The men's soccer team moved into first place in the Ivy League standings Saturday after a thrilling 1-0 overtime victory against Yale in New Haven.
The matchup was a defensive battle, with neither team able to find the back of the net before the end of regulation. The Bears (10-4-2, 4-1-1 Ivy) managed 16 shots, five on goal, in the two halves, but Bulldog (7-7-2, 3-3-0) goalkeeper Bobby Thalman was unrelenting.
"Their goalkeeper made some excellent saves," said Head Coach Patrick Laughlin. "One or two were just outstanding saves that you rarely see and that you hope don't go against you."
But the Bears' defense showcased its own resolve. The unit did not allow the Bulldogs to get a single shot off for the duration of the game.
"It's something I don't know if I've ever seen in my 18 years as a collegiate coach where a team has zero shots," Laughlin said. "It's such a rarity."
In overtime, the Bears drew blood after just 1:01 when Yale was whistled for a foul inside the 18-yard box. Forward Austin Mandel '12 stepped up to take the penalty kick and outfoxed Thalman for the golden goal.
Saturday's finish was reminiscent of the Bears' Oct. 29 1-0 victory over Penn, in which Mandel scored the game's lone goal on a penalty kick in blizzard-like conditions.
"The Penn game was hard to play," said center back Ryan McDuff '13. "It was kind of sloppy, and we had to battle the elements. In this game, we took 17 shots and had really good opportunities, but their goalkeeper made some incredible saves that literally just took goals away from us."
With the win Saturday, Bruno moved into a tie for first place in the Ivy League with Dartmouth (8-5-3,4-1-1). Cornell (8-2-5, 3-1-2) was alone atop the league table entering the weekend with the Bears and the Big Green sharing second place, but Dartmouth's victory over the Big Red Saturday turned the tables.
The weekend's results have shifted Bruno's season finale this Saturday against Dartmouth into a de facto Ivy League championship game. The winner will take home the Ivy title and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
"One more chance to play as a team," Laughlin said. "That's all we're guaranteed."
The Bears and the Big Green will kick off Saturday at 4 p.m. at Stevenson Field. Brown will be honoring its seniors as they play what might be their final game in a Brown uniform.
"The Ivy League Championship is at our fingertips, and winter is coming," McDuff said. "All year, and going back to last spring, we have said that we were going to win the Ivy League ring. Everything is riding on this one game."
