Columbia men’s soccer (3-7-4, 1-2-2 Ivy) will look to set the pace early against Harvard (2-9-3, 0-4-1 Ivy) this weekend in Cambridge after coming off an extended break due to Hurricane Sandy. In the wake of the superstorm, the Lions’ home game against Adelphi was initially rescheduled for Oct. 31, but was eventually canceled.
After this lull in the action, it may be a struggle for the Lions to bounce back from their last game against Yale, but if they can notch a win on Saturday, the Light Blue will have the opportunity to climb up a couple spots in the Ivy standings before the season is complete.
Columbia is not the only team dealing with the effects of Sandy. Many other teams in the Ancient Eight have had their practice and game schedules affected by the devastating storm, including the Crimson, which had its game at Holy Cross canceled.
The Light Blue will have to come out of the gates with the same intensity that was on display early in last weekend’s game against Yale. The Lions’ high energy enabled them to get three shots off early, one of which resulted in a goal by junior Henning Sauerbier. But this energy faded enough in the second half of play to allow a late game-tying goal by the Bulldogs.
In addition to bringing a more consistent flow of energy, freshman standout goalie Kyle Jackson and the Lions’ defense will have to keep a watchful eye on Crimson forwards Zack Wolfenzon and Jake Freeman. The dangerous senior-freshman combination has continued to present a threat to opposing teams’ back lines, and the duo owns half of Harvard’s goals this season.
Harvard’s last game prior to the cancellation of its match with Holy Cross was a 3-1 loss to Dartmouth. Both the Big Green and Crimson were able to net early goals, but Harvard couldn’t hold back a surge that resulted in a pair of late goals for its opponent.
In last year’s competition between the Light Blue and the Crimson, Columbia was able to gain a narrow edge over Harvard at home, winning 2-1 on two first-half goals.
The action starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday night.
