Two Lions Score First Collegiate Goals As Men's Soccer Draws 2-2 Against Manhattan College

Upper West Side NY

14 September, 2021

12:31 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY ROBERT GAO AND REBECCA WACHEN SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 The Columbia men's soccer team (1-1-1, 0-0 Ivy) fought for 110 minutes in a double-overtime 2-2 draw against Manhattan on Friday night. In their third match of the season after nearly two years off, the Lions looked to improve upon a 2019 season that left much to be desired. That year, the Light Blue posted a losing conference record, only mustering Ivy League wins against Brown and Harvard. When standout midfielder John Denis, CC '19, graduated, the team's chances of reaching another Ivy League title following its 2016 championship run were weakened. The Jaspers controlled the first 10 minutes of the game, getting two shots off of Columbia. The Light Blue gained possession and took its first shot of the game in the 12th minute, which sophomore midfielder Hugo Hamilton missed wide. Columbia put additional pressure on Jasper goalkeeper Danny DiMarco in the 33rd minute, when junior midfielder Brian Timoney took a shot at goal that DiMarco ultimately saved. Two minutes later, sophomore forward Jake Novoshelski—the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Week—took another shot at DiMarco, but the netminder made another save. After a wide shot taken by first-year forward Paolo Primavera, the Jaspers were able to regain possession of the ball, and, at the 40-minute mark, Manhattan forward Johan Velez dodged several Light Blue defenders and slid the ball just past junior goalkeeper Matthew Goodman to score. The Lions did not let up, though, and quickly put pressure on the Manhattan defense. Following the Jaspers' block of a shot taken by sophomore defender David Walley, the Lions earned themselves their first corner kick of the game. With possession of the ball, the Light Blue was able to convert in the 42nd minute, when Primavera pulled the Manhattan goalkeeper toward him and chipped the ball over his head for senior defender Will Todd to head in for his first career goal. Todd felt confident that his team would not let up after Manhattan's initial goal. "Whenever we give up a goal, we're always going to look back to get straight back on the front foot, score as soon as we can," he said. "And that is what we did today." The Lions went into the halftime break on a positive note after Todd's goal, and head coach Kevin Anderson reminded them that there was even more that could be done. "I just had to ask them to think for a second how fortunate we are," Anderson said. "Bring the same attitudes and the same skill sets that got them here," he reminded them. "Apply those, and if we apply those, then the tactics are set." In the 66th minute, the Lions led a promising attack down the field, with Timoney setting up Novoshelski for a shot that got past the keeper into the back of the net, but the official ruled the forward offside. Columbia pulled ahead in the 79th minute, when first-year defender Bryan Cosman, assisted by senior midfielder Sebastian Gunbeyi, beat his man off the dribble and buried his shot—his first goal as a Lion. Cosman credited Todd, his fellow defender, for exhibiting leadership. "It really motivates me to be a better player because just seeing how he plays and the way he is on and off the ball is something that I want to reach in the future, so it just brings me into a new perspective on how to play the game," Cosman said. The Jaspers responded just three minutes later, however, when Manhattan forward Oswald Annang took a pass from Ronan O'Brien and scored his second goal of the season. With the game tied at 2-2, a tough save by Goodman in the 89th minute sent the match to extra time. Both teams missed opportunities to win in the two overtime periods, with Columbia taking six shots and Manhattan taking three. Perhaps the closest Columbia came to scoring the winning goal and breaking the 2-2 draw was in the 102nd minute, with Timoney taking the ball from a Manhattan defender deep in Jasper territory and firing off a shot from the top of the penalty area. The shot flew just above a leaping DiMarco's outstretched fingertips but bounced off of the crossbar. The Light Blue is still searching for some momentum to build on as it has not yet been able to string together consecutive wins this preseason. The Lions will host Brown on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. to begin Ivy League play. Staff writer Robert Gao can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @robertgao01. Staff writer Rebecca Wachen can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @rebecca_wachen. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.