Tag Archive: M. Soccer

  1. M. SOCCER | Elis fall in scrappy OT effort

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    There is no playoff in the Ivy League, but on Saturday night Yale and Brown played the equivalent of a championship final. For both teams it was the culmination of the season: Brown entered the game on a six-game unbeaten streak while Yale was returning home, where it had scored three times as many goals as its opponents.

    Whoever won would be catapulted not only into first place but also into prime position to win Ivies. Whoever lost, however, would drop out of the race altogether.

    “[This was] definitely the most important game of my career,” midfielder Charlie Neil ’12 said, who was celebrating Senior Day with six other teammates. “We fought for four years to get a chance at the Ivy Title, and it all came down to this game.”

    After getting outshot by a landslide 17–0 margin and fielding only one corner kick to the Bears’ 13, Yale was still improbably tied 0–0 with Brown when the game moved into overtime. After just one minute into overtime, however, a hand ball was called on the Bulldogs in the box, and Brown forward Austin Mandel forced the 6’5” Bobby Thalman ’13 to lay out along the ground when he scored his second goal of the season on a low ball inside the post.

    The penalty kick moved his team into first place and ended Yale’s hopes for the Ivy title.

    “I thought our guys played with guts and conviction tonight,” head coach Brian Tompkins said. “It was a cruel way to lose.”

    After weathering an incessant Brown attack in the first half, the Bulldogs managed to find some room to breathe in the second. But scoring chances for Yale were few and far between.

    “It was definitely a game where, looking at the stat line, it wouldn’t seem that we were in contention,” Thalman said. “[But] we didn’t feel like we were out of it or that we couldn’t win. The guys never gave up.”

    Thalman made five saves, including a full-extension dive to block a shot just inside the post midway through the second half. Defender Nick Alers ’14, who was recently named to the Capital One Academic All-District I First Team, was another standout for the back line, dispossessing the Brown attackers to prevent several one-on-one matchups.

    Emotions eventually boiled over on both sides. The Brown coaching staff felt its players were being mugged, and the Yale staff criticized a no-call in the second half that denied the Bulldogs a penalty kick and a shot for the win.

    “The officials need to manage the emotions and confrontations of the game,” Tompkins said. “I think [the officiating] was inconsistent … It looked like a penalty to me.”

    The emotions culminated in a flurry of yellow cards just minutes before the end of the game, when players Milan Tica ’13 and Brown forward Ben Maurey had to be separated by teammates and line judges. The Bears failed to score and the game moved into overtime. After 90 minutes of what Thalman described as a “bend-but-don’t-break defensive effort,” Yale finally snapped.

    Mandel’s penalty kick moved Brown (10–4–2, 4–1–1 Ivy) into first place with Dartmouth and dropped Yale (7–7–2, 3–3 Ivy) to fifth, out of the Ivy League race.

    Even though there’s no championship left for which to play, Thalman said the team won’t treat the season like it’s over.

    “We’re going to attack this week with a sense of professionalism and try to get Yale men’s soccer its first winning season in five years,” Thalman said.

    Yale’s last game of the season is next Saturday at Princeton. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

  2. M. SOCCER | Game 6: The return of the Elis

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    After last Saturday’s loss at Columbia, Yale dropped to fourth in the Ivy League, putting it out of contention for the Ivy League Championship. Or so it seemed.

    While Yale lost to the Lions in New York, Ivy League leader Cornell tied with underdog Princeton in New Jersey. Right now the Big Red is only two points ahead of the Bulldogs. Yale’s chances at a championship are slim, but they still exist: Cornell needs to lose, and the best chance of that happening will be this weekend in Hanover, N.H., where Dartmouth is undefeated in conference play.

    The Big Red also needs to drop next week’s match to Columbia, while Dartmouth needs to lose next week at Brown for Yale to take first in the league.

    Of course, Yale (7–6–2, 3–2–0 Ivy) also needs to win this weekend. Brown (9–4–2, 3–1–1 Ivy) is visiting New Haven to make its own bid for the championship.

    “Because our league does not have a playoff tournament at the end, every game is very important,” defender Milan Tica ’13 said. “It forces teams to be very conservative and organized defensively. To play against that, we approach each game as though it is a cup final.”

    The good news: at home Yale is 5–2–0, having scored 15 goals to itsopponents’ combined five.The bad news: The last time the Bears lost was Oct.1, at Columbia in double-overtime. Since then they have gone 4–0–2, tying ninth-ranked St. John’s and Cornell. Both of those games were on the road.

    “Brown [is] always one of the better teams in the league, and they have high standards,” head coach Brian Tompkins said. “They will be a tough opponent, and we need to bring our best concentration and effort.”

    Yale took the lead early last year in Providence, but the Bears bounced back with a vicious second half, scoring three goals in and allowing the Bulldogs just one look at their net. The final score was4–1. This year the Elis will look to exert greater presure around the net, a place they struggled to reach at Columbia where they were outshot 6–2 in the first half. Brown also likes starting fast, outscoring its opponents 7–3 in the first half.

    But the Bulldogs may have the edge in motivation, as Saturday will be senior day for captain Chris Dennen ’12, Marcus DiLallo ’12, Aden Farina-Henry ’12, Andy Hackbarth ’12, Charlie Neil ’12, Charlie Paris ’12 and Brad Rose ’12, who will be playing in the final home game of their careers. Just this season the group has produced 11 of the team’s 22 goals, and 15 of 25 assists for the season. But they are still looking for one championship.

    “I can see the end of my career right before me…I can speak for the entire senior class, we don’t want it to end,” Dennen said.

    Kickoff is 5:30 p.m. this Saturday at Reese Stadium.

  3. M. SOCCER | Bulldogs drop to fourth place

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    The men’s soccer team lost its second Ivy League match at Columbia after a historic October snowfall delayed Saturday’s game until Sunday afternoon.

    The field was cleared of all the snow, and head coach Brian Tompkins said the sunny conditions were perfect for soccer. Tompkins added it was unfortunate that the Bulldogs took an entire half to warm up, falling behind 1–0 when Lion striker Will Stamatis scored his sixth goal of the season 30 minutes into the game. Tompkinssaid the team was hesitant and “a bit too respectful” of the home-team Lions.

    “Sometimes it just happens that way, especially when you go on the road,” hesaid. “It’s not unusual for teams to have ups and downs.”

    Yale (3–2–0Ivy) cannot afford to have too many downs this Ivy season, as the loss dropped them to fourth place in the race for the Ivy championship,tying the team with Columbia (3–2–0, Ivy).

    After the Lions scored Yale was forced to hunt for the equalizer for the rest of the match. Tompkins said the team was much more competitive in the second half, winning more 50–50 balls and defending better against the persistent Columbia attack. But the ball was constantly in transition and the Bulldogs, a team that relies on developing its attack through the midfield, had trouble getting settled and maintaining possession.

    Defender Milan Tica ’13 had a chance at the Lions’ goal when he headed Jenner Fox’s ’14 cross-kick wide of the net. Tica said the failed combination epitomized the Bulldogs’ effort for the day.

    “I think that our creativity just wasn’t there today. We did really well getting into their defensive third of the field, but the final pass and final touch just never worked out,” Tica said.

    The Lions finished the game with twice as many shots, 10, as the Elis, and three more shots on goal. The Bulldogs only had one dangerous opportunity, when Brad Rose ’12 shot deflected off a Columbia defender standing in front of the net. Overall, the Bulldogs’ offensive production has taken a big hit in October, as the team has managed 66 shots compared to September’s output of 124. Goalie Bobby Thalman ’13 was one of several players who ascribed this dip to the increase in defensive pressure and competition that comes with the Ivy League.

    “You’re never going to see thaat many blowout games in Ivy competition,” Thalman said. “The goal count goes down as defenses lock it up.”

    Only two teams have won the Ivy League after losing two games: Dartmouth in 1964 and Brown in 1975. This year looks to be an especially close race, as current frontrunner Cornell (8–1–5, Ivy) tied with rankings bottom-dweller Princeton (1–3–1, Ivy) Sunday, dropping the Big Red to within two points of Yale and Columbia, and only one point of Dartmouth and Brown.

    “We definitely stepped in a pothole today, but we’re still alive,” Tompkins said. “We have to beat Brown.”

    This Saturday’s game at Brown will be Yale’s last at home, an important factor as the Bulldogs have scored more than twice as many goals at Reese Stadium as they have away, and given up almost half as many goals to their opponents. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

  4. M. SOCCER | On the road again

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    The men’s soccer team is preparing for a “do-or-die” game this Saturday at Columbia.

    That’s because Yale (7–5–2, 3–1 Ivy) is tied for second place with Dartmouth, just one point behind undefeated Cornell. The team has a legitimate shot at the Ivy championship. But to get there it will almost undoubtedly have to win its last three games, starting this Saturday at Columbia. Only twice in Ivy League history has a two-loss team won the championship: Dartmouth in 1964, and Brown in 1975. The last time Yale won a men’s soccer championship was 2005, when the Bulldogs shared it with Dartmouth and Brown.

    In its last four visits to Columbia (5–7–1, 2–2 Ivy), Yale is 4–0. The Lions are coming off a 2–0 loss to Dartmouth, a team that Yale beat 2–0 at home. Even though this game might look like a lock for the Bulldogs, history has proven it will be a difficult test. After last week’s thrilling overtime victory at Penn, Yale must hit the road again. The last time the Elis won back-to-back road games was in 2003 at Quinnipiac and Penn.

    Captain Chris Dennen ’12, who is the only Yale player from New York, said he is familiar with many of the Columbia players from summer league.

    “They’re an athletic, physical, fit team,” Dennen said. “We can’t shy up. We need to come and bring it.”

    One advantage the Bulldogs will have against their opponents is on the defensive side of the ball, according to statistics. Yale has allowed the second fewest goals overall in the Ivy League, 13, and Columbia has allowed the second most, 18. Ivy frontrunner Cornell is in first with only eight goals allowed all season. When the Big Red beat Yale 2–0 two weeks ago it complemented a strong defensive line with an aggressive, opportunistic attack. Goalie Bobby Thalman ’13 said the team can’t afford to start this game slowly.

    “They’ve got some skilled players at the midfield … We have to make sure no one slips through and keep the back line organized,” Thalman said.

    If the previous four Ivy games have been any indication, the team’s seniors will have a large role to play on Saturday. All three of Yale’s game-winning shots have come from seniors: Dennen against Harvard, Charlie Paris ’12 at Penn and Charlie Neil ’12 against Dartmouth. Neil said the team has not lost its composure this season.

    Dennen added that experience from last year has helped. In 2010, the team faced a one-win Ivy League season. Dennen added that this year’s team has a sense of urgency last year’s lacked.

    “I can see the end of my career right before me … I can speak for the entire senior class, we don’t want it to end,” Dennen said.

    Kickoff is at Columbia this Saturday at 4 p.m.

    Contact david mcneill at

  5. M. SOCCER | Elis notch double overtime victory

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    After tying Sacred Heart last Wednesday 1-1 in double overtime, the Bulldogs were not ready to settle for a second consecutive draw. As the clock reached the 105th minute on Saturday night, forward Charlie Paris ’12 scored a sudden-death goal to lift Yale to a 2-1 victory over Penn.

    Yale (7-5-2, 3-1 Ivy) first took the lead in the 57th minute off the foot of captain and midfielder Chris Dennen ’12. Dennen controlled a pass from defender Marcus DiLallo ’12 and drove it past Penn goalkeeper Max Kurtzman. Although the Quakers (6-6-2, 1-3 Ivy) tied the game on a free kick in the 83rd minute, Dennen said that the Elis were not discouraged.

    “We knew that they were a man down and that if we kept fighting and did not give up that the goal would come,” Dennen said. Quaker midfielder Nick Unger gave the Elis a man advantage when he was given a red card in the 78th minute.

    While the Class of 2012 netted both goals for the Elis, Coach Brian Tompkins and two players on the team noted that the seniors brought more to the game than just goals. Goalkeeper Bobby Thalman ’13 said that every senior has stepped up to bring confidence and leadership to the team. Tompkins added that the seniors have brought a great energy and spirit to the team since the first day of preseason.

    One senior that brought that energy off of the bench against Penn was Paris, Tompkins said. Paris substituted in for forward Peter Jacobson ’14 in the 32nd minute.

    Paris made the substitution pay off in the 105th minute with his game-winning goal. Forward Brad Rose’s ’12 shot deflected to Paris, who passed the ball to Dennen for a give-and-go that set up the winning goal.

    “It is an amazing feeling to step up and help this team win,” Paris said. “It was the best give-and-go I have had in my life, and I knocked it in.”

    Thalman and Tompkins said that the defense did an excellent job against one of the fastest offenses the Elis will face this season. Thalman stated that the defense contested every shot and contained and stayed in front of the Quaker attack. Paris added that Yale’s defense gave the offense a chance to win the game, despite Penn’s out-shooting Yale 24 to 16.

    When Penn was able to get past Yale’s defense, Thalman made eight saves to keep the Elis in the game. Tompkins and two players said that Thalman gave a solid performance in goal.

    “[Bobby] really controlled the box,” Dennen said. “He was huge for us in the game.”

    With the victory, the Elis remain in a tie with Dartmouth for second place in the Ivy League. They are just one point behind first-place Cornell. Tompkins said that the league is still wide open at this point in the season, and that Yale is among several teams that have a chance. Along with their coach, however, Dennen and two other players remain confident that the Elis can contend for the Ivy League title.

    The team will face Columbia on Saturday, Oct. 29 in New York.

  6. M. SOCCER | Elis travel to Penn in “must-win” game

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    The men’s soccer team will travel to Philadelphia on Saturday to face Penn (6–5–2, 1–2 Ivy) in an Ivy League matchup that will have large implications for whether either team will be a serious title contender.

    Since both teams are still in the hunt for a strong Ivy finish, with Yale (6–5–2, 2–1) in a four-way tie for second, head coach Brian Tompkins said that the game will be highly competitive.

    “There is a lot at stake for both teams,” Tompkins said. “I think you are going to see a lot of highly motivated play from both teams. … If we get ourselves a win down there it would keep us in contention for the Ivy League championship.”

    Bulldog players said the trip could prove to be one of their most difficult trips of the season, as Tompkins and two players emphasized the unique environment created by Penn’s Rhodes Field.

    “[Rhodes Field] is unusual,” Tompkins said. “It is sandwiched between a freeway, a river and a railway.”

    The noise from Highway 76, the Schuylkill River and 30th Street Railway station will be combined with the crowd that goalkeeper Bobby Thalman ’13 said Penn attracts to its home games.

    Midfielder and captain Chris Dennen ’12 added that another unique feature of the field at Penn is that it is grass, whereas Yale plays most of its games on turf.

    Tompkins and the players stressed that they will not be changing their strategy for the game, however. Thalman and Tompkins said that the team is balanced, so that they do not have to work on one particular aspect of the game.

    “The nice thing is that we don’t have any glaring weaknesses,” said Thalman. “A number of people are scoring and our defense is solid. We are just working on little things to help us get better.” Thalman said, however, that since Penn has a strong midfield that wins a lot of balls, the defense will have to make sure to stay in front of the Quaker attack.

    With both teams entering the game with identical overall records, this game begins a stretch of four Ivy League games to finish out Yale’s regular season. Dennen and Tompkins said that a victory at Penn would put the Elis in contention for the Ivy League championship. After losing at home to Cornell last Saturday, Thalman added that the team views this game as a “must-win.”

    Tompkin and the two players all noted that the match against the Quakers will be close. Thalman and Tompkins added that the Quakers have a playing style similar to the Elis’. As an Ivy League match, they all acknowledged that this game will be played more physically.

    The Elis play three of their remaining four regular-season games away, with the only remaining home game Nov. 5 at 5:30 p.m. against the Brown Bears.

  7. M. SOCCER | Bulldogs tied up in double overtime

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    In its last non-conference game of the season, the men’s soccer team fought for a double overtime draw at Sacred Heart.

    Wednesday night, the men’s soccer team played its first of a series of three consecutive road games. Looking to rebound after last Saturday’s tough 2-0 home loss to Cornell, the Bulldogs took on the Sacred Heart Pioneers. But after 110 minutes both teams finished at 1-1, Yale’s second draw of the season.

    “We score a lot of goals, and we’ve won a bunch of games,” said captain Chris Dennen ’12. “At this point of the season we’re frustrated with a tie.”

    Both teams fared equally against the same competition leading up to the game. In September, Yale left Fairleigh Dickinson with a 1-1 tie. Ten days ago Sacred Heart also played the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights to 1-1 after double overtime. This is the third game this season the Elis have played into double overtime. During the second double overtime game, the University of Connecticut scored in the final minute to beat Yale 1-0.

    When the team arrived in Fairfield, conditions did not look promising.

    Yale was coming off its toughest loss of the season and hadn’t played on the road for over three weeks. The team’s first road game in a month at Campus Field Stadium was played on a football field, which head coach Brian Tompkins said was approximately 10 yards narrower than the turf the Elis play on at Reese Stadium. Moreover, it was raining and after sundown.

    “That’s part of the experience of being able to play in different conditions against different types of teams, and I thought they did very well,” Tompkins said. “[Sacred Heart was] a very motivated opponent.”

    Despite adverse conditions, the team pulled together to launch nine shots on goal and maintain possession for the majority of the match.

    The Bulldogs, however, were still trying to shake off the offensive misfires of the Cornell game.

    Pioneer goalkeeper Alex Fait did his best to stop them, making eight saves, including a blocked penalty kick from forward Brad Rose ’12 in the 58th minute. Fait has not made more saves in a single game this season; against Columbia he also made eight saves, but the team lost 2-1.

    “Their keeper was the difference in the game today,” Tompkins said. “He’s a big factor in their defensive play; we tested him a number of different ways.”

    Thalman made six saves during the game and also blocked a penalty kick from Omer Levy 20 minutes into the first half. Levy, however, would find space in the box early in the second half and score off a shot to the far corner of the net.

    Dennen said the team controlled possession for both the Fairfield and Cornell games but was not able to find good opportunities in the box.

    “The chemistry’s still there … no one’s discouraged,” Dennen said. “We’re a high-powered offense, and we know we can score.”

    Shortly after 30 minutes into the match, Jenner Fox ’14 lofted the ball to Peter Jacobson ’14 for a header, and Jacobson scored his fifth goal of the season.

    Goalkeeper Bobby Thalman ’13 said he was proud of the team for breaking their normal game pattern and performing on the road in the middle of the week.

    “On the road and in bad conditions you have to be on your toes,” Thalman said. “But those things don’t really get to this team.”

    Dennen agreed that the environment was very different from what the Bulldogs had grown accustomed to in the last month.

    “We’ve done a good job adjusting on the road,” Dennen said. “We’re going to have to be a good road team coming down the stretch.”

    Yale (2-1 Ivy) continues its away series at Penn (1-2 Ivy) this Saturday. All four of the Elis’ remaining games are Ivy League contests. They finished their non-conference schedule with four wins, four losses and two ties.

  8. M. SOCCER | Yale sees red against Cornell

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    The Big Red charged out of the gate Saturday, catching Yale off guard with its physicality and speed. After scoring two goals in the first half, it shut down a furious Yale rally in the second to hold the score 2-0 and clinch the top spot in the Ivy League.

    The Bulldogs had a difficult time containing aggressive Cornell midfielder and captin Jimmy Lannon. He earned a yellow card in the first 90 seconds of play and looked dangerous on every single possession he took up the left sideline. Lannon assisted on both of Cornell’s goals, taking advantage of a normally disciplined Yale defense that on Saturday was out of position for much of the first half. The result was predictable: Cornell had close, alarming shots that were too much for goalkeeper Bobby Thalman ’13 to handle.

    “Their team fights for everything,” Thalman said after the game. “They finished their chances.”

    The Elis came out angry in the second half. Even though it dominated time of possession, Yale (2-1-0 Ivy) couldn’t create a viable threat to Big Red’s net. Cornell (3-0-0 Ivy) denied the Bulldogs their traditional avenues of attack, as Max McKiernan ’14 and Brad Rose ’12 — two of Yale’s most potent offensive weapons — could only watch in frustration as they were repeatedly pushed off the ball by heavier Cornell defenders.

    To compensate Yale used Milan Tica ’13 — a 6’4” 200 lb defender — extensively during the second half, even to challenge throw-ins and goal-kicks on the Big Red side. But no one on the Yale offense had any real answer to the disciplined back-line of Cornell.

    “We got sucked into their style of play,” Tica said after the game. “They were a high energy, aggressive team … they’ve figured out their style.”

    Tica added that Cornell has not been a historically good team. This will be the Big Red’s first winning season since 2001. The team that went 1-15 three years ago, and 0-5-2 in conference last season, is now on an eleven-game unbeaten streak. Cornell goalkeeper Rick Pflasterer explained the turnaround in the simplest way he could: just hard work.

    “We didn’t feel like we’ve done our best,” Pflasterer said. “Our coach has us looking forward.”

    Pflasterer said the Yale attack was one of the strongest the team had seen all season, although Cornell knew what to expect from the Elis: size mismatches in the box and dangerous throw-ins from Marcus DiLallo ’12. Adding to Pflasterer’s sense of familiarity was Pflasterer’s hometown acquaintance, Ann Arbor native forward Peter Jacobson ’14. One of Pflasterer’s four saves came off a Jacobson shot in the second half.

    Yale gets a short turnaround this week as it travels to Fairfield to play Sacred Heart on Wednesday for its final non-conference game of the year. After that, Ivy play continues this Saturday when the Bulldogs travel to a reeling Penn (1-2-0). Pflasterer, who faced the Quakers in Cornell’s 1-0 Ivy-opening win, said the Yale team has greater size, but needs to be wary of Penn’s speed and directness on the offensive.

    For Thalman, the rest of the season can’t come soon enough.

    “This motivates us even more,” Thalman said of the loss. “It gives us a little reality check.”

    Kick-off at Sacred Heart is scheduled for 8 p.m. this Wednesday.

  9. M. SOCCER | Yale and Cornell fight for Ivy lead

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    Last year, both Cornell and Yale were playing to see who would move to the very bottom of the Ivy League. This year, both teams are 2–0 in the Ivy League, and tomorrow’s game will determine which team will control the number one spot in the race for the Ivy Championship.

    “At the beginning of the season nobody would have believed this game would have been for the top of the table, except for the players on each team,” goalkeeper Bobby Thalman ’13 said.

    This season, Cornell (7–1–3) has only lost one game: its seasonopener against Niagra University.The Big Red, however, has also been one of the few teams that Yale (6–4–1) has been able to beat consistently in recent years: the Bulldogs have won their last three games against Cornell.

    Both teams have beaten Harvard this year. The Crimson lost 1–0 at Reese Stadium, yet a week later jumped out to a one-goal lead in the first half in Ithaca. But Cornell dominated in the second half against the Crimson, scoring two shots off of long breakaway passes. Cornell forward and two-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week, Conor Goepel, clinched the victory with a goal of his own 15 minutes later.

    Cornell has won its last three games in the second half: both games against Colgate and Penn were decided in the final 10 minutes.

    Yale has not played a close game since its victory three games into the season against Quinnipiacwhen the Bobcats tied the score at 2–2 with just six minutes left in the game. Charlie Neil ’12 retaliated just three minutes later to give Yale the win. The Elis have not scored under similar pressure since then.

    But Cornell’s road game at Penn seemed like the mirror image to the Bulldog’s last road game at UConn: the Big Red were able to cash in on a lucky bounce off a corner kick to score in the final minute of regulation. The Bulldogs lost in the final minute of double overtime off a similarly unlucky bounce.

    Cornell will face a shorter turnaround between games than Yale, as the team laces up just four days after its Tuesday night victory over Colgate. Cornell has only traveled three times this season, playing the majority of its games at home.

    Yale has a 5–1 record at home. Neil said that with each passing game the team has been showing improvement —after losing at UConn the team is 3–0.

    “Confidence is real high right now,” Neil said. “I think guys are looking forward to getting back onto the field this week… players are getting more and more confident in themselves as the season’s gone on.”

    Thalman said the team expects to win all of its games and needs to win if it wishes to achieve its goals.

    “From the beginning it was a consensus among the team that we want an Ivy Championship and we want to make the [NCAA] Tournament,” Thalman said. “Anything less would be a failure.”

    The Bulldogs will meet the Big Red this Saturday at Reese Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

  10. M. SOCCER | Scoring against Thalman proves tall order

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    Bobby Thalman ’13 thinks there is something strange about soccer goalies’ willingness to have the weight of the game riding on their shoulders. He should know, as he prepares for his 29th start as the Bulldogs’ goalkeeper this Saturday against Cornell.

    “You have to enjoy the pressure … it’s something in my personality,” Thalman said. “Maybe it’s because I don’t enjoy running that much.”

    Thalman said that he always relished the opportunity to be a hero — it was the times when he became the villain that he had trouble with.

    When Thalman entered the net for the first time as a Yale goalie in the fall of 2009, his team was already down two goals at Sacred Heart. Thalman went on to allow two more goals. The Bulldogs lost 4–0.

    “Before the actual game I had forgotten some gear … I was completely oblivious to what was going on,” Thalman said, laughing at the memory. “Now I can see where I started and how I’ve grown.”

    That growth began when he injured his knee in the final moments of his high school career. It was U-18 Nationals, the game was in overtime, and Thalman came out of the box to stuff the opponent’s shot. Instead of a save, however, Thalman injured his knee, and the other team scored to take the win. His sister, Jessica Thalman, said he refused to talk to anyone after that game.

    “It was a wake-up call,” Jessica said. “Things always came easy for him, athletically and academically. Here he knew he would have to work. It’s time to grow up. It’s time to move on.”

    Jessica, who was a goalkeeper herself at Gonzaga for four years, has helped Thalman work through the challenges of being a Division I goalkeeper. He called her one of his coaches.

    Now, when something goes wrong, Thalman said he can take in stride.

    “Sophomore year, I was more focused on personal play and statistics, looking at the newspaper, wondering ‘what’s everyone going to think?’” he said. “Now, it’s not one game. It’s not one statistic. It’s whether you get the win.”

    But his statistics are impressive. This season Thalman is ranked 10th nationally among Division I goalies, with 62 saves. His save percentage and saves per game are also in the top 15. Men’s head soccer coach Brian Tompkins was quick to point out it wasn’t the number but the nature of the saves that mattered most to the team.

    “He’s made game-saving stops in several games and allowed us to win,” Tompkins said. “His shot-stopping range is outstanding.”

    That “shot-stopping range” refers to Thalman’s 6-foot-5-inch frame, an asset that allows him to cover more of the net than many other goalies. Jessica said that height allows Thalman to “own the box.”

    “He is very, very confident,” she said. “Now he goes up and grabs it like it’s no big deal.”

    Thalman’s entire family was able to see him play in person against Harvard in September, when he made eight saves, including three diving stops. He was named Ivy League Player of the Week a few days later for his efforts in that game and in the team’s 1–0 double-overtime heartbreaker of a loss at No. 1 UConn.

    Thalman’s confidence has made him a leader of the defense.

    “[Success] is about how your team perceives you,” Jessica said. “In that sense, he’s at the top of his game.”

    Thalman and his teammates will face Cornell this Saturday with first place in the Ivy League at stake.

  11. M. SOCCER | Big Green brings big offense

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    Men’s soccer will face the second-ranked team in the Ivy League when it plays Dartmouth tomorrow.

    The Big Green (4–3–2) is on a four-game Ivy winning streak, as it ended last season by beating No. 14 Brown before making it all the way to the third round of the NCAA tournament, with wins over No. 13 Monmouth and No. 9 Notre Dame. Dartmouth’s 2010 season ended when No. 8 UCLA outscored the team 2–1 in double overtime.

    That streak continued last Saturday when the Big Green dominated at Princeton, outscoring last year’s Ivy League champions 4–1 and bringing the Tigers’ own Ivy streak of 12 victories to an end.

    “[Dartmouth is] always competing for the Ivy League title,” midfielder Charlie Neil ’12 said. “Dartmouth plays a similar style to us … [and] we’re hoping that we can play around them.”

    That style is high-tempo, using quick passes to move the ball between the many different scoring threats that Yale (5–4–1) has on offense. One of those threats, Brad Rose ’12, had to sit out last Saturday’s rivalry game against Harvard, a contest that may have gotten a little too close for comfort as Harvard outshot the Elis in the second half.

    Neil said that while Rose is a great contributor, there are many other players who can play an offensive role. Yale leads the Ivy League with 20 assists from 10 different players. The Elis are tied for first with Penn for the most goals in the Ivies, at 17, also coming from 10 different players.

    “We don’t go through one individual, anyone can step up on any day,” Neil said.

    Dartmouth, however, has an offense which is equally dangerous. The Big Green is first in the average number of goals per game, and it is coming into the Ivy season with serious momentum after winning its last three games. Earlier this week Dartmouth forward Lucky Mkosana was named to the Ivy League honor roll for his two goals against Princeton, before leading the team with six shots and a goal in its Tuesday night victory against Vermont.

    Mkosana scored one goal and had an assist to defeat Yale 3–1 last year in Hanover.

    In order to beat Dartmouth at home this year, Neil said the team needs to get the ball to its forwards quickly to create as many different scoring opportunities as possible. So far this year the team has scored on throw-ins, penalty kicks, headers, and from all over the box. Almost every goal went through two or three Yale players before it found the net.

    “We’ve learned from the first 10 games, and we feel like we’re an experienced team heading into the second half of the season,” Neil said. “I feel like we’re hitting our stride, [and] we hope we can create a tough environment for our opponent to play in.”

    Kickoff is tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Reese Stadium.