Our first Ivy League game of the
season. Despite the importance of every game, there is always something special
about every game played in the Ivy League. It seems as though the rivalry
between Ivy teams creates an even better atmosphere; everyone runs a little bit
harder, tackles a little bit stronger, and fights to prove their team deserves
to be #1 this year. This season we’ve had our ups and downs; our win against
Boston University and our loss against South Florida. But this was almost a
fresh start for us, a chance to qualify to the NCAA tournament through winning the Ivy League.
Columbia
is a good team regardless of their year’s success or failure, so we knew that
is was going to be a hard fought game. Their game plan was to control the
midfield, as their center mids did a good job of moving the ball and switching
the field. From the opening minutes,
that’s what we looked to do. We looked to make the lives of Columbia’s
defenders uncomfortable, and the boys did just that. In the first half, we
looked to be the better of the teams, in which our movement was
rewarding with a couple chances at goal. One such chance was the best sequence
of play I have ever seen in college soccer. Jack Gorab received the ball, where
he passed to Eduardo Martin, who then one-timed a pass to Daniel Taylor, who
then played it back to Eduardo Martin, from which he played a magisterial
one-timed pass across the box to Jack Gorab. Jack then tried a one-time shot
that was unluckily hit straight at the keeper.
That
sequence summed up the first half for Brown, despite a Columbia chance off a
free kick that was hit wide, as well as header from Daniel Taylor that went
just wide. When the half time whistle blew, we knew going into the locker room
that we could win this game. Coach told us what we needed to do, and that we
needed to keep fighting in order to win the game. As the second half
progressed, Columbia started finding more rhythm in their play, which resulted
in them getting some shots on goal as well as some shots wide. Mitch Kupstas
made some nice saves, in which all five shots on goal throughout the game were
saved by him.
The rain was coming down on and off
throughout the game, making it an even better environment to play in. Despite
the rain, some of the men’s wrestling team showed up to show their support,
proving their allegiance to the men’s soccer team in which they haven’t missed
a single home game this season. As the game progressed, the play between the
teams who were both fighting for a goal became a little chippy, resulting in a
combination of 26 fouls throughout the game. There were chances created on both
sides of the pitch, causing fans and players alike to get more anxious as it
looked like the game was going into overtime. That was until, in the 88th
minute when the team fought hard to get a corner. Jack Gorab put in a great
curling ball into the box that reached Daniel Taylor at the back post, who
headed back across the box into the sea of Columbia and Brown players. The ball
bounced around before captain Ben Maurey got a foot on it and buried it into
the back of the net. The whole team ran to the bench to celebrate with them,
with Jack Gorab sliding into the side lines.
The game personified what Brown
Men’s Soccer is all about: we fight together until the final whistle.
Throughout the game, we never gave up and fought for each other on and off the
pitch. It didn’t matter how the goal happened, it was the fact that we took
advantage of our chance in the dying minutes, and we were able to put away a
very good Columbia team in the first Ivy League game of the season. This was
also our fourth game without giving a single goal-credit is deserved to the
defense and Mitch- as well as a great way to start the Ivy League season. This
weekend we will continue fighting for the Ivy League title away at Princeton on
October 11th at 4:00 P.M. Please tune into the Ivy League Network to
watch, or follow along to the live stats provided through the Brown Men’s
Soccer Schedule page.
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