Prior to yesterday's men's soccer game, Dartmouth players and coaches warned that a matchup against the University of Vermont was not to be taken lightly.
"We always play close games against our neighbors," head coach Fran O'Leary said. While the final score backed up such sentiment, the game itself was anything but close.
Two late Dartmouth goals narrowed the lopsided contest, as UVM handed the Big Green its first defeat of the season 3-2 in Burlington. Brendan Reidy '99 and Chris Pedrick '99 each scored on Tui'one Faleafa '99 feeds in the last 13:27 of the game, but the comeback attempt fell short.
Defense played a pivotal role, as Vermont (5-3-0) emerged victorious despite being outshot 17-6. Dartmouth's vaunted backfield broke down for the first time as the Catamounts burned the Green (4-1-0) for an early goal, and went on to score two second half goals just 20 seconds apart.
Goaltender Matt Nyman '99 couldn't match his four previous stellar performances, stopping only one Vermont shot. Catamount netminder Chris Rose outshone his counterpart, making nine saves.
Although the Big Green's offense recorded two scores, Rose and the Vermont backfield frustrated Dartmouth for the better part of two halves. Dartmouth pressed forward after the last Vermont goal, bringing virtually the entire team into the offensive end. Their attempts were repeatedly turned away by the stingy Catamount defense.
The Green finally broke through on Reidy's goal, a header off a cross. The score was his second of the season. Pedrick's tally with 1:55 left was his third on the year, but ended the game's scoring. Chris Dedicik '99, leading the nation with six goals, could not add to his total.
The Big Green's trouble started with a defensive breakdown in the 33rd minute. A scramble in front of the net led to a Jamie Farrell score for UVM. 15th-ranked Dartmouth continued to trail unranked Vermont through the half.
The Catamounts struck again as Jason Allen and Armann Fenger scored successive goals in under a minute, leaving the score 3-0 with 32 minutes to play. Dartmouth fought hard, but could not overcome the deficit with a late scoring binge.
While the loss to UVM may drop the Green in the national rankings, Dartmouth will have an opportunity to boost their standing once again this Saturday when they square off against 25th-ranked Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y.
