Columbia University
Harvard
Columbia Hosts Harvard Saturday for Ivy League Home Opener
9/29/2023 12:39:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Lions soccer teaming up for Breast Cancer Awareness doubleheader
NEW YORK — The Columbia men's soccer team (2-3-2, 0-1-0 Ivy) returns to Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium on Saturday for its Ivy League home opener against Harvard (1-3-4, 0-0-1 Ivy). First kick is set for 1 p.m. ET.
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS DOUBLEHEADER:
Saturday's game will serve as Breast Cancer Awareness Day for the Lions. Columbia's men's and women's soccer programs are teaming up to raise awareness together with the men's game at 1 p.m., followed by the women's game against Harvard at 5 p.m.
As part of raising awareness, the first 150 fans in attendance at both the men's and women's games will receive a free pink bracelet. The first 75 students at each game will receive a free Columbia fanny pack. Additionally, there will be a post-game autograph session for fans to interact with the team.
Fans who wish to team up with Columbia men's and women's soccer to donate to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation can do so by clicking here.
GAME COVERAGE:Playing for a cause!
— Columbia Athletics (@GoColumbiaLions) September 27, 2023
Join @CULionsWSOC & @CULionsMSOC for a doubleheader Saturday at Commisso Soccer Stadium, and help us support Breast Cancer Awareness. We'll have giveaways and a raffle to raise money for research.#RoarLionRoar 🦁 // #OnlyHere 🗽#FightBreastCancer pic.twitter.com/Z7tbevopvf
Fans unable to attend the game can watch live on ESPN+. Fans can also track the live stats courtesy of GoColumbiaLions.com. In-game updates will also be provided on the @CULionsMSOC Twitter and Instagram accounts.
HOME SWEET HOME:
Columbia has enjoyed a lot of success on its home turf this season. Entering Saturday's contest, the Lions are an unbeaten 2-0-1 at Commisso Soccer Stadium. In those games, they have outscored the opposition 6-1, including a 2-0 win in their last home match against Quinnipiac on September 19. In comparison, they've struggled on the road, getting outscored 8-1 with a record of 0-3-1.
COLLODI CLIMBS THE CHARTS
Michael Collodi has entered Columbia's top-five all-time in saves. The senior keeper from Frisco, Texas has totaled 210 in his career and is just five behind the late Alexander Aurrichio (2008-10) for fourth. Also within reach are Jeff Micheli (1984-87) and Steve McAnulty (1992-95), who had 231 and 235 saves, respectively. The all-time leader is John McElaney (1976-79) with 334.
DEVELOPING THE ATTACK
Columbia has made huge strides on the attack this season. Last year, they ranked 200th or worse out of 203 teams in NCAA Div. I soccer in scoring offense (0.50), total goals (8), total points (19), total assists (3), shots on goal per game (2.94), shot accuracy (0.343), points per game (1.19) and assists per game (0.19). This season, the Lions are averaging 1.00 goals per game through seven matches, and are among the top half of the NCAA in assists per game (1.14) and total assists (8). Additionally, Carmine Falco ranks top 100 in the NCAA at 0.43 assists per game, while Will DeNight has led the Lions with three goals so far this season.
A LOOK AT HARVARD
The Crimson own just one win this season, albeit against a challenging schedule. Harvard has faced three teams that have been nationally ranked at the time of the contest, including a 1-0 loss at No. 24 New Hampshire on Tuesday. Their other two games against ranked competition resulted in draws against then-No. 24 Seton Hall and current No. 14 Vermont. They started Ivy play last Saturday at home against Cornell and settled for a 1-1 draw.
Harvard has scored seven goals and conceded 11 through its first eight matches of the season. Dylan Tellado leads the team with two, while five others have each scored once. William Ebbinge owns one of those goals and lead the team with five assists, ranking him 20th in the NCAA in total assists.
THE SERIES
It's been fairly even between Columbia and Harvard in a series that began way back in 1906. Harvard currently edges the Lions, 30-27-6, but Columbia has had the better of it over their last five meetings, boasting a 3-1-1 record and outscoring the Crimson 17-6 over those contests. Last year, the two sides split the points, 1-1, in Cambridge. Joao Lima scored the equalizer for Columbia in the game's 56th minute.
FOLLOW THE LIONS:
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.
