Men’s Soccer Looks to Beat Conference Rival Dartmouth

The Harvard men’s soccer team has emerged victorious against Ivy League rival Dartmouth just once in the past six seasons. This span, characterized by three close overtime games, has seen the Big Green (5-3-5, 3-0-1 Ivy) take home at least a share of the Ancient Eight title three times. After last season’s clash between these teams effectively solidified Dartmouth’s league title, the Crimson look to get even and take sole possession of the conference’s top spot in this weekend’s matchup.

The Crimson (8-3-2, 3-0-1), having recently concluded its non-conference play this past Tuesday with a 2-1 double-overtime win at New Hampshire, has been surging of late and finds itself tied atop the Ivy League standings with none other than its weekend foe. With just two conference games remaining after this head-to-head, these two teams are looking to make a final push at the end of the season to give themselves the edge in the Ancient Eight.

“We try not to look into the other team too much,” senior defender Alex Leondis said, “but obviously we know it’s a big Ivy League game. After last year, with them beating us and clinching [the conference] title, there’s a little bitter feeling in all of us.”

The Harvard squad has not lost a match since mid-September and is presently riding a five-game win streak. Dartmouth, on the other hand, has rebounded nicely from a rocky 1-2-5 opening half of the season by posting four wins in five games. The two teams seem to be hitting their strides at the right time, and high-quality soccer from both sides will surely converge in Hanover on Saturday afternoon.

Major contributions from underclassmen have been crucial to the Crimson’s recent outpouring of favorable results. Of particular note are sophomore forward Cesar Farias (2G, 2A) and freshman midfielders Matthew Glass (4G, 2A) and Taner Dogan (2G). Dogan, the reigning Ivy League rookie of the week, has netted goals at opportune times during Harvard’s current win streak, and Farias and Glass have been steady contributors all season.

“From freshmen to seniors, we all hold each other accountable,” Leondis said. “Recently the younger guys have been awesome…. The game plan now for the young guys is to get better each day.”

Compared to the Big Green this season, the Crimson has played an attacking, high-pressing style of soccer, as evidenced by its goals for and against numbers: Harvard’s 1.86 goals per game are no match for Dartmouth’s 1.23; conversely, its 1.30 goals against average makes the Big Green’s 0.85 GAA appear downright stingy. In short, more high-impact events tend to occur as a result of the Crimson’s pace.

“This year the freshman class has been really dynamic…. It’s taken a little bit off the shoulders of the older guys,” said Harvard junior forward Tyler Savitsky. “We’re looking to put Dartmouth under a lot of pressure, and that’s something we really pride ourselves on.”

Through 14 games this season, the Crimson has netted 26 goals—good for second in the Ivy League—in fewer shot attempts per game (11.1) than Dartmouth has needed (12.3) to tally a middling 16 scores, speaking to the efficiency of the Harvard offense. This productivity can be attributed in part to Crimson senior forward Jake Freeman, whose seven goals and 19 points place him in the upper echelon of Ancient Eight scorers, and a cast of other significant contributors including junior midfielder Christian Sady (3G, 5A) and junior defender Justin Crichlow (5A).

On the other side of the pitch, the Big Green’s offensive attack seems to rely heavily on balance, as six players have contributed similar point totals so far this season. Sophomore midfielders Noah Paravicini and Justin Donawa lead this cluster of offense-suppliers with three goals and two assists each.

Harvard has performed particularly well against Ivy League opponents this season; the lossless record speaks for itself but nevertheless is accompanied by a host of supporting statistics. Against conference foes, the Crimson’s shot percentage has jumped to .220 from its season average .167, and similarly, the team’s shot-on-goal percentage has incurred a nine-percent increase. Harvard’s augmented shots and goals per game—not to mention its sharp reduction in penalty bookings—also define this trend of Ivy League success.

“I think the biggest thing is the…commitment to fight every minute, no matter what the scoreboard says,” Leondis acknowledged. “There’s no quit, there’s no stopping in the group…. We’ve been working and fighting for each other.”