The Big Green ended a three-game losing and a four-game winless streak. Daniel Keat '10, the team's leading goal scorer, tallied the winning goal, his fourth of the season, in the fifth minute of overtime play. The win will provide some relief for the Big Green players, who were recently criticized for their inability to convert their scoring chances.
"This is a big momentum swing for us," head coach Jeff Cook said after the game. "This means we are still alive in the Ivy League race. I think it is going to be competitive; we need to take all remaining games in the league and hope for a piece of the title with a 5-1-1 record. But I hope this proves to be a significant win."
Both teams played a physical first half, in which chances on goal were hard to come by. Yale's defense was very organized and the Dartmouth forwards often found themselves in offside positions. However, the Big Green looked in control of the match and managed to create a handful of opportunities, with the best chances coming from Derek Stenquist '10 and Tom Lobben '08.
Midway through the first half, Stenquist took control of a loose ball inside Yale's penalty area and shot at goal immediately, but the Bulldogs' goalkeeper Erik Geiger did well to go down and parry the effort. A few minutes before the end of the half, Lobben, from outside the area, sent a curling shot whistling past the far post.
The second half provided more heated competition, as both teams had good chances to score. One of Dartmouth's best chances came from Keat's free kick, which was well saved by Geiger.
Peter Savidis '06 and Nick Christman '08 were very active on the left side throughout the half, and most of the threats to the Yale defense came from that flank. However, Geiger denied both Savidis' 35-yard effort and Christman's shot from inside the area.
Rowan Anders '07 also came up big in goal for the Big Green, making four saves in the period and denying the Bulldogs' forwards in one-on-one situations.
With the score at 0-0 at the end of 90 minutes, Dartmouth headed to overtime for the fifth time this season, after having posted draws on three occasions as well as a loss against Fairfield.
However, the Big Green managed to come on top this time, scoring only five minutes into the first overtime. Michael Ordonez '08 took a short corner to Matt Carroll '09 on the right side, and the diminutive midfielder crossed into the area. The ball was met from close range by Keat, whose shot rebounded off the side post and into the net, with Geiger capitulating for the first time in the game after making a total of six saves.
The freshman has now scored all three of the team's goals in the last five games, including a stunning bicycle kick against Brown that will be long remembered on the Dartmouth campus.
"This win takes some weight off our shoulders, it's a relief," said Lobben, who was very active throughout the 95 minutes of play.
The win also marked a personal highlight for Anders, one of the Big Green's most important players. With his five saves, he recorded the 17th shutout of his collegiate career and is now the sole owner of Dartmouth's all-time shutout record.
Cook was happy for Anders, noting that "he will go down as one of the best goalkeepers in Dartmouth history -- and we have had a lot of great ones. He trains incredibly hard and is very deserving."
However, Anders was modest in his remarks and was quick to give credit to his teammates.
"I have been so lucky over the past three years," he said. "I've been playing so much and have always had incredible defenders in front of me -- they were all excellent. I feel good, but I don't deserve all the credit myself, it's a result of everyone on the team's hard-work."
With the win, Dartmouth climbs up to fourth place in the Ivy League with four points, while Yale drops to fifth with three.
The Big Green will be back in action at noon next Saturday, as it hosts Penn, the current league leader with nine points. Cook hopes that centre-back Ale Frischeisen '08 will recover from his hamstring strain for the game, but Craig Henderson '09 and Lucas Richardson '07 will remain sidelined.
