After a great Tuesday night 3-1 win at home over Boston
University, excitement was high to finally start down that Ivy road with our
first Ivy league game against Columbia. Wednesday brought new faces as Alex
rejoined the squad under the pseudo-name “Jason, Masked man Markes.”
Fortunately that name did not stick but he was happy to be back. After two days
of tough practice and a Friday practice that saw Otis Booz win manager of the
year in one-touch game for his half-time coaching genius/questionable decisions
(sorry Nuss) we were on the Bus with our Hope Street Chick veggies and Chick
Parms and off to New York.
The hotel was short and by the time Jason Pesek and Will Cross
figured out who would be sleeping on the couch for the night we were already in
our pregame gear headed to Columbia. It was a hot, steamy, and windless day in
the Bronx and coupled with the no fan/AC locker room the team was already
sweating before heading out. Being reminded to constantly drink water we warmed
up to the usual away game mix of lack-luster pregame songs. After suiting
up in our jerseys, standing through opening ceremonies, and applauding for a
Brown team with “Head Coach Patrick Laughlin assisted by Andrew Biggs and Ben
Maurey” we were ready to go.
First half started off well with both teams moving the ball,
attacking, and fouling. Off of a foul in their half a ball was whipped in and found the
head at our bowlegged Bruno Daniel Taylor we were quickly up 1-0 15 minutes
into the game. The tempo stayed high as Brown stayed alert.
Shortly after the first goal a ball played into the channel found our Egyptian
Prince Tariq Akeel who effortlessly took on his defender cut it back on to his left
and sent in a dipping curving cross…which he will call a shot because amazingly
it dipped over the keeper and curled into the far side net. 2-0 Brown.
We knew Columbia would be relentless and before halftime on a few
mental errors in the back we gave them back to back corners and on the second
they capitalized off a header to make it 2-1. Instantly the energy level
rose and we knew they would keep battling. We matched their intensity but
just before the half the game was tied up on a counter attack finished
low into the corner.
The game continued for another tense 45 minutes with the Defense
not budging, Pesek whipping in left footed daggers, and the forwards pressuring
their backs into countless mistakes but neither team could seem to get that
final touch to finish off the game. Two periods of overtime went the wayside as
well as the final score ended Brown 2 Columbia 2. Both teams tired from 110
minutes in the blistering heat and were rushed off the field for the start of
the Women’s game v Columbia.
All in all a solid away result for the team as
Columbia is never an easy place to play and it starts our Ivy league journey
out on a good foot. With a day of rest and an early morning practice on
Monday we look ahead to win the mid-week battle at UNH to keep our current
energy streak going into next Saturday’s huge Ivy League Home opener
versus one of a vaunted Ivy League Rivals Princeton. But Everyone knows a Bear
would crush a Tiger if it had the chance, well that’s what we got next week.
Let’s go get em Boys
Markes
No comments:
Post a Comment