Ithaca, N.Y., Oct. 6--The Crimson soccer team started off its eighth Ivy season with a solid 4-2 victory over Cornell today.

Center forward Chris Ohiri wasted no time in his assault on the Ivy scoring record. He booted all four Harvard tallies, and needs only four more to tie the record.

As a nasty drizzle beat down on muddy Alumni Field here, both sides struggled to control the ball in the ankle-deep mire. Cornell moved to the offensive and barely missed scoring several times in the first quarter. Crimson fullback Lou Williams repeatedly showed up in the nick of time to steal the ball and clear it.

Finally, at 6:15 of the second quarter, the Crimson broke the deadlock with a neat piece of headwork. Sam Rodd caught a slow blooper on his forehead and relayed it to Ohiri. Chris lunged forward and headed the ball into the goal.

The Crimson got its second score early in the second half on a penalty shot. Ohiri dug the ball out of the mud and sent a hard grounder past goalie Stan Chodorow to put the team ahead 2 to 0.

Ohiri wasn't finished yet, and late in the third quarter he put on his own little demonstration of force. Left wing Mike Kramer fired a ball at the Cornell goal. A Big Red defender intercepted it and sent the ball rolling back to Ohiri. Chris had his back turned to the goal, and as soon as he received the ball, was charged from all sides. He whirled around to his left, and in a stand-still position, let go with a boot that must have come near to tearing the nets off. Three nothing.

Cornell then turned its own Africans on the Crimson. Sophomores Felise Mucoco and Olasupo Ladipo connected to bring the score to 3-2.

Crimson coach Bruce Munro began to worry that the Big Red's "long-kick" strategy might beat him. A few minutes later Cornell almost tied it up. Ladipo picked up a long feed and rushed unguarded toward the goal. He shot, and Crimson goalie Wally Whitney leaped just enough to fist the ball out of bounds. Cornell never had a chance again, and with minutes remaining, Kramer crossed to Ohiri, who dribbled the ball into the Big Red goal.

Although Ohiri monopolized the scoring, John Thorndike, Sam Rodd, Eb Kluflo, Al Chang, and Kramer all got off some good boots. But Cornell pressed all the time, and it was only the strong defensive play of Williams and captain Tony Davies that kept Harvard on top.