HANOVER, N.H. – On Tuesday, Dartmouth men's soccer welcomed the Bryant Bulldogs to Hanover for the third straight year and third ever matchup in program history.
The Bulldogs found the back of the net first and held on to defeat the Big Green, 1-0.
With the loss, Dartmouth falls to 0-1-1 on its young season.
Bryant controlled the first half of the game, not allowing the Big Green much offensive zone time or extensive possession. In the 18
th minute, the Bulldogs capitalized on a foul, as Jaime Amaro took a free kick from right outside the box and snuck it past
Konstantinos Dellas to give Bryant a 1-0 lead.
While the Big Green did not have many chances through the first 45 minutes, they responded in the second, especially in the latter half of the frame.
Dartmouth was able to hold onto the ball, maintain offensive possession, and generate four shots and compared to its one in the first half.
"We didn't want to get pulled and stretched with the way they moved the ball," Bobby Clark Head Coach of Men's Soccer
Bo Oshoniyi said about the message to his team at halftime. "I thought in the second half we did a better job of making sure we cut out some of their passing lanes, and then we kept the ball, which was good, and then we were able to pin them back and create a couple of really good chances."
Despite a few high-quality chances, the Big Green were unable to capitalize, falling to Bryant, 1-0.
"All in all, I'm proud of the boys. That's a really good team. They were a tough team to defend, and I think we let up one shot on goal in the run of play, so I think for us, it's something to build on," Oshoniyi said.
Dartmouth's stretch of games against strong opponents will continue Tuesday, when they travel to face reigning National Champion Vermont in its first road game.
"It's a great opportunity for our guys," Oshoniyi said about facing the Catamounts. "Typically, we play Vermont pretty well, so I know our guys are looking forward to the challenge. We have a week to rest up a little bit and get our legs back and be in a good position to hopefully go down there and get a result."
Kickoff against the Catamounts is set for 6 p.m. next Tuesday, September 9. You can watch the game on ESPN+ or follow the live stats on DartmouthSports.com.