HANOVER, N.H. — Playing a man down and a goal ahead over the final 12-plus minutes of regulation, the Columbia men's soccer team came seconds from victory but ultimately had to hold on through overtime for a draw, 1-1, Saturday night at Dartmouth.
 
First-year Adrien Wheaton-Schopp put Columbia (1-7-4, 0-2-2 Ivy) ahead with his first collegiate goal in the 38th minute. The Lions held that one-goal lead when the match took a turn in the final stages. Max Gonzalez was sent off with two quick yellows and the Lions were forced to drop back. They nearly held on but Dartmouth (2-9-1, 0-3-1 Ivy) leveled with 46 seconds remaining to force overtime.
 
Less than a minute into overtime, Dartmouth put the ball in the back of the net and thought they had won the match. The home team's celebration was cut short, as after deliberating for a few minutes the officials whistled the Big Green for offside on the goal-scoring attempt.
 
The man-down disadvantage didn't provide the Lions a lot of looks in overtime. Junior goalkeeper Michael Collodi made five of his career-high 10 saves through the extra periods and also got a little help from the post to help the Lions walk away with a point.
 
"This group's spirit and desire to win is always there," Columbia head coach Kevin Anderson said. "It's a tough situation to deal with on the road in a hostile environment when you're up a goal, then you go down a man, then you think the match is over and Dartmouth gets a goal called back. We were sitting there in limbo not knowing what to make of it for a while. For our guys to regroup and reorganize after all that is a step in the right direction for us.
 
"I think when we are at even numbers there were portions of the game that went both ways. When you go a player down, you have to decide how you're going to set your group up. The guys were good and resilient. We knew Dartmouth would get lots of service in from it and, to be fair, we did a really good job limiting Dartmouth to headers from distance off many of those chances."
 
The beginning stages of the match were played mostly in the midfield. Neither team got off a shot until Dartmouth headed an attempt just wide of the post 14 minutes in. The Big Green began to add pressure over the next 15 minutes and fired off another look that was saved through the hands of Collodi and trickled wide of the post.
 
The Lions got themselves into the match and fired off their first shot on a beautifully weighted ball into the area from out near the touch line by Jake Novoshelski. Wheaton-Schopp caught up to it and tried to volley it through with a defender applying pressure, but it made for a rather routine save for Costi Christodoulou. It would be the Dartmouth keeper's only save of the night.
 
Columbia continued to play more in the Dartmouth half and were soon rewarded. Ryan Kipness sent a quick throw to the top-left corner of the penalty area. A Dartmouth defender leapt to try and head it away, but instead of clearing it, the ball glanced off the Big Green player's head and dropped perfectly in stride for Wheaton-Schopp. The first-year from Bethesda, Maryland took one controlling touch and ripped a right-footed shot from the top of the six into the back to put his team on top.

38' | Columbia 1, Dartmouth 0

Here's Adrien Wheaton-Schopp's first collegiate goal off the quick throw by Ryan Kipness. Lions in front!

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— Columbia Mens Soccer (@CULionsMSOC) October 23, 2021

Wheaton-Schopp had the only two Columbia shots at the half. Three of Dartmouth's four attempts were off target.
 
The Big Green came inches from leveling 15 minutes into the second half, but a ball played through the box from David Alino was poked just wide of the post by Finn Callahan. A few minutes later, Collodi came up with a dazzling save off a hard shot from in close by Callahan. The rebound off his hands was sent high into the air and cleared off the line by Andrew Stevens.
 
As Dartmouth tried to apply more pressure, Columbia got off a few bursts on the counter. A nifty backheel played on by Hugo Hamilton gave the Lions numbers in the attack. The ball was eventually played back for Hamilton, whose shot was blocked away for a corner.
 
The match was turned on its head in the 78th minute. Referee Ernesto Rodriguez issued Max Gonzalez a caution for delaying the game just as Gonzalez attempted to throw the ball in. Thirteen seconds later, Gonzalez was called for a foul near midfield and Rodriguez issued Gonzalez his second caution, resulting in a red card and putting Columbia a man down the rest of the way.
 
The Lions did the best they could to hold on but the 90th-minute equalizer dashed their hopes of a victory. The goal was scored by Matt Pickering, who beat Collodi to a shot that was blocked through the box and snuck it under the diving keeper.
 
Columbia would have to defend nearly the entirety of the two 10-minute overtimes, but did ultimately salvage its second point in as many matches.
 
The final non-conference match of the season awaits the Lions at home on Tuesday as they host La Salle. Kickoff from Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
 
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For the latest on Columbia men's soccer, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@CULionsMSOC), on Facebook (ColumbiaMensSoccer), or by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com.