Dartmouth Drops Double-Overtime Heartbreaker at BC in NCAA First Round

Thursday, November 19

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Boston College

Dartmouth Drops Double-Overtime Heartbreaker at BC in NCAA First Round

11/19/2009 9:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

Newton, Mass.- The Dartmouth men's soccer team saw its 2009 season come to a heartbreaking end tonight in double overtime at Boston College, 2-1.

The Big Green fought from wire to wire including a dominating first half and a spirited first overtime session, but Boston College had just a little magic left when it needed it, winning in the 103^rd minute. Colin Murphy won the ball after a Dartmouth defensive clearance and Isaac Taylor was there to pick up the pieces and fire a long valley past rookie keeper Sean Donovan (Burr Ridge, Ill.).

"It's a gut-wrenching feeling when you feel like you've carried the play," said senior co-captain Craig Henderson (Wellington, New Zealand). "It was a tight game but we were confident the whole time ... but it's football and that's the way it goes."

The teams took five shots apiece in a game that had its ebbs and flows for each squad. Eagles' keeper Justin Luthy played a tremendous game, making six saves while Donovan stood his ground though untested for saves.

Dartmouth put the pressure on BC in the early goings, with two tough breaks keeping the game scoreless. In the third minute, Luthy tried to clear the ball and Lucky Mkosana (Bulwayo, Zimbabwe) was right there to stop it and had a wide open shot but was whistled offsides. Just two minutes later Craig Henderson (Wellington, New Zealand) was fouled hard just outside the box, right of center. Mkosana stepped up and fired on goal but missed just high.

The game was back and forth in midfield for much of the next 15 minutes before Daniel Keat (Wellington, New Zealand) nearly put the Green ahead with a trademark bicycle kick off a Ben Salmon (Auburn, Wash.) corner but Luthy was there for the save.

BC made its first threatening run of the half in the 23^rd minute when Rugg broke down the left side but Donovan beat him to the spot to clear the ball. Classmate Teo Larsson-Sax (Kalmar, Sweden) made a nice play minutes later to send the ball out of the box in traffic.

Dartmouth broke the stalemate in the 30^th minute. Mkosana made a great run down the left side, stayed on his feet around a BC tackle and sent a perfect cross into the box where Keat delivered a perfect strike to the middle of the goal for the 1-0 lead.

Donovan made a tremendous play in the 36^th minute when BC sent three players towards the box and Rugg played the ball to himself, pulling the keeper off his line. Somehow Donovan made a surge towards the ball and contained it to save likely a sure goal.

The Big Green nearly added to its lead in the 39^th when Mkosana fired from the left side with several green jerseys in the box but Luthy made a big save and the defense cleared the ball out.

Dartmouth finished the half with a 6-3 shot advantage.

Boston College came out attacking in the second half and it paid off early, when Kyle Bekker knotted the game at 1-1 in the 51^st minute. Bekker took a feed from Karl Reddick and fired low in the box from the left side, through the defense. Donovan dove and deflected the ball but not far enough as it snuck in around the far post.

The Eagles nearly got the go-ahead goal just three minutes later when Bekker sent a cross in from the left side for a leaping Taylor, who had a great angle but sent the ball high. Dartmouth responded with a few good runs and had a dangerous play in the 58^th after a long throw by Salmon into the box. There was a scramble in front of Luthy and his own player put the ball towards the goalline but he contained it and stopped the threat.

Dartmouth had a good look in the 63^rd with a Kevin Dzierzawski (Oakland Twp., Mich.) corner into the box for Keat, who fired but Luthy made the point blank stop. Boston countered a minute later when Bekker collected the ball at the top of the box and shot but Bryan Giudicelli (Emerald Hills, Calif.) got a boot on it to block the ball out of bounds.

BC's Rugg had another good run in the 76^th, sprinting down the right side with a good angle on the goal. Larsson-Sax stayed with him until he fired and knicked the ball out just shy of the goal.

The teams played furiously down the stretch with both backlines making some great plays to preserve the 1-1 tie. Dartmouth nearly had the winner with just 15 seconds to play when Keat shot from the right side right in front of the goal but Luthy made a tremendous save on the goalline to send the game to overtime.

The Big Green came out attacking in the first overtime and Mkosana had two great chances in the 94^th minute both somehow Luthy picked off both of them in the box. BC had its first real threat of the overtime in the 98^th minute when Patrick Chin sent a cross into the box but Donovan picked it off. The Eagles nearly had the game in hand seconds later when Rugg grabbed the clearance, sprinted past the Dartmouth defense and had a good line on Donovan. He fired as he was being tackled by Larsson-Sax and lifted the ball just high of the goal.

The teams headed to a second overtime and the Eagles nearly had the winner in the 102^nd minute when Mor Avi Hanan stepped in for a free kick about 25 yards out and fired a perfect strike but it was just inches high of the goal. It would come just minutes later for BC in the 103^rd when Taylor sent in the game-winner off the redrirect from Murphy.

Dartmouth closed out the 2009 season with a 10-7-1 record, 4-3 Ivy and made its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.