Crimson Achieves National Rank, Falters in Ivy League Play

A dynasty was brewing.

After hoisting the Ivy League trophy last season, entering the NCAAs for the first time in six years, and turning heads across the nation with its solid play, the Harvard men’s soccer team was poised to position itself amongst the elite of college soccer.

The Crimson started strong, winning its first six games and outscoring opponents 12-5. Early success garnered plaudits for a team actively seeking national recognition.

But there were signs of trouble. Despite the auspicious start, Harvard was developing a propensity to leak goals late in games.

Faced with its first true challenge of the season—a West Coast road trip against perennial contender Loyola Marymount and defending national champion UC Santa Barbara—the porous backline finally gave way, as the Crimson suffered its first loss of the season to the Lions. Another late collapse in Harvard’s second fixture allowed the Gauchos to tie it up, 1-1.

Although the Crimson’s faults became increasingly apparent, it would be remiss to assume the squad was resting on underserved laurels. Harvard carried out successive annihilations of Fairfield and Cornell, outscoring the two 9-1, and seemed more than ready to face a surging No. 14 Brown.

Scoring seven of the nine goals after halftime in its two-game romp, the Crimson quickly developed a reputation as a second-half team. Despite Harvard’s sterling talent and physical prowess, its imperfections would soon come to a head.

The match against the Bears carried major Ivy League implications, and the game teetered on the brink of physical calamity with every 50-50 ball.

Despite missing a penalty kick in the first half, Harvard willed its way into overtime with sophomore Kwaku Nyamekye’s equalizer in the 83rd minute.

“[Kwaku] reads the game very well,” head coach John Kerr said. “He comes up with some unbelievable plays, and everyone in the crowd, all the coaching staff just go, ‘Wow!’”

Scrappy play continued in overtime. Brown kept its reserve. Harvard did not.

A weighted ball wafted through the air in the 95th minute—the Crimson defense grew frantic, the Bears’ offense remained stoic—and Brown’s Dylan Sheehan coolly tucked the game-winner into the net.

The setback threatened to derail a season that had limitless potential. The Crimson had sported a solid 8-1-1 record and averaged over two goals a game entering the match against Brown. The loss shocked a team that had previously been tops in the Ivy League.

The overtime loss was followed by a double-overtime draw against Holy Cross and a comeback against lowly Princeton.

The team with copious options in the attacking third was suddenly stricken with an inability to find the back of the net.

What was once seamless play quickly transformed into long-ball tactics and sloppiness in the midfield. Dartmouth marched onto Ohiri Field and ended all hope of an Ivy title with a 1-0 victory.

But November brought the Crimson back to life. After a harrowing October, the team—relieved from the pressure of defending its Ivy crown—eviscerated its next three opponents, including a 4-0 demolition of Yale, and made it into the NCAAs for the second straight year.

“We knew we had to come out and make a statement to get into the tournament,” co-captain Adam Hahn said.

Harvard began first round play as the favorites against Central Connecticut State. But the favorite label was not a good look for the Crimson in 2007, as Harvard once again collapsed under pressure, falling 3-2 to the Blue Devils.

The loss was emblematic of a season that had so much promise. A team with a dizzying array of weapons—including two All-Americans—succumbed to the pressures of fulfilling its preseason hype.

Relative to its history, 2007 was a remarkable year for Harvard. Dynasties, however, are measured not in relativity, but in absolute success. For the Crimson squad, there’s still a lot left to prove.

—Staff writer Mauricio A. Cruz can be reached at cruz2@fas.harvard.edu.