Around the Ivies: Men's Soccer

Marshal your firm. ’Tis the glorious season of association football, colloquially known as soccer. The Ancient Eight sides will have ample time to hone their tactics and strategy before league play starts Oct. 8. Margins are very slim between the teams, perhaps with the exception of a fairly lost Dartmouth squad. Penn’s Quakers are the one Ivy League team that received votes in this past week’s National Soccer Coaches of America poll.

1. Pennsylvania (2-0 overall): Your 2013 Ivy League champions looked impressive early, having tallied a league-high six goals. During last year’s campaign, senior talisman Duke Lacroix tallied a team-high eight goals in 18 games played. The New Jersey-born forward is all-class and will menace even the finest back lines. The Quakers only added to their arsenal with freshman Austin Kuhn, who struck gold against Drexel as his first collegiate shot resulted in a game-winning goal. This weekend, Penn will face its toughest test so far at No. 10 Washington University in St. Louis.

2. Cornell (1-1-1): Champions in 2012, the Big Red dropped a crippling four Ivy League contests, all by single-goal margins. Opening day of this season saw them take the field at then-No. 2 University of Louisville and emerge with a hard-earned 0-0 draw. Even having graduated three senior defensive starters — among them Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Slogic — the Cornell backline held the Cardinals to just four shots on net. Senior goalkeeper Zach Zagorski earned 2013 all-Ivy honorable mention and looks to be ranked among the league’s best netminders this year.

3. Brown (1-1): After dropping the season opener to Siena College, Bruno impressively topped then-No. 23 Boston College on the road. The contest’s lone goal came during the 85thminute, courtesy of junior Tariq Akeel. A member of 2013’s all-Ivy first-team, Akeel stands out as one of the league’s strongest midfield presences. This Rhode Island squad has hung around the top of the table ever since their last championship in 2011.

4. Princeton (0-1-1): The Tigers are at no loss for competitive ability. Senior Cameron Porter and junior Thomas Sanner comprised the league’s best attacking combo in 2013, the former abundant in pace and the latter in power. The two Tigers racked up nine and seven goals apiece, good for first and third in the league tally. After a frustrating loss against Fairleigh Dickinson, junior goalkeeper Ben Hummel rebounded Wednesday evening with a strong clean-sheet performance against St. John’s. His classmate Josh Miller anchors the back line ahead of Hummel. The star center back earned 2013 first-team all-Ivy honors.

5. Columbia (1-1): Sophomore midfielder Andrew Tinari earned Rookie of the Year honors for his five-goal, three-assist effort last season. Goalkeeper Kyle Jackson enters his junior year between the pipes. An all-Ivy second-teamer last year, he’s a good competitor in a strong class of goalkeepers. Worthy of note, the Lions managed 242 shots and 25 goals last season, both good for second-best in the league.

6. Harvard (0-2): 2012 NCAA runners-up Georgetown University battered the Crimson defense with 21 shots in the season opener, a 0-2 defeat for the Cambridge side. Coach of the Year — according to CollegeSportsMadness.com — Pieter Lehrer does have talent to work with, including freshman sensation Christian Sady. Although yet to see action this season, Sady has featured on the U.S. national youth teams in a number of competitions. The Crimson keeper, junior Evan Mendez, took home first-team all-Ivy honors last year. In front of him, the imposing frame of his classmate Mark Ashby stands as one of the league’s best defenders.

7. Yale (0-1-1): The Bulldogs found themselves just a shade below the .500 mark last year, finishing 2-3-2 in league play. Overall, they didn’t find much success against nonconference opponents, winning only two of the additional 10 non-Ivy matches they competed in. Goalkeeping was a league-worst last year, with then-junior Blake Brown saving only 59 percent of opponents' on-target shots. It is unclear which of his teammates can redeem the net for Yale. Sophomore Ryan Simpson appears a safe pick, as he has so far managed a solid nine saves against 12 shots on goal.

8. Dartmouth (0-2): Men’s soccer is far from one of the Big Green’s current strong suits. Only five league goals came for the Dartmouth offense in 2013, with 12 scored against. Colin Heffron enters his senior year coming off a first-team all-Ivy performance last season. Unfortunately for his side, he is the only current member honored in any capacity in last season’s year-end awards.