ONEONTA, NY – The 15th ranked Big Green of Dartmouth come calling in a highly anticipated meeting with Hartwick College's men's soccer team on Saturday night under the lights of Elmore Field. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Hawks (4-2-1) are on a roll winning their last three matches over Loyola (3-0), Hartford (1-0) and Buffalo (3-1). 'Wick, after one goal in its first four matches, has erupted for seven goals in its last three victories. The Big Green was ranked as high as #5 last week until a loss to Loyola Marymount at the University of San Diego Tournament. Dartmouth has a 4-1-1 record with four of its six matches coming by way of shutout.
Hartwick got things rolling in Mid-American Conference play on Tuesday night with a 3-1 victory at Buffalo. 'Wick had three different goal scorers and six different players pick up at least a point in the victory over the Bulls, including the first tallies of the season for juniors Nick Pratico and Jumol Harewood. Pratico headed in Owen Bottings' corner kick 10 minutes into the game for a 1-0 Hartwick lead. It was Pratico's second career goal and Botting's ninth assist in the last two seasons. Harewood cleaned up a shot from Brian Gordon that the Buffalo keeper could not handle in the 28th minute to extend the lead, and Sam Wright scored off a Nick Roydhouse assist five minutes into the second half for 'Wick's third score. Jeremy Vuolo, who ranks 2nd in the MAC in shutouts per game and 3rd in goals against average, stopped six shots.
Dartmouth lost to #18 Loyola Marymount in the University of San Diego Tournament by a final count of 3-2 on Sept. 20th. The Big Green battled back from a two-goal second-half deficit with Daniel Keat scoring twice in the 76th and 80th minute to tie the score at 2-2. The Lions, however, netted the clincher just over two minutes after Keat evened it up to escape with the win. The Big Green defense has been stingy shutting out its first four opponents in 2009, including a 7-0 pounding of St. Peter's, a 1-0 blanking of Northeastern, a scoreless draw with Connecticut, and a 2-0 win over Rhode Island. Last weekend at the San Diego Tournament, Dartmouth slipped past the host institution, 2-1, before falling to the Lions of LMU.
Last season in New Hampshire, Dartmouth scored on a penalty kick with under a minute to play to emerge with a 2-1 victory over Hartwick. Andrew Olsen converted the winner with Adam Rice adding a goal late in the first half. The Hawks tied it early in the second half on a direct kick from 20 yards away from John Paul Boyle. Dartmouth would go on to capture the 2008 Ivy League title to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Big Green advanced past Boston College in a shootout before falling to Wake Forest in the third round.
Dartmouth leads the all-time series against the Hawks with a 3-2 record. The Hawks won the first match between the two schools 3-2 in 1996 in Hanover, but the Big Green won the next two in 1997 and 1998 with identical 2-1 victories. The Hawks earned a 3-2 overtime away win in 2001 before the Big Green came away with the late victory last season for their third win over 'Wick all-time.
