Tired M. soccer sets lofty goals

"Harvard beats Yale, 29-29," screamed the poignantly ironic headline in the Harvard Crimson after the Cantabs rallied to tie a nationally-ranked Yale football squad in 1968. The University of Hartford's Informer from Thurs., Sept. 27 could have read "Hartford beats Yale, 2-2." "A game like that definitely leaves you with mixed emotions," Yale Coach Brian Tompkins said.

The Bulldogs (3-1-1), behind a vibrant crop of freshmen and sophomores held together by the leadership of Brian Lavin, PC '02, and Brian Larkin, MC '02, had been on a roll. Following a sloppy season-opening loss to Harvard, the Elis rebounded, stunning 16th-ranked Rhode Island before winning the Yale-Fila classic in a 2-1 win over 8th ranked UAB.

On Wed., Sept. 26, however, Yale's winning streak was stopped by an unheralded Hartford squad and its motley collection of international stars. The Bulldogs' young guns provided the offense once again, with Andrew Dealy, DC '05, and Lindsey Williams, SY '05, both netting goals off assists from Justin Burton, JE '04, who is continuing to develop into a creative playmaker in the midfield.

COURTESY SPORTS PUBLICITY Now 3-1-1, the Bulldogs hope to regroup after their recent tie with Hartford in time for their match against Cornell this weekend.

The defense, however, struggled to contain the Israeli-born Lubezky brothers, Asaf '03 and Alon '05, both of whom notched goals. "We [Burton, Williams, and Dealy] have been playing with each other since August 19, so we're already working well together," Burton said.

The real hero, though, was Hartford goalkeeper Chris Doyle '02, who recorded a career-high 15 saves, including five in overtime. "We had four or five good looks at the beginning of overtime," Williams said. "Our forwards kept the pressure on the whole time, but their keeper was strong."

Thanks to Doyle's solid play, the Elis outshot the Hawks 23-14 overall and came away with just a draw. "We felt we should have won the game," Burton said. "It was just a scrappy, ugly game."

Despite the Elis' youth and depth, fatigue was a factor in the loss: the Hartford contest was the team's third game in five days. "We've played so many games lately that we ran out of steam at the end of overtime," Tompkins said.

As the Ivy race begins to heat up, Yale will have to play to its strengths—its youthful energy and powerful offense—to take its place alongside Princeton and Harvard at the top of the standings. The Bulldog attack has yet to be held scoreless this year and has outshot its opponents 77-55 overall. Six of the squad's eight goals have been scored by freshmen, including three from Williams and two goals (and one assist) from Dealy. Steve Gibbons's, ES '03, tally against Tulsa and Larkin's game-winner against UAB are the only Yale goals to be scored by upperclassmen.

Both the veterans and the freshmen wunderkinds are comfortable with their roles on the field. "One of the first things that coach [Tompkins] tells us when we come into the program is that we all listen to each other on the field," Williams said. "That gave us a lot of confidence from day one."

The veterans are equally enthusiastic about the team dynamic. "Every year, new freshmen step in, but this class is unusual," Burton said. "We're already working well together and we'll get even better with time."

Tompkins has proven over the past few years that his tactical approach to offense is almost as strong as his ability to recruit top-level freshman classes. The Bulldogs move the ball up the field with a methodical force.

"Our style is pretty direct and it gets us to scoring areas frequently," Tompkins said. "Our forwards do a great job of getting to the dangerous spots."

The team's next foe, Ivy league rival Cornell [2-1-0], is in the midst of a youth movement almost as powerful as Yale's; however, the Big Red coaching staff still has no idea how to prepare for Yale's relentless attack. "We just don't know what we're going to do yet," Cornell Coach Brian Scales said, laughing. "Brian [Tompkins] does a great job with them."

COURTESY SPORTS PUBLICITY The combination of veterans and rookies on the Bulldogs roster should generate an extensive attack and a solid defense this season.

Yale will likewise have its hands full with Cornell. "They are extremely difficult—they have tons of talent and they're well coached," Tompkins said. Like the Elis, the Big Red, led by dynamic performances from its freshman class, won two crucial early season games and vaulted briefly into the national rankings, at No. 21, last week. "We're a young group, but we have a lot of energy," Scales said. "Guys are still learning their roles."

The Big Red opened with a 1-0 home victory over Colgate in an exciting contest capped by a goal from Ted Papadopoulos '02. After routing Adelphi 5-0, Cornell dropped a 3-0 decision to St. Bonaventure, which forced them out of the rankings and brought them back down to earth. "I have to say Yale and Princeton are still the front runners. We're not there yet," Scales said.

Entering the 2001 season, few expected the Bulldogs to be mentioned among the league favorites so early on. This role as favorite is quite new to the young squad. "We know that every year the Ivy race is tight," Burton said. "Every time you play it's intense." Because as the 1968 football team knew, when you're the favorite, tying a game equals losing it.

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