M. Soccer Drops 1-0 Decision to Dartmouth

An early second-half goal scored by Dartmouth sophomore midfielder Seth Eaton propelled the Big Green to a 1-0 upset win over the Harvard men’s soccer team Saturday at Ohiri Field.

The Crimson (8-3-1, 3-1 Ivy) entered the game hoping to build off of its 0-0 tie against Fairfield last Tuesday, a game in which the Crimson dominated the top ranked team in the region. A win against the Big Green (4-6, 1-3), who had not yet won an Ivy League match this season, would have put the Crimson in an excellent position for a run at the Ivy Championship with just three conference games left on the schedule.

Dartmouth came into Saturday’s match carrying some momentum after a 1-0, double-overtime win against Boston College last Wednesday, a team that defeated the Crimson earlier in the year.

Harvard took hold of the momentum early in the match, placing dangerous crosses into the Big Green penalty area and creating some chances on goal. Dartmouth senior goalkeeper Ben Gebre-Medhin was up to the task, however, making some key saves to keep the Crimson off the board early.

Almost 10 minutes into the game, sophomore midfielder Kevin Ara took a cross from sophomore forward Ladd Fritz and ripped a one-time volley that was destined for the back of the net, but Gebre-Medhin make a diving save. On the ensuing corner kick Gebre-Medhin snagged freshman defender Jason Anderson’s driving header that was going towards the upper corner.

Long throw-ins by senior midfielder Joe Steffa provided more chances for the Crimson, but Gebre-Medhin held his line and kept Harvard off the board.

Dartmouth’s only significant chance of the first half came when senior midfielder Danny Markman fired a shot that bounced off the right post before Crimson senior goalkeeper Danny Mejias could gather it in. Mejias came up limping on the play, as he injured himself on the initial dive. Mejias finished the half, and was replaced in the second stanza by senior Brandon Renken.

It was clear after the game that Mejias’ injury was more serious than it at first appeared.

“It started to swell and it was really bother him,” Harvard Coach John Kerr said.

Mejias remained questionable for next weekend’s crucial Ivy match against Columbia.

“We’ll leave that up to the doctors,” Kerr said.

The Big Green came out strong in the second half. Less than one minute into the half, Eaton took control of a cross, cut by a Crimson defender and blasted the ball past Renken and into the right side of the net to give Dartmouth a 1-0 lead.

Both teams stepped up the physical play with some hard challenges that resulted in a couple small scrums that had to be broken up by the referee.

Play was even for the majority of the second half, but the Crimson stepped it up in the final 15 minutes. Despite the increased pressure, Dartmouth was content to sit on the 1-0 lead on the road. The Big Green packed it in defensively and resorted to clearing balls deep into Harvard’s end.

Harvard was able to send some crosses in front of the Big Green goal, but the box was stuffed with Green shirts making it hard for the Crimson to get a clear shot on net. Dartmouth’s defense preserved the shutout, earning the Big Green their first conference win of the season.

“I think we created a lot of chances, but we’re having trouble scoring

lately,” Ara said. “We couldn’t really get into a rhythm because they kept fouling. I’m proud of the way we played today, with all the injuries we have.”

Despite the loss, Harvard still controls its own destiny in the Ivy League. If it can win its last three conference games against Columbia, Pennsylvania and Brown, the Crimson is guaranteed an Ivy League title.

“Their goalkeeper had an inspiring day,” Kerr said. “He really won it for them. I think we’ll still win the Ivy League title. We’re in a position where we can take care of business ourselves. It’s in our own hands, and that’s a good position to be in.”