Dartmouth jumped out of the gates quickly, controlling the pace of play from the opening whistle. In the seventh minute, forward Alex Adelabu '15 chased down a long pass from midfielder Robin Alnas '15 and slotted it past Columbia goalkeeper Kyle Jackson.
"The first half against Columbia looked as good as we could have hoped for," midfielder and co-captain Kevin Dzierzawski '13 said. "We were sticking to our game plan and had a lot of confidence with the ball."
The Big Green continued to push the ball forward, striking again in the 13th minute of play. Off of a corner from Dizerzawski, forward Patrick Murray '14 kicked the ball into the corner of the net, marking two consecutive games with goals for Murray.
"That was a play designed to get a floater to the near post," Dzierzawski said. "They missed [the ball]. It bounced a few times in the box and Pat did exactly what we could have hoped for."
Dartmouth maintained the offensive pressure, tallying eight shots before halftime to Columbia's three.
"In the last two Ivy games, we've scored two early goals," defender Justin Rosner '14 said. "That's huge for us, because getting that cushion helps us to play relaxed."
Throughout the first half, the Big Green's defense was stifling, preventing the Lions from mounting a consistent attack. Columbia did not notch its second shot until the 43rd minute.
"For the most part, we did a really good job of staying organized from the back all the way up to midfield," Rosner said.
After the half, Columbia sustained a more consistent effort, making some disconcerting forays into Big Green territory. Although the Lions tallied more shots, they still could not put the ball on target.
"Defensively, we played well all game," goalkeeper Noah Cohen '14 said. "They didn't have any chances on goal, and that's a testament to the strength of our defenders."
In the 81st minute, the Lions managed to put a goal on the board after a rare defensive miscue by Dartmouth. Off of a throw-in, a botched defensive header put the ball in the back of the Big Green's net.
"It was a long throw-in that just got misjudged by Kevin," Cohen said. "It looped into the top of the net and was just out of reach."
Playing down by two goals, Columbia dominated ball possession in the second half, outshooting the Big Green after halftime, 8-4.
"They had some pretty dangerous chances off of set pieces," Rosner said. "They had nothing to lose and were just throwing people up to the front."
Dartmouth regained its composure over the last 10 minutes, returning to the defensive strength that led the team to their two-goal lead in the first half. Although Columbia redoubled their attack in the final minutes of the game, Dartmouth pulled out the 2-1 win.
"Over the last nine minutes, we just had to suck it up and be tough," Rosner said. "On the other hand, if an own goal is the only goal we give up, that's not the worst thing in the world."
Dartmouth had eight different players record shots in the game, including Murray, who led the team with three attempts on goal. Columbia had seven players notch shots, but none of them were on target.
The win marked Dartmouth's fourth win in its last five games and its third consecutive Ivy League win.
"These wins have just been a matter of us doing the little things that we know we're capable of doing," Dzierzawski said. "We're in a great rhythm right now, personnel-wise and tactically, and it's tough to have that comfort level at the beginning of the season."
Dartmouth takes the pitch again on Homecoming weekend against Harvard University on Saturday afternoon at Burnham Field.
"Soccer's a streaky game, but we've got a lot of confidence coming off of these consecutive wins," Rosner said. "This weekend is a must-win game, and we're looking forward to it."
