The Dartmouth Big Green (5-6-2, 1-3-1 Ivy) heads south this weekend to take on the Brown Bears in Providence. While the Bears are still in contention for the Ivy League title, they'll need some help, and Dartmouth isn't going to give it to them.
Last year Dartmouth needed a win against Brown to secure its first Ivy League title since 1992 but the Bears played the role of spoiler, stealing the title for themselves with a 4-1 win at Chase Field. In fact, the Bears have spoiled Dartmouth's last three title bids on the last matchday of Ivy League play (1997, 1998 and 2000).
Comparing this year to the recent past, both teams seem to be having down seasons, with the Big Green barely below .500 and Brown at 5-7-2, though posting an impressive 3-1-1 Ivy record. But trust me, folks, these two teams are just as dangerous as we remember them to be.
Brown is led by senior Adrian Rapp, who has six goals on the year, but could be particularly vulnerable in the back, where two freshman goalkeepers have been platooning all season. This could be good news for the Big Green, who should challenge these youngsters with crosses in the air looking for the big trees in the middle: Matt LaBarre '04 and Juan Romera '03.
"We need to stay focused for the entire 90 minutes. We can't afford to keep tuning out for long spells and letting teams get back into games," co-captain Danny Markman '02 said. "As long as we stay disciplined for the whole game, I don't think that Brown should cause us too many problems. We'd certainly like to get a victory since they're the only Ivy team we haven't beaten in my time here."