’s win marks the seventh consecutive win over Cornell and the seventh season in-a-row in which Columbia has won its Ivy League opener.

Columbia will be on the road Sunday in West Point, N.Y. for a 1 p.m. match against Army.