In a game that was supposed to be a defensive battle, the men's soccer team downed No. 24 Colgate University 3-1 on Tuesday night. The contest marked the first time the two teams had ever faced each other.
The win lifts Brown's record to 10-3-2 on the year.
The Raiders defense had been stingy all year, allowing only five goals before last night's game. However, due to set plays and a lot of focus, Brown capitalized on the scoring chances it got.
"We have done really well with set plays all year," said captain Ben Brackett '07.
After starting the game with a 4-5-1 formation against Cornell, the Bears switched to a 4-4-2 configuration against Colgate, allowing them to insert forward Jamie Granger '07 into the starting lineup.
Head Coach Mike Noonan's lineup change did not take long to pay dividends as Granger scored one minute into the game when he split two Raider defenders and poked the ball past the goalkeeper.
"This is normally the time of year when seniors step up, and Jamie is a fifth-year senior," Noonan said. "He has been playing well in practice and moving him into the starting lineup paid off."
Knowing how tough the Raider defense was, Brown continued to apply the pressure. Ten minutes after Granger's goal, the Bears nearly got on the board again when Jon Behrendt '08 crossed the ball from deep down the left sideline. Colgate goalkeeper Doug Litvack came off his line to make the save but could not corral the ball. Granger was in the right place at the right time and took a shot from inside the 6-yard box, but it was blocked by a Colgate defender.
Litvack's save would prove costly for him and the Raiders. While he was on the ground trying to control the rebound, a Brown player inadvertently stepped on his arm, forcing him to leave the game with an injury.
Brown got on the board again halfway through the first half. Colgate took possession following a Bruno corner kick, and one of its defenders turned the ball over right to Brian Joyce '07 at the left corner of the 18-yard box. Joyce, who was wide open, calmly placed the ball in the back right corner of the net to give the Bears a 2-0 advantage.
The Raiders cut the deficit in half 10 minutes later when Colgate forward Chris Salmon received a beautiful cross inside the 6-yard box that left him one-on-one with Brown goalkeeper Jarrett Leech '09. Leech's diving effort made Salmon's first shot hit the left post, but the rebound came right back to him and he placed it in the middle of the goal with Leech still on the ground.
"After they scored, we didn't make any adjustments," Noonan said. "We knew that if we kept to the game plan we could create more scoring chances."
At times, it pays to be a little lucky, and that is what happened to Brown with five minutes to go in the first half. Darren Howerton '09 took a flip throw-in from deep on the right sideline. The throw went on a line over Rhett Bernstein '09 and directly off the back of the foot of Raider defender Dan Belke. The ricochet off Belke's foot caught backup goalkeeper David Cappucio off guard and he could not make the save. The own-goal gave Brown a 3-1 lead going into intermission.
In the second half, it seemed as if Colgate was content just to try and not give up any more goals. For most of the half, it dropped 10 players back on defense, leaving only one striker.
Even with the Raiders' increased defensive focus, Brown still created many scoring opportunities. Kevin Davies '08 nearly notched two goals in a 10-minute span. First, he fielded a pass from Andrew Daniels '07 inside the 6-yard box. Davies deposited the ball in the back of the net, but was called offsides by the referees.
"We moved the ball really well tonight," Brackett said. "We had been working on moving the ball in practice and hadn't done the best job, but tonight we were able to move it really well."
On Saturday, the Bears have a crucial game against the University of Pennsylvania.
"Since there is no Ivy League tournament, we have to treat this as a tournament game," Brackett said. "We just have to win."
