The men's soccer team (7-5-2, 3-2 Ivy League) came out Saturday hoping to improve its rankings and avenge two heartbreaking Ivy losses earlier in the season. The Bears accomplished this goal, dominating the University of Pennsylvania, 4-0, in their second straight Ivy shutout.
Working as a unit, Brown controlled tempo throughout game, capitalizing primarily in the second half with three goals.
"We worked together as a team and we played extremely hard. We played with urgency and stuck to the game plan our coaches had set for us," said Keith Caldwell '06.
The Bears had a strong hold on Penn from the start, getting all the offense they would need when Brian Joyce '07, who recently returned from injury, scored 26 minutes into the match.
After their successful first-half domination, the Bears came out fired up for the second half. Ibrahim Diane '06 pushed the Brown lead to 2-0 just one minute into the half, with Caldwell and Joyce assisting.
The Bears' second goal propelled them to a strong performance for the remainder of the second half. Brown's offense pressured Penn but relied heavily on their defense for help in containing the ball.
"I think our attackers worked very well together in the second half, but it was the solid play of our defense and the unselfishness from our midfielders that helped create the goals," Caldwell said.
A Penn player was ejected from the game with 34 minutes remaining, and Penn was forced to play a man down for the rest of the game. However, the Bears did not capitalize on their man-advantage until the final minutes of play.
Caldwell and Kevin Davies '08 closed out the win by scoring two goals in the last 2:04 of the game. Marcos Romaneiro '05 assisted Caldwell's goal, while goalkeeper Chris Gomez '05 assisted Davies for his third assist this season.
"Penn began to wear down when they lost a man. Their team got tired after one of their players was ejected. Also after three goals their team started to give up allowing us to put in a forth goal," said Head Coach Mike Noonan.
Although the Brown offense appeared to control the game, the defense proved equally strong in forcing their second Ivy shutout of the season. Strong defense by Jeff Larentowicz '05, who missed last game, proved key as Brown held Penn to only two shots on net.
"Penn played well, and we played reasonably well. Penn made us bend, but we didn't break - also, many of Penn's shots were off cage. Our defense remained strong because we had a good performance out of our four backs," Noonan said.
The Bears' win this weekend was crucial and helped put the team back on track in league play. Scoring four goals against a powerful Penn team is a sign of the team's continued drive for its second consecutive Ivy League Championship.
This Friday the Bears continue Ivy League play against Yale University.
"We've played pretty well the last couple games, so this gives us even more confidence heading into the game against Yale. It also means that we're still in the hunt for the Ivy League Championship, so Yale, like the Penn game, is a do-or-die game, and that's how we are going to approach it," Caldwell said.
