Men's Soccer Team Disappoints Against Ivy Opponents

Despite an infusion of talented freshmen and the presence of veteran experience, the Columbia men's soccer team had a disappointing 2007 season. The team performed admirably during its nonconference schedule, but any momentum the Lions had disappeared quickly, as the team failed to win an Ivy match for the second straight season.

Columbia's 2007 nonconference schedule was its toughest in years. The Light Blue schedule opened the season at national semifinalist Virginia and included the defending champion UC Santa Barbara on the team's West Coast trip. While the Lions lost both of their matches against elite competition, they were able to hold their own against Loyola Marymount, tying a squad that had days earlier beaten eventual Ivy champion Harvard. Columbia finished its pre-Ivy slate with a 1-0 victory over American University, after the Eagles had bested Princeton earlier in the season.
The team entered Ivy play on a three-game unbeaten streak. The going would get tough right away, however, as the Lions dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker against Penn, unable to answer a three-goal spurt by the visitors in the second half. The loss highlighted some of the defensive problems that would plague the squad, as the team allowed fewer than three goals just twice the rest of the season. Columbia's lone second-half victory came in nonconference play against Lehigh. However, the Lions pushed Cornell and Brown to overtime in their last two games.

Touted freshman duo Bayo Adafin and Pepe Carotenuto transitioned well to the college game, as each was a vital contributor to the squad before going down to injury. Senior Tom Davison was not as prolific on offense due to a move to the midfield, though he was able to finish second on the team in goals. After missing the beginning of the season, freshman Hayden Johns was a bright spot for the Lions, scoring the team's only goal against UC Santa Barbara and American.

The team will miss the veteran presence of seniors such as Davison, goalkeeper Michael Testa, and midfielders David Druckman and Drew Ford. Tightening the backfield will be the most important task for the team heading into the offseason, and the task will be on the shoulders of returning senior James Pounder, junior Ryan Scully, and sophomore Hayden Johns, as well as the incoming class of 2012.