M. Soccer Downed After Historic Win

The Harvard men’s soccer team hoped to follow up on its dramatic overtime victory against No. 6 University of San Diego with another win against Loyola Marymount (LMU) on Sunday afternoon in the finals of the Loyola Marymount Fall Classic Tournament.

Unfortunately for Harvard, three of its players received second half red cards, forcing the Crimson to play with only seven field players for the final 19 minutes. The Lions (4-3, 0-0 WCC) capitalized quickly, scoring two goals in the final 14 minutes to defeat the Crimson (3-1, 1-0 Ivy) 3-1.

Despite the loss, the Crimson was ranked No. 18 in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) for its weekend play. Harvard was also ranked No. 2 in New England.

Both Harvard and Loyola Marymount were coming off of big wins that were secured with late-game heroics. Colin Eyre’s tally 33 seconds into the first overtime gave Harvard an upset win over San Diego, while LMU sophomore Kevin Novak lifted the Lions to a 1-0 win against UC-Irvine with a goal in te 84th minute.

In addition to rolling into the finals with a lot of momentum, both teams also featured goalies on top of their games. Crimson keeper Dan Mejias was coming off an impressive performance on Friday in a game in which he made five huge saves to keep Harvard in the game. Lions goalie Dan Sheridan stepped onto the field on Sunday boasting back-to-back shutouts.

The Lions came out flying, putting some early pressure on the Crimson goal. The early pressure paid off as tournament MVP Arturo Torres took a cross from Michael Erush and headed it into goal for a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute. The cross came off a free kick that resulted from a questionable foul, as the referee called a Crimson defender for a hard tackle in the corner. A crowded penalty box gave Mejias no chance at saving the header from Torres.

The Lions controlled play for the rest of the half and they carried the 1-0 lead into the break. Harvard Coach John Kerr told his players that they needed to step up their game and play like they did against San Diego on Friday.

The Crimson came out strong in the second half as they increased the intensity and had more success moving the ball around. Mejias made a crucial save midway through the second half to keep Harvard in the game, as he made a diving stop on a one-on-one break.

Harvard’s hard work paid off as sophomore midfielder Ladd Fritz headed in a cross from Michael Cornish for the gane-tying goal. The play was even for most of the half, until the fireworks started in the 71st minute.

Crimson junior defender Mike Lobach received his second yellow card in nine minutes on another questionable call by the referee. It did not take the Lions long to pounce on their advantage, as Torres finished off a pass from Andres Murriagui for the game-winner.

Crimson freshman defender Zach Chandis injured himself on the play, but the referee refused to stop action and forced the Crimson to kick off the ball. In order to stop the play, Fritz quickly fouled a Lions player. The referee went to his pocket once again, pulling out the red card and leaving the Crimson with only eight field players.

Less than a minute later, Crimson sopohomore midfielder Kevin Ara received a red card of his own for an elbowing call. With only seven field players, the Crimson struggled to build any sort of attack. Loyola Marymount clinched the game in the 86th minute when Julian Gaitan finished a breakaway on a pass from Torres.

On the bright side, the Crimson players did not return to Cambridge with their heads down. Harvard’s win against San Diego was a huge confidence builder and a monumental win for the Harvard men’s soccer program.

Also, senior midfielder Michael Peller, junior defender Mike Cornish, and sopphmore defender Andrew Old were selected to the All-Tournament team.

On the flip side, the Crimson must now prepare to face Boston College on Wednesday without three of its star players who will have to sit out with red card suspensions.

“It’s going to be a real tough game. We lost our best defender, Mike Lobach, and two starters, Kevin [Ara] and Ladd [Fritz],” said junior back Joe Steffa after the game. “But I think we have some freshmen that are ready to step up and get the job done.”

“Mike, Ladd, and Kevin are three of our best players. They are a huge part of our team. But I really think that we have a solid bench with some talented young players who can step up and play,” said freshman Pablo Koe-Krumpecher.