Victory Keeps M. Soccer Tourney Bid Alive

With only four minutes left on the clock, it looked as though the first half was already winding down. The No. 15 Harvard men’s soccer team (11-3-2, 4-2-0 Ivy) could have run out the time and taken its 1-0 lead over Penn (5-9-2, 2-4-0 Ivy) into the break.

Instead, the rest of the matchup’s goal scoring action was packed into those final minutes of the first half, as the Crimson escaped with a 2-1 victory over the Quakers at Ohiri Field on Saturday afternoon.

In the 41st minute, co-captain Matt Hoff’s through ball into the Quakers’ penalty area was unable to find a Crimson striker. The play appeared to be over when the ball was struck straight into the waiting arms of Penn goalkeeper Ben Berg.

But instead of cleanly fielding the ball, Berg dropped it. Junior Mike Fucito took advantage of the mistake and rushed forward to collect the loose ball, slotting it into the back of the net. Fucito’s ninth goal of the season gave Harvard a 2-0 advantage and eventually proved to be the game-winner.

“It was nice [to score],” Fucito saod. “It’s been a few games. I’ll always take a goal that’s pretty much handed to me like that.”

In the final two minutes of the half, the Quakers responded with their lone goal of the match to cut the Crimson’s lead back down to one.

But that was the closest they would get, as a goalless second half allowed Harvard to secure the much-needed win.

Even with the league championship out of its reach, the Crimson needed the victory to keep its hopes alive for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

“We were a little bit scrappy today,” head coach John Kerr said. “Overall, the important thing was to get three points at this stage of the season.”

Hoff started the scoring early in the first half when his strike to the far post found the net.

“They played a square ball,” Hoff said. “The kid mishit it, and I just intercepted it about 25 yards out and took a good first touch and shot it lower-left corner.”

Fittingly, Hoff’s goal, his second of the season, was scored on Senior Day.

Playing in their last regular-season game at Ohiri Field, Hoff and co-captain Adam Hahn, the only two seniors on this year’s squad, were honored before the start of the game.

“Adam and Matt had great careers here at Harvard, and we wanted to make sure that they left on a good, high note,” Kerr said. “Matt getting that goal early in the first half was a big bonus.”

With the season winding down and each remaining game taking on more importance, the Crimson has gotten more contributions off the bench. One such player is a freshman recently brought up from the junior varsity squad, Dillon O’Neill.

“Dillon came off of the bench and gave us a big lift,” Kerr said. “He came in for Marcel [Perl], and he was sharp, he was fast, and he was ready to play.”

The team will need to build upon this weekend’s performance when it takes on Yale (3-7-5, 1-2-2 Ivy) this Saturday. A win in New Haven would likely secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

“The team played mediocre,” Hoff said. “There’s definitely room for improvement, especially going forward. If we make the playoffs, we’re definitely going to have to play much better than that.”