NEW YORK — First year Stepan Kapranov scored an equalizing goal less than 90 seconds out of halftime, but Dartmouth answered and, despite going down a man, held on to defeat Columbia men's soccer, 2-1, Saturday night at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium.
 
Dartmouth (2-4-3, 1-2-0 Ivy) earned its first win of the Ivy League season. The Big Green opened the scoring in the 33rd minute on first year Ben Bilden's first career goal. He headed in a cross sent in by James Wilson from the far side, sneaking it past Dean Kelliher and inside the left post.
 
The Dartmouth goal came just 10 minutes after Columbia (1-5-3, 0-2-1 Ivy) hit the woodwork on a close-range free kick by Jack McDaid. Alessandro Franciosa followed with a hard bouncing shot that goalkeeper TJ Jeffreys saved out of the bottom left. Those opportunities were Columbia's best of the half. Jeffreys came up with three saves on the evening.
 
Just 74 seconds into the second half, Columbia equalized. First year Amir Yahalom played a low ball through the middle of the field up to his rookie classmate. Kapranov shielded off a defender, took a step to his right and drove a shot hard and low to his left that beat Jeffreys to bring the Lions back on level terms. The goal was Kapranov's second of the season.
 
Luke Zielinski nearly put Columbia ahead 10 minutes into the half. He collected a ball sent ahead in front of his own bench, beat his man into the box and drove a shot toward goal from eight yards that Jeffreys could only hope to put his hands up and save. Thankfully, for the Dartmouth keeper, he was in the right place, parrying the shot away over his end line.
 
Two minutes later, Dartmouth took the lead. An attempt by Columbia to clear the ball from deep in its own half was plucked away by the Big Green. Olly Spicer and Eidur Baldvinsson made several quick passes, back and forth, outside the left half of the penalty area. Spicer then sent Baldvinsson ahead for a close-range shot that found the back of the net.
 
The momentum from the Dartmouth goal would be turned on its head just a minute later. Already sitting on a yellow, Dartmouth's Alexis Huneau grabbed Henning Myrvang from behind on a potential goal-scoring opportunity. Referee Sergio Gonzalez reached for his pocket with no hesitation, showing Huneau a second yellow, followed by the red, before Huneau even had time to turn around.
 
Columbia played with the man advantage for the final 33 minutes and outshot Dartmouth 6-0 over that time. Ultimately, the closest the Lions came to leveling the game back up was on a look from in close by Henning Myrvang that a Big Green defender blocked away before it reached Jeffreys.

The Lions make a short trip upstate to Army West Point (4-4-4) for a non-conference matchup on Tuesday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
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