The men's soccer team kept its post-season dreams alive this weekend with two 1-0 victories.
With only one game remaining in the season, the Big Green's record is 8-3-3. With a win next Sunday at Princeton, Dartmouth would have a shot at receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Yesterday, in the final home game of the season, Dartmouth knocked off Columbia, who is ranked 15th in the latest ISAA national poll.
The Lions, led by 1993 Ivy League scoring champion and Player of the Year Rikki Dadason, would have won the league championship and received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament with a victory over the Big Green.
However, Dadason and the Columbia offense were shutdown by goalkeeper Brian Wiese '95 and the Dartmouth defensive corps, headed by Asa Marokus '95 and Ian Saward '95.
"We knew if we neutralized Dadason, we'd have success," Wiese said.
In the 72nd minute of the game, the game's only scoring play began with a Blaine LeGere '95 back-post corner kick that Marokus won and headed to David Moran '96. Columbia goalie Steve McAnulty came out to challenge and the ball deflected to Hunter Paschall '96, who finished the play off with his left foot.
The goal was Paschall's team-leading eighth of the season. Moran was credited with an assist.
"The whole game [Columbia's defense] had been leaving me alone on the back post," Paschall said. "The ball bounced my way and I put it in."
The Big Green outshot the Lions 13-7. Wiese recorded his fifth shutout of the season and the fifteenth of his career.
"I'm delighted for the whole team," Coach Fran O'Leary said. "It's great to come out and win against a team that had a lot to play for."
On Friday, Dartmouth thoroughly outplayed the University of Connecticut, outshooting the Huskies 23-10.
Jeff Cucunato '95 made his first start of the season in the goal for Dartmouth and made four impressive saves in earning the shutout.
His most impressive save came in the tenth minute when UConn's Nelson Lopes set up teammate Erik Barbieri, whose left-footed shot was denied by a sliding Cucunato.
Stand-out performances were turned in by co-captain LeGere and Olli Chanoff '96.
In the 22nd minute, Chanoff split two UConn defenders and set up LeGere, whose line-drive left-footer from 20 yards out caught Huskie goalie Sloan Spaeth off-balance and found the back of the net.
Other scoring chances came from Moran, Paschall, and Bill Cronin '95, who hit the crossbar in the second-half.
"It was a great effort by the whole team," Chanoff said. "Everyone stepped up, and we dominated a strong team."
UConn entered the game ranked fourth in New England. The Big Green were ranked sixth in the region, but will move up after this weekend's results. They play their last game next weekend at Princeton.
