Men's Soccer Falls 1-0 In Ivy League Opener Against Brown

Upper West Side NY

05 October, 2021

3:36 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY REBECCA WACHEN OCTOBER 3, 2021 Following a difficult September with only one win for Columbia men's soccer, the Lions looked to turn things around on Saturday night in their first Ivy League match of the season against Brown. Despite winning their previous three matchups against the Bears, the team continued to struggle on Saturday night, falling 1-0. Columbia (1-5-2, 0-1-0 Ivy) and Brown (3-5, 1-0-0 Ivy) each came into Saturday's game hoping to turn things around following two-and four-game losing streaks, respectively. With Saturday's loss, Columbia's goal drought drags on, now standing at five games and over 500 minutes. The Bears played aggressively from the first whistle. Brown forward Alex Mina made the first shot of the game late in the fourth minute, a move that was followed by two Brown corner kicks in the seventh and 10th minutes. Following Brown's chances on goal, Columbia regained possession of the ball when Light Blue sophomore defender Ryan Wallace took the Lions' first shot of the night, only for the shot to be saved by Brown's goalkeeper Max Waldau. The Light Blue had another chance to score in the 24th minute that nearly gave them the lead. In sending the ball from the goal line to the center of the goalkeeper's box, Wallce knocked Waldau down and gave senior midfielder Sebastian Gunbeyi a shot at the open goal. Though Gunbeyi's ball was precisely aimed for the back of the net, a Brown defender kicked it out to prevent the Lions from taking the lead. The ball ultimately stayed in Brown's possession for the majority of the first half of the game. During this time,the Bears were able to get off seven shots, as compared to Columbia's two. The Bears notched the first point on the card in the 39th minute when midfielder Derek Waleffe headed in his fifth goal of the season after a perfectly placed corner kick sent by midfielder Charlie Adams. With that goal, Waleffe now is ranked second in the Ivy League for goals scored this season. The Light Blue did not let up, earning a corner kick two minutes following Brown's goal. The Brown defense continued to prevent the Lions from breaking their no-goal streak, leaving Columbia at a 1-0 deficit come halftime. After the game, Columbia head coach Kevin Anderson said he believed that the scoring opportunities are starting to show, and the team just has to take the next step. "They just have to stay committed to continuing to put themselves in the best spots that they can," Anderson said. "Scoring goals is the most difficult part of our game. We're going to stay positive with them, we're going to encourage them, we're going to continue to help them grow and develop, and we will put our best foot forward again the next time we step out." The Bears continued to put pressure on the Lions after the halftime break. Three minutes into the second half, Brown aggressively earned another corner. Even with the Bears' offensive strength, the Lions' defense continued to prevent Brown from increasing their lead to 2-0. The Light Blue offense had yet another chance to tie up the game in the 57th minute, when junior defender Max Gonzalez sent the ball right in front of the Brown goal, where first-year forward Ryan Kipness tipped the ball toward the top of the net. Waldau, however, stopped the shot. The Lions' attempts to match up against Waldau remained unsuccessful for the remainder of the game. When Columbia came close to breaking its goal drought in the 87th minute with a perfectly-executed header by Wallace, for example, a diving Waldau put a stop to the ball. Two frustrated Lions and one Bear earned red cards with 15 seconds remaining and were sent off the field. With barely any time left after the red cards were issued, Columbia's hopes at tying up the match had come to an end. Despite Saturday's loss, the Lions are still hopeful that they can turn their season around. With much time left in the season, the Light Blue still has its eyes on the Ivy League championship. "We're going to go out there and win as many games as possible and go for a championship season," junior goalkeeper Michael Collodi said. "We're not even close to being out of it yet, so there's no reason why we can't prep for it." Columbia looks to turn things around in their conference game on Saturday, Oct. 9, where they will be back at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium to take on Penn at 7 p.m. 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.