Columbia
YALE
Men's Soccer Falls to Yale, 2-1
10/31/2009 9:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
NEW YORK -- Senior James Prince gave the Columbia University men's soccer team an early 1-0 lead in the 21st minute against Yale, but the Bulldogs would come back with a pair of goals in a span of 3:22 in the first half to take a 2-1 victory at a rainy Columbia Soccer Stadium on Saturday evening.
With the loss, the Lions fall to 4-9-1 overall and 2-3 in the Ivy League, while Yale improves to 5-7-3 and 2-3 in Ivy League play.
Sophomore defender Ronnie Shaban would play a key role in Columbia's goal, as he took a drop pass from junior Peppe Carotenuto and fired a rocket toward goal. Prince was standing in the box and re-directed the shot past Yale goalkeeper Travis Chulick to give the Lions an early lead.
Yale would come back in the 32nd minute, as Jon Carlos sent a cross from the right side to Brad Rose, who flicked a header past Lion goalkeeper Alexander Aurrichio to knot the score at 1-1.
Minutes later, Rose would strike again as his shot from the left side from 15 yards out found the back of the net and gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 advantage.
With less than four minutes remaining in the opening stanza, junior Bayo Adafin had a chance at the equalizer. His left-footed try far post was denied by Chulick on a diving stop, allowing Yale to go into halftime ahead.
Four minutes into the second stanza, sophomore Will Young sent a beautiful ball into the box to first-year Will Stamatis. Stamatis timed his run perfectly and sent a shot on net that was saved again by Chulick.
At the 31:25 mark of the second half, Adafin was stonewalled again by the Yale goalkeeper. The Rochester, Minn., native gathered the ball on the right side, turned inside and sent a laser far post that Chulick stopped.
In the 72nd minute, the Bulldogs had a chance to increase their lead. Andy Shorten had a go from eight yards out and no goalkeeper in net, but Young was at the goal line and cleanly made the save to keep the score at 2-1.
The Lions would have one last gasp in the closing moments, as a series of runs at net were thwarted by the Yale defense. Stamatis had a clean header that looked as though it was going to trickle into the goal to the tie the game with under a minute left but a Bulldog defender was able to clear it away.
Columbia will return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 3 as it travels to Adelphi for its final non-Ivy League match of the season.
