The Ivy Title At Stake

Immediately after our victory at Yale we heard the news that Dartmouth had beaten Cornell.  The result set up a historic showdown at Stevenson Field.  Starting in the year of 2000, five different teams have won multiple league titles.  Brown and Dartmouth each have four since then, either sole or co.  Being new to staff, all of these facts are impressive to me.  The excitement which was building up day by day before the game was a cross between being free-falling and pure ecstasy.  The trick was to keep everyone as calm as possible until just before kick-off.  Once the whistle blows, it's out of everyone's hands and then it's time to just let the boys' play.  

It was practice as usual, keeping our weekly routine to a T.  The training sessions leading up to this match were some of the most intense and competitive sessions we had all year.  The boys' were fired up, and rightfully so, they should be.  The 2012 class had yet to win an Ivy League Title.  

It had seemed like a long season to this point, but once the team heard it was down to one game, the growing pains melted away.  The feeling that the Seniors had is something that I admittedly could not explain.  Being at Brown and a part of this team has been a fantastic experience for the past three months, but beginning to wrap my mind around their experience through four years would be impossible.  I of course had my own college experience much like others' that I'm sure you've heard, which lack comparative value to that of a member of Brown Men's Soccer.  

After a short but hard training the day before the day, the Seniors, who have compiled 46 of the team's 62 points this season, stepped in front of the squad.  One by one, each soon to be alum, vocalized their thoughts of wisdom for the next group to use in their quest as a BMS player and student.  The theme was  "enjoy it". Enjoy every aspect of it.  Don't be distracted by what could be, focus on what is.  Stay in the moment, and take advantage of the opportunity you have been given.  As we all listened, the sincerity in the voices of these eight young men was apparent.  They each had something to say, equally important to themselves and the group.  It was the type of moment that seems to never end and yet it is over in a matter of minutes.

Finally, it was the day of the day.  The seats at Stevenson were beginning to fill.  Students had grouped together in the small parking lot next to the field preparing to cheer on Bruno.  It was Senior and Alumni day adding to the intensity of the match.  Thoughts of this being the last game of their career rattled the Senior’s brains’, not to mention the Ivy Title at stake.  We started out the match nervous, playing conservatively weary that Dartmouth may get Lucky.  Once the first ten minutes had passed we were in a groove and the nerves seem to dissipate for the time being.  Finally, the boys’ just began to play instead of worry.  Dartmouth put up a good fight as expected.  They looked for Lucky every chance they had, one timing balls over our back line in hopes that he could run on to them.  Our defense shut the “one man show” down.  The few opportunities he had he squandered either wide of the goal or at SKS. 

Everyone was focused and we were going for the win, not the tie.  Some of our frustrations offensively could be accredited to Dartmouth’s defense.  We did have three glaring chances to score, unfortunately in those moments we could not finish. Rosa was in behind the back line, had the keeper beat, but a defender was able track back just in time to cover the net, making it difficult for him to find the open goal.  We also had several opportunities from corners and set pieces, which narrowly missed the frame or were gathered by Cohen. 

Early in the first OT, Lucky had a header off the post but the referee held his flag up for offside.  Other than a few shots from distance and acute angles, which were saved by SKS, Dartmouth did not have many opportunities to score goals. 

The game was by far the most intense 110 minutes of the season.  The 2200 at Stevenson were one with the game, hoping to see Bruno send the Big Green home and take the Ivy rings.  However, after two overtimes the game ended scoreless.  It was an eerie feeling as the crowd didn’t know what to think, neither did the players.  The waiting game began.  Columbia was at Cornell for a 7 PM kick off with plenty of Ivy scenarios possible. 

That game ended in a tie making Brown Ivy League Champions! 

It’s a fantastic feeling! 

We celebrated for the night then had our eyes set on a possible NCAA tournament birth.  Brown standing tall from the Ivy League!

A huge thank you for all of you who supported us this season and at the final game.  Thank you to the alumni who attended the get together post-game. 

Fairfield @ Brown this Thursday, kick-off on Stevenson at 7 PM.

Go Bruno.