DURHAM, N.H. – On Saturday, Dartmouth men's soccer headed to Durham for a match with Granite State rival New Hampshire.
Neither team was able to generate much in the first half, but the Wildcats were able to net two in the second half to defeat the Big Green, 2-1. With the loss, Dartmouth falls to 1-2-3 overall.
Both the Big Green and the Wildcats were dominant defensively in the first half. Between the two teams, there was only one shot recorded. UNH drew a foul right outside the box and put a shot on goal on the free kick, but
Konstantinos Dellas stood tall and made the save in the top right corner of the goal to keep it a 0-0 game.
Dartmouth made a change to start the second half, as
TJ Jeffreys entered the game in goal.
The Wildcats wasted no time pressing the Big Green to start the half. UNH drew a corner in the 47
th minute, finding a head on the service in to give it a 1-0 lead.
In the 72
nd minute, Dartmouth got its best scoring opportunity of the half and capitalized.
Sam Fenton sent a cross into the box. The ball skipped through two Wildcats defenders and found
James Wilson who controlled and ripped the ball above the extended UNH keeper to tie the game at one and score his first collegiate goal.
Just over two minutes later, UNH found the back of the net to retake the lead.
The Big Green had a few more offensive opportunities, including another from a near identical spot on the field for Wilson, but he couldn't get enough on the ball, and it remained a 2-1 game.
Despite allowing two goals, Jeffreys made four saves in the second half to keep the Big Green in the game, but the Wildcats held on for a 2-1 win.
Dartmouth will remain on the road, opening Ivy League play next weekend. The Big Green will travel to Brown on Saturday, September 27 for a 7 p.m. kickoff. You can watch the game on ESPN+ or follow the live stats on DartmouthSports.com.
The Big Green are 40-40-5 all time against the Bears, having won last year's meeting 2-1 on Burnham Field.