The Ithaca Journal from Ithaca, New York • 11

ROUGH DAY The Bills miss a chance to win in Live sports scores on your cell phone Send a text message to 44636 (4INF0) with SPORTS, then select your team (Cornell, Yanks, Mets) overtime, then lose to the Chiefs as time expires. The Jets, meanwhile, get shut out in a loss to the Packers. NFL: 6B Sports Editor Brian Delaney 1 274-9214 1 bdelaneyithacajournal.com THE ITHACA JOURNAL ithacajournal.com Monday, November 1, 2010 IB CU's frightful defense leads to 0-2 start Sports JO wu m- urn' "Wt Changes loom after RIT skates to 5-3 victory PHOTO GALLERY More photos of fi Cornell's game against RIT: ithacajournal.com first two games of the season. It wasn't even until the sixth game last sea-sonthattheBigRed hadfishedthepuck out of its own net for the 12th time. But while it was abundantly clear before to those around the program that this is a RIT 5 Cornell 3 Summary 2B By Brandon Thomas blthomasgannett.com Staff Writer ITHACA It was just the night before Halloween, but the Cornell men's hockey team's defense still looked pretty frightening Saturday.

Much like New Hampshire did the night before, RIT came into Ly-nah Rink and never trailed, eventually pulling away for a 5-3 victory over the 14th-ranked Big Red which may slide completely out of the polls this week. A porous defense can certainly be blamed. This weekend marked the first time in modern program history, which began in 1957-58, that Cornell has surrendered 12 goals in its Cornell coach Mike Schafer said. "We talked about this as an opportunity for a lot of upperclassmen, a lot of seniors and juniors, to step forward and there's very limited time left for them to play solid and play well night in, night out" different era, it's now plain as day for anyone to see. Understandably, the recourse may be swift.

"There are some very similar things that certain guys really need to start picking up their play (on)," DAVE BURBANK Contributed Photo Cornell's Dustin Mowrey and RIT's Scott Knowles race for the puck HOCKEY Page 4B day night at Lynah Rink. Cornell lost, 5-3. COLLEGE FOOTBALL oilfd 6J Mil Fenton's interception seals victory vs. Princeton IC seals 40th straight winning season Bombers' defense forces 7 turnovers AH By Brandon Thomas blthomasgannett.com Staff Writer ITHACA On paper, it was a mismatch. Princeton wide receiver Trey Peacock stands 6 feet, 3 inches and 210 pounds.

On the other side of the line was 5-foot-9, 171-pound Cornell cornerback Emani The Big Red was on the verge of blowing its first 15-point lead of the season. Princeton had already scored two touch vA By Harlan Green-Taub Correspondent ITHACA For the Ithaca College football team's seniors, Saturday's game against Utica College carried a little extra weight. It was the last time they would suit up to play at Butterfield Stadium, and a win would solidi downs in the fourth quarter to cut its deficit to two points, and was now lining up from the Cornell 24-yard line with 29 seconds remaining. "They came out in man coverage, and we had (Peacock) lined Cornell 21 Princeton 19 Stats 2B fy the program's 40th straight winning season. "If there is one game you want to win at the beginning of every year, it's this one," coach Mike Welch said.

The Bombers' Ithaca 30 Utica 6 Stats 2B 'Wi TtaMMiiiiiiiiiiii.il i fr-n mnimmirirm 1 R0BYNWISHNA Contributed ABOVE: Cornell's Anthony Am-brosi is brought down by Princeton's Blake demons, right, and Jon Olofsson during the first half of Saturday's game at Schoel-Ikopf Field. Cornell won, 21-19. RIGHT: Cornell's Kurt Ondash celebrates his first-half touchdown. up against a guy that I thought we had a good matchup on," Tigers coach Bob Surace said. The Tigers were on the fringe of kicker Patrick Jacob's field goal range, but they were kicking into the wind a thought compounded by watching Cornell's Brad Greenway miss from almost an identical spot a quarter earlier.

So the decision was made to go for the end zone, especially with what was deemed to be a positive matchup. Princeton quarterback Andrew Dixon lobbed a pass toward the goal line along the left sideline. "Trey's a great receiver, and last year he made the game-winning touchdown," Fenton said. "In my head, I was just tJiinking, 'Alright, we've got a score to settle It's my It sure was. Peacock, who entered the day ranked second in the nation in receiving yards per game and third in See BIG RED Page 3B defense continued its dominance, forcing Utica into seven turnovers in a 30-6 win.

Ithaca has never lost to Utica in 10 meetings. "It's emotional," senior defensive tackle Andrew Haim said. "To finish undefeated at home means a lot to us." Only seven schools, at any level of college football over 140 years of record-keeping, have recorded a winning streak of at least 40 years. Ithaca can capture a share of the Empire 8 championship with a win at Alfred on Saturday. With a win, coupled with a Springfield win over St.

John Fisher, the Bombers would qualify for the NCAA playoffs. said. "Our goal this season was to win the conference and were one win away from doing that." Haim created havoc throughout the game, breaking up three passes at the line of scrimmage. The See BOMBERS Page 3B PHOTO GALLERY More photos of Cornell's game ja against Princeton: ithacajournal.com -'I Ithaca girls repeat as STAC cross country champions Little Red boys finish second urday's race in 18:15.6, nearly 30 seconds quicker than her winning time in 2009 and 46 seconds ahead of Carroll Corning captured the boys team title with 65 points to beat runner-up Ithaca (82) in the 16-team meet, followed by Maine-Endwell (93) and Vestal (115). Ithaca's Matt Johnson won the race in 15:55.7.

"The course was muddy in spots but I had a lot of fun," he said. "It was nice to get off to a good start of a tough year for me, but I feel like things are starting to come around. It feels good to come here and push myself and help our team win." Vestal was second with 87, South-side third with 124 and Elmira Free Academy fourth with 132. Corning finished eighth and Horseheads placed 12th. Lauren Mullins of Johnson City won the girls race for third year in a row.

Her older sister, Paige, was also a three-time STAC champion. The younger Mullins finished Sat and run by yourself for most of the race. There's a lot of tough competition here so I'm thrilled with how it turned out." Ithaca's Josh Greenberg took seventh, and Ari Lewenstein eighth. "We were disappoint ed in the outcome, but Coming's a solid team," Bernstein said. "We get another shot at them on Thursday at sectionals." ON PAGE 48 Football teams knocked from playoffs.

it- coach Rich Bernstein wrote inane-mail. "Hopefully, the training we did during that time will pay off." Mary Carroll took second overall to pace the Little Red. Jackie Cornell finished seventh, Zoe MacAlear 15th and Taylor Mangino 16th. "Overall our team did really well," Carroll said. "As long as our team is winning, I don't really worry about where I finish.

It's been a little bit Staff report OWEGO ThelthacaHighgirls cross country team captured its second straight Southern Tier Athletic Conference championship on Saturday at Hickories Park with 76 points. "Considering this was the varsity's first race in three weeks, we were happy with the effort," Ithaca.