The men's soccer team's seven straight wins have been the result of a team effort. The Bears have received contributions from freshmen and seniors, forwards and defenders, starters and subs. But over the course of the No. 4 Bears' most recent winning stretch, one player in particular has taken on a major role. With a goal in each of the last three games, and four out of the last five, forward Kevin Davies '08 has kicked in his fair share for a team looking to win the Ivy League title and make a run deep into the postseason.
Davies' soccer career began at age five on the youth fields of his hometown, Port Washington, N.Y,, where he played for the green team. Though he was skilled in many different sports, soccer became his favorite.
"I didn't have a soccer family, so I played all sports and was best at soccer," he said. "I have now grown to love it."
Davies currently leads the Bears with 10 goals and is second in points with 23, one behind fellow forward Dylan Sheehan '09. The two have proven to be a tremendous combination up front for the Bears.
"Dylan and I are two completely different players," Davies said. "He holds the ball and keeps possession. ... I run around off flick balls. We complement each other."
Head Coach Mike Noonan said he has been impressed with the way the two forwards have gelled this season.
"(Davies and Sheehan) have a good partnership and relationship," he said. "In the past it was more individualistic. Now they have a good understanding of where the other is. They also wear teams down by pressing on defense."
Davies' production on the score sheet is way up from last year, when he tallied just one goal and four assists. The turnaround this season has come from hard work, good teammates and a little bit of luck. "In the past I have had opportunities and haven't finished," Davies said. This season, things are different. "I'm not creating the chances, but I've been fortunate to finish the plays," he said.
Noonan said he and the rest of the coaching staff always thought Davies had a special ability to get open. "He is elusive. He turns up in good spaces," Noonan said. "You never know which way he is going to go. There is no signature move that he always uses to get by defenders."
This season, Davies has finally been able to put it all together, finding open space, controlling the ball and finishing in the back of the net. After getting hot early in the season with four goals in two games on Brown's West Coast road trip in September, the goals have just kept on coming.
Though fortune may have played some role in Davies' increased success, he worked in the offseason on his stamina so he could stay on the field for longer and play on both sides of the pitch.
"The role I'm playing this year is different," he said. "I'm relied on more. The team needs me to score."
And score he has. Davies' goals against Rutgers University and Yale last week earned him both Ivy League Player of the Week and College Soccer News National Team honors for the second time this season. But Davies is most happy with his improved play this season and Brown's success.
"Coming into the season, I didn't know what to expect. We lost seven or eight seniors from last year," he said. "I wouldn't have expected to be 13-1-1 (overall). Each win increases our confidence."
Still, Davies knows there is long way to go. Though not very vocal, he is still a leader, as one of just four seniors on the Brown squad - which means helping to keep the team focused on its goals. "You have to put everything into perspective. We haven't accomplished anything yet," Davies said.
The Bears hope to reach their first goal Saturday, when they face Dartmouth at 4 p.m. at Stevenson Field. The Big Green trail Bruno by just a half-game in the Ivy League standings - Brown is 5-0 in the conference this season, the Big Green is 4-0-1.
With just two league matches to play, if Brown wins Saturday's contest it will clinch the Ivy League Championship. Dartmouth's defense has been stout all season, allowing just eight goals, but one challenge will be to contain Davies, something few squads have accomplished so far.
