Competing in its first-ever Ivy League Championship, the Dartmouth men's club soccer team won all four of its matches last weekend at Brown University, en route to its first Ivy League title. The championship marks the first major tournament win for the team since its inception in 2007.
In the final against the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth (6-1, NECCSL) held on to a 2-1 lead in the final minutes to secure the victory.
The tournament included all of the Ivy League teams except Harvard University and Columbia University. The Big Green defeated Princeton University and Cornell University in group play by scores of 2-1 and 2-0, respectively. Dartmouth then outlasted Brown in the semifinal with a score of 2-1.
"It was awesome to win this tournament," captain Travis Whitfield '11 said. "It's the first big tournament the club soccer team has won since it got started."
In the final against Penn, Dartmouth got out to a 2-0 lead with a goal by Rodrigo Amboss '13 off of a corner kick and a subsequent Paawee Rivera '13 goal from just outside of the box. The Quakers, however, came charging back.
After notching its first goal on a disputed penalty kick, Penn took over the game and had several scoring opportunities. In the final minutes of the game, the Quakers had one shot that went off the crossbar and another one that had to be saved by a Dartmouth defender on the goal line.
"We had the advantage in the first half," Whitfield said. "But after we got up 2-0, we let up a bit and played more defensively, which almost cost us the game."
The semifinal against Brown was another nail-biter. Dartmouth forward Brad Jacobson '13, a former varsity player, got things started with a hard shot from just inside the box that found its way into the net and gave Dartmouth the lead. With two minutes left in the game, however, Brown evened the score after a scramble for the ball in front of the Dartmouth goal, sending the game into overtime.
"Before overtime, we had a pep talk by Jacobson who told us to forget about the end of the game and focus on the upcoming overtime," assistant-captain Jacob Robbins '11 said.
Dartmouth dominated play in overtime, creating several scoring chances. The team finally cashed in during the second overtime when Martin Kulander '12 scored, breaking the tie and giving the Big Green the eventual 2-1 win.
The Big Green had received the number one seed in its group after defeating Princeton and Cornell in group play. Playing under windy conditions against the Tigers, Jacobson and Amboss both scored for Dartmouth as they came back from a one-goal deficit to defeat Princeton.
In the game against Cornell, the Big Green matched its opponents' physical play in a game full of aggressive confrontations. Dartmouth was able to capitalize in the end, eventually walking away with a 2-1 victory.
"The guys who went and played in the tournament were great," Whitfield said. "I'm proud of my players."
A key contributor for Dartmouth's success was sophomore forward Jacobson, who led the team with three goals and also added an assist.
"All the wins were team wins," Jacobson said. "We had contributions from a lot of players on the team."
The Dartmouth men's soccer team was made up of the current senior class when they were freshmen. The team plays its game on weekends and the whole program is completely student-run. Before this season, it had never competed in the Ivy League Championship.
"The seniors on the team, we've never won a tournament like this," Robbins said. "We train hard in the offseason and during the season, so it's good to see us finally win something."
In the regular season, the Big Green plays in the New England College Club Soccer League, which features 16 New England schools split into two divisions. Last season, Dartmouth finished with a league record of 3-3-3 and was knocked out of the NECCSL playoffs in the first round.
This season, Dartmouth is off to a 6-1 start, by far the best start in its brief history.
"We have a great group of guys," Whitfield said, "It was good to see our hard work pay off."
