The statistics didn't look good for the Big Green (4-5-3, 2-1-1- Ivy) before the game. Dartmouth's last win over the Penn Quakers came on November 17, 2001, when even fifth-year senior Peter Savidis '06 was not yet a part of the team. Currently leading the series 27-18-9, Penn arrived in Hanover with an impressive 7-2-1 record on the season, 3-0 in Ivy play. The Big Green, meanwhile, had won only one of its last five games.
However, as is often the case in soccer, statistics only reveal so much about a competition.
Dartmouth started solidly, with Michael Ordonez '08 being very active up front. In the 10th minute, the junior broke away from the Penn defense on a counter-attack, but his shot bounced off the Quakers' right post. Ten minutes later, Ordonez proved instrumental in the team's opening goal. He hit an in-swinging left-footed corner and Maqubela out-jumped Penn keeper Daniel Cepero to head the ball in from close range.
As Penn started to fight back, Dartmouth's injury-plagued defense struggled to cope with the Quakers' pacey forwards.
However, keeper Rowan Anders '07 was solid in goal, denying the equalizer on a number of occasions. A few minutes before the end of the first half, though, even Anders was helpless as substitute Kevin Unger was left completely unmarked in the penalty area and headed the ball into the top right corner of Dartmouth's goal.
Both team had their chances in the beginning of the second half, but it was the Big Green who managed to come out on top. Nick Christman '08 took control of a loose ball in the zone of the left midfielder and started cutting in through the center.
Michael Ordonez made a smart run on the left, drawing two defenders with him and opening space for Daniel Keat to cut in the center from a run in midfield. Christman immediately found the New Zealander, who took control of the ball with his first touch and slotted it past Cepero for the game-winner with his second.
The Big Green could have added an insurance goal to secure its victory 11 minutes from time. However, in the span of only a minute, Ordonez and Matt Carroll '09 both failed to capitalize on great chances.
First, Ordonez's close-range header was saved by Cepero with a desperate effort. In the next attack, Carroll did all the hard work after eliminating two defenders and the goalkeeper in the penalty area, only to send the ball wide of the goal from a few feet away.
At the end of the game, Keat was quick to play down his role in the team's revival. "The guys up front set up a really good platform and the midfield plays off them. The balls just seem to come my way," he said.
"It was a do or die for us, as we hosted the Ivy leaders. It was a pretty good game to watch, but a pretty stressful one to coach," Big Green Head Coach Jeff Cook said.
Cook also took time to praise the play of the freshman class after the game.
"These guys have handled pressure really well. However, we have some tremendous leadership and they wouldn't be doing so well if it wasn't for the positive influence of the upperclassmen," he said.
"We're taking each game as it goes, but there's no reason why we can't win them all until the end," Keat said.
The Big Green is back in action on Wednesday, when it hosts Boston College for a 3:00 p.m. kickoff. Dartmouth's next Ivy League game is next Saturday at Columbia.
