Andrew Olsen '11 notched what would be the eventual game-winner in the 19th minute of the game, making a great play to volley home an attempted clearance by a Brown defender. The goal was Olsen's third game-winner of the year and was all the team would need to capture its 11th victory of the season.
The Big Green (11-5-1, 5-1-1 Ivy) went into the contest tied for second place in the Ivy League with Penn (11-2-4, 5-1-1 Ivy) behind Harvard (11-5-0, 5-2-0 Ivy). The knew that it needed to win to have any chance of capturing a share of the league title.
Brown (9-7-1, 3-4-0 Ivy), on the other hand, was looking to secure its 10th win of the season, which would have made it eligible for an at-large bid to the 48-team NCAA tournament that starts this weekend.
In what turned out to be a cagey affair, both teams came out strong, but the focus was certainly on the defense. A day of heavy rain Friday made the pitch especially slick, and play was largely confined to the center of the field as neither team could muster any sustained attacks. The Big Green only had six shots on the night, but five of those were on goal. The Bears were held to only five shots with only two of those on goal.
"The field was pretty slick, and it made it tough to string many passes together," co-captain Craig Henderson '09 said.
Olsen's goal came when Aaron Gaide '11 crossed a ball toward the far corner of the box. A Brown defender got a foot on the ball, and kicked it up away from the goal. Olsen chased down the ball, beating a Brown defender to the spot, and let loose a deadly left-foot volley. Brown goalkeeper Paul Grandstrand, who was last year's Ivy League rookie of the year, could do nothing as the shot found the back of the net.
Seven minutes after Olsen's goal the Big Green had another chance, as substitute Austin Bowers '11 found himself behind the defense on the left side of the goal. He brought the ball back towards the middle of the field and fired at the Brown net. This time, Grandstrand was able to turn the shot away and keep the Bears in the game.
Brown forward Sean Rosa had a chance to tie the game up on a volleyed cross before the half, but goalkeeper and co-captain Sean Milligan '09 stonewalled him and preserved the Big Green's lead.
"I thought our entire back four played tremendously and focused throughout the 90 minutes," Milligan said.
Early in the second half, just after the hour mark, Lucky Mkosana '12 was able to provide the brace for the Big Green. Brendan Lane '11 fired a lofted through ball from near midfield up the field. Mkosana beat the offside trap perfectly and faked out Grandstrand before knocking the ball home.
"The defenders tried an offside trap, but I stayed in line with them, and I managed to fake the goalie and go the opposite way," Mkosana said.
In the 75th minute, the Bears had one more chance in a goalmouth scramble, but a save from Milligan, a second-chance shot off the post and a great defensive effort from Bryan Giudicelli '11 kept the ball out of the net.
The shutout was Milligan's sixth of the year and the 17th of his career.
After Penn's win against Harvard, the Big Green find themselves tied for first in the Ivy League.
Penn will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but the Big Green has made a strong case to be considered for an at-large berth and possible home match in the first round of the tournament.
In last week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America national rankings, the Big Green was 27th. That ranking is likely to improve given Harvard's loss and the Big Green win.
Milligan pointed out the team's improvement since the start of the season.
"I think we have improved tremendously over the course of the season," Milligan said. "We are a very young team, and I think the experience that everyone gained was a huge factor in our success. We were a little bit on the rocks in the middle of the season but came together and closed out the season-winning five straight crucial games."
"We are quietly confident that we have done enough to make the tournament," Henderson said. "But you never know what to expect so we'll just have to sit tight until the announcement on Monday. It would be fantastic if we could get a home game and another great crowd."
Dartmouth will find out on Monday whether it will receive a bid to host one last home game, which would take place this Friday or Saturday. Regardless, the team has a share of its first Ivy crown since 2005.
