Dartmouth Men's Soccer Blanks Yale, 1-0

Sunday, October 8

Hanover, N.H.

2:30 PM

Dartmouth College

Yale

10/8/2006 12:15:00 AM | Men's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

Box Score

Hanover, N.H. – The Dartmouth men's soccer team (3-5-3 / 1-1-1 Ivy) came out on the positive end of its fifth overtime contest of the season, defeating Yale, 1-0. It did not take long in the extra time, as rookie Daniel Keat (Wellington, New Zealand) scored his fourth goal of the season in the 95th minute.

"This is a big momentum swing for us," said Head Coach Jeff Cook after his team snapped a three-game losing streak. "This means we are still alive in the Ivy League race. I think it is going to be competitive and I hope this proves to be a significant win."

The squads played an evenly-matched, physical game throughout much of regulation. While the Big Green held a 13-9 shot advantage, both teams struggled to mount a sustained threat. Each team took only one shot on goal in the first half.

While Dartmouth played solidly in the midfield, the squad had difficulty penetrating Yale's defensive line to get off a clean shot. The Bulldogs' goalkeeper, Erik Geiger, made a big save with six minutes left in the first half to keep it tied at 0-0.

Both teams had their chances in the second half, but Geiger and Dartmouth's Rowan Anders (Qualicum Beach, B.C.) came up big in goal for their squads. The Big Green took three corner kicks in the second while the Bulldogs took two, though neither team could find the back of the net.

With a 0-0 stalemate at the end of regulation, Dartmouth was headed to overtime for the fifth time this season. The Big Green has played to three scoreless ties and lost one extra-time contest, 2-1 at Fairfield.

Dartmouth came out on fire in overtime, controlling possession early and maintaining its intensity. The squad earned a corner kick in the 94th minute, but was unable to convert. However, Yale deflected it back over the goal line, giving the Big Green a second chance at a corner.

Practice made perfect as Mike Ordonez (Coral Gables, Fla.) tapped the ball to Matt Carroll (N. Andover, Mass.), who crossed it into the box. Keat worked his magic again, heading the ball over Geiger for the game-winner.

Anders, a senior, made five saves in goal and recorded his 17th career shutout, good for the program's all-time record. Cook was happy for Anders, noting "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."

Anders was quick to give the credit to his teammates, explaining "I have been so lucky to play so much here and have always had incredible defenders in front of me. I feel good, but I certainly don't deserve all the credit myself."

The Big Green has a week off before its next contest, hosting Penn at noon on Sunday Oct. 15.