Dartmouth Defeats Brown, Clinches Ivy Title and Postseason Bid

Saturday, November 12

Hanover, N.H.

5:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Brown

Dartmouth Defeats Brown, Clinches Ivy Title and Postseason Bid

11/12/2016 6:53:00 PM | Men's Soccer

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth men's soccer team clinched the Ivy League title with a 2-0 victory over Brown at Burnham Field on Senior Day.

With the victory, the Big Green improve to 8-4-5 overall, 5-1-1 in Ivy League play, while the Bears fall to 8-8-1 overall, 3-3-1 in conference play. Dartmouth will have to wait for Columbia to play Cornell on Sunday to determine if the Big Green will share the championship with the Lions.

Since Dartmouth defeated Columbia earlier this season, the Big Green have earned the Ancient Eight's automatic bid to the NCAA College Cup. It will be Dartmouth's third consecutive trip to the postseason under Bobby Clark Head Coach of Men's Soccer, Chad Riley. The 2016 Ivy League title is also the third championship for the Class of 2017, which was honored in a ceremony after Saturday's match.

“You get so into the game at hand that it's hard to let it really sink in for a little bit, but I'm really proud of the group,” Riley said. “It's been one of the most challenging schedules in recent years. I think they battled really well and weren't really given much this year. We're playing our best soccer now. I knew Brown would bring that out because they're a really good team. Our league is at a strong point and credit to Brown, they really tested us.”

The Big Green were able to control the pace of play for much of the evening, outshooting the Bears by a 10-5 margin. About 10 minutes into the game, Justin Donawa got behind Brown's defense and forced the goalkeeper out to make a tough save. A few minutes later Dartmouth's captain, Emmanuel Arteaga nearly got his team on the scoreboard after he missed the left goalpost by inches.

Early in the 41st minute, Noah Paravinci scored his fourth goal of the season on a shot from the middle of the box from 15 yards out, to put the Big Green ahead just before halftime.

Dartmouth kept the pressure on Brown in the second half to protect its one-goal lead with the team's postseason future hanging in the balance. About 10 minutes into the half, Donawa nearly added an insurance goal, but his header was saved.

The Big Green did get their insurance goal in the 67th minute when Matt Danilack netted his third of the season on a header from Donawa and Eduvie Ikoba.

Throughout the remainder of the contest, Dartmouth continued to play smart and did not allow the Bears any shot of a late-game comeback. Big Green senior goalkeeper, James Hickok, needed to make just two saves to earn his sixth shutout victory of the season.

“Whenever you get into this time of the season you rely on your routines and your preparation,” Riley said. “I think this team does that well. I think that's one of the reasons we challenge ourselves with an out of conference schedule and not many teams are going to have played a tougher path to this point than us. We feel prepared that way and now its just getting back to taking it each day as it comes.”

Dartmouth will find out where it will play its next game when the NCAA Tournament Selection Show takes place on Monday afternoon. Information regarding the 2016 College Cup will be posted on DartmouthSports.com as soon as it becomes available.

Notes: The 2016 Ivy League title is the 12th in program history and third under Chad Riley. It is also the first time Dartmouth has won three consecutive Ivy League titles.