ITHACA, N.Y.--All's Fair in love, war and Ithaca, N.Y.

Tory Fair scored the game's only goal to lift the Harvard women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Cornell here at Alumni Field Saturday. Fourteen minutes into the contest, Fair headed in a cross from freshman Sharon Olken on the left side.

"I was wide open," Fair said. "Sharon crossed it to me, and it was perfect. It felt good."

Fair's goal was all junior goalie Beth Reilly needed to guarantee a shutout. Reilly rose to the challenge late in the second half as Cornell furiously attempted to tie the game.

In the waning minutes, the Big Red played with reckless abandon. Twice, Reilly thwarted Cornell attempts to protect the one-goal margin.

With 10 minutes to play, freshman Amy Snow lifted a high shot that was headed for the goal. Reilly leapt and was able to bat the ball over the net. Two minutes later, Jennifer Smith launched a shot that Reilly had to smack away from the goal area.

"Because of my height, the opposition thinks it can get the ball over my head," Reilly said. "I work on it a lot in practice, so I'm glad it paid off."

Cornell came out charging in the first half, controlling the ball for most of the first 10 minutes of the contest. The Crimson then picked up the tempo and was able to take the early lead on Fair's header.

Three minutes after Fair's goal, Olken lifted a corner kick from the right side. But the junior's attempted header for her second goal of the game hit the top post and sailed out.

The Big Red was unable to generate many offensive opportunities against the frugal Harvard defense. Cornell's best chances were thwarted by the acrobatic antics of Reilly.

"We had our chances to put the game away," Cornell Coach Randy May said. "Harvard hung on, though. Reilly kept them in the match."

With five minutes left, Cornell continued its desperate attempts. Sophomore Cindy "With a Dime To" Spera booted a long shot that Reilly stopped on one hop.

Junior Sue Carls then broke up consecutive Big Red attempts with under three minutes to play to help ice the victory.

"We knew we had to win," junior Tara Weinstock said. "It was a huge game. Everyone's in the race. No one has a perfect record."

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