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The Dartmouth
March 28, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Men's soccer wins NCAA bid and League Championship with tie against Brown

Dartmouth will learn of its first-round opponent on Monday afternoon, when the NCAA announces the tournament bracket.

The Big Green found out the result of the Columbia-Cornell match on the bus ride home and celebrated the entire way back to Hanover, co-captain Lucky Mkosana '12 said.

"The guys played awesome," he said about Saturday's match. "The guys are really excited and I think it was a well-deserved award."

Not only were Dartmouth and Brown deadlocked on the final scoresheet, but the two teams' statistics were nearly identical throughout the matchup. Dartmouth fired 18 shots in the game, while Brown took 17. Noah Cohen '14 kept the ball out of the net five times, while Brown junior goalie Sam Kernan-Schloss stopped seven shots. The teams committed a combined 36 fouls 19 by Dartmouth and 17 by Brown. Each squad also attempted five corner kicks.

The game featured an intense atmosphere in the stands as well. There were skirmishes between supporters for both teams, and at least one Brown fan was ejected from the bleachers, according to multiple fans who attended the game.

Kevin Dzierzawski '13 led the Dartmouth offense with six shots. Mkosana recorded four shots, Maarten van Ess '12 contributed three and Colin Heffron '15 and Aaron Gaide '11 each added two.

The Big Green opened the shooting deluge early in the first half. Kernan-Schloss saved Gaide's shot in the fifth minute of the game, and Van Ess' strike sailed just wide a few minutes later.

Brown players soon took over the attack, firing three shots of their own. A header fell wide of the post, a corner kick was met in the box but the ensuing shot missed wide, and Cohen snagged the third shot to earn his first save of the game in the 13th minute of action.

Dartmouth had one opportunity during the Bear's dominating streak but was unable to capitalize on a corner by Dzierzawski. Brown had another strike and a pair of headers, none of which found the net.

Mkosana ended the run with a shot in the 29th minute that Kernan-Schloss reached out to save. Dzierzawski kept looking for the difference maker, but his final shot of the half fluttered wide.

Brown mustered one more failed look before the end of the period, and a final Dartmouth corner-kick attempt was cleared away to end the half scoreless.

Dartmouth took the first shot of the second half, with Adam Rice '12 firing over the crossbar just over a minute after the whistle. Brown then capitalized on a Big Green foul and worked the ball upfield, but a headed shot went wide.

Dartmouth controlled the momentum and the possession for the next 15 minutes, taking five shots. The Bears re-energized and balanced out their play for the rest of the half, with Cohen snagging multiple clutch saves to keep Dartmouth in the game as the clock wound down.

Brown took four shots in the last seven minutes of regulation, and Dartmouth's final chance came in the 75th minute, when a shot by Gaide was blocked.

The Big Green dominated the first overtime period and outshot the Bears, 4-1. Mkosana had his best attempt of the game on a header that ricocheted off the post. He then sent another shot that escaped the target by inches.

Neither team had as many looks on goal in the second overtime period, but both goalies still came up with big saves to secure the tie. The Brown defense blocked Van Ess' shot, before Cohen was forced to stop a counterattack by the Bears.

Dartmouth had the final chance of the game in the form of a shot by Dzierzawski, but it was saved with under two minutes of play left.

Mkosana said the team is confident as it prepares for the NCAA tournament.

"We will wait to see who we get on Monday and see whether we play home or away," Mkosana said. "Either way, the energy level on the team is really high right now and I think we can play any team in the country if we keep it up. We are such a good program and the coaches are really proud of the guys. For the seniors, it was really special to win the League our last year."

The Big Green will play the NCAA first-round game on Thursday, with the time and location to be announced.