The men's soccer team completed an uneven season this weekend, splitting road games against the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.
Dartmouth ended the year on a high note with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the Quakers Sunday in Philadelphia. The Big Green scored twice in the final nine minutes after Penn had taken a 1-0 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining on an unassisted goal by forward Koussoth Bradford.
Mike Bradley '96 then tied the score with his third goal of the season and second of the weekend. Settling a pass from Geoff Zawtocki '94, Bradley calmly slipped a 10-yard shot past Quaker goalie Andrew Kralik and into the right side of the net.
With just over five minutes left in the game, Ian Saward '95 hit a 75-yard goal kick that Bradley skipped off his head to a sprinting David Moran '96, who collected the ball in full stride and beat Kralik with a shot from just inside the Penn 18-yard box. The gamewinner was Moran's team-high sixth goal of the season.
Goalie Jeff Cucanato '95 earned his second victory of the season in as many starts, making one save.
On Saturday in a game thematic of the year, Dartmouth showed played a strong game but lost to Ivy League champion Columbia, 4-2, with three goals from star forward Rikki Dadason.
"He made things happen out of nothing," Coach Bobby Clark said. "We were controlling the game, so he had space to play into."
Dadason's first goal came on a penalty kick in the 35th minute. Two minutes later, midfielder Nelson Eubanks hit a far-post cross to midfielder Paul O'Donnell, whose one-touch shot beat goalie Brian Wiese '95 and put the Lions up, 2-0.
Twenty-two seconds into the second half, Dartmouth cut Columbia's lead in half. Chris Mitchell '95 found Bradley, whose low shot from 12 yards out beat Lion goalie Steve McAnulty.
But just 25 seconds later, Columbia regained its two-goal advantage. Lion forward Alon Bolokan hit a low cross which Dadason one-timed into the net for his second goal.
The Big Green fought back to make it 3-2 on a goal from defender Asa Marokus '95 off an assist from Mitchell. Marokus headed the ball in from just in front of the Lion goal for his third goal of the season.
With just one second left in the game, Dadason completed his hat trick by scoring his 25th goal of the year. A Columbia celebration of the Ivy League title and a trip to the NCAA tournament ensued.
Dartmouth finishes the year with a 9-6 overall record, but a 2-5 conference record.
Clark summed up the year when he said that against Penn, "we were down a goal with 10 minutes remaining. But we kept fighting and showed a lot of character. Let's hope that character can take us into next season."
