M. Soccer Stuns No. 16 Penn

The Harvard men’s soccer team closed out a disappointing regular season with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Ivy co-champion Penn, despite losing all but one of its coaches to red cards in the first half.

With the victory, Harvard (9-6-1, 3-3-1) spoiled the outright championship of the No. 16 Quakers (11-3-1, 5-5-1 Ivy), who will now share the title with Dartmouth. The Quakers receive the automatic NCAA bid, because they beat the Big Green in head to head competition.

The upset will most likely not be enough for the Crimson to earn an NCAA tournament bid due in part to its recent losses to Ivy opponents, Princeton and Columbia.

Harvard will discover who has earned at-large bids for the 48-team NCAA field today at 4:30, when the selection show will be televised on ESPNEWS.

“Realistically, I don’t think we have a shot,” said senior forward Joe Steffa. “I’d give anything to play in the tournament, but it’s probably not gonna happen.”

Though postseason play was seemingly out of reach and the Crimson fell behind 1-0 in the 17th minute, the team rallied around its senior class and managed to tie the game in the 57th minute.

The tying goal came off a Steffa free kick from 30 yards. He sent the ball into the middle of the box, which senior forward Charles Morrow headed to the top corner of the net.

The second Harvard goal came just ten minutes later. Captain Michael Cornish sent a through ball to Morrow, who darted around the goalie before being dragged down by a Penn defender a few yards in front of the open net. Steffa took the ensuing penalty kick, which he knocked into back of the goal for the Crimson game winner.

“I thought it was one of the most complete games we played all year,” said sophomore goalie Jamie Roth. “Despite some lapses and a few breaks here and there, I thought we played some awesome soccer.”

Though Harvard played well, Penn struck first with the benefit of a questionable call. The Quakers scored in the 17th minute, when the official awarded Penn a penalty kick off of a seemingly clean tackle by freshman back William Craig. Penn freshman back Erik Violante capitalized on the ensuing opportunity, rocketing the shot past Roth.

Following the call, the Harvard bench erupted. Coach John Kerr and one of his assistants, Anthony Latronica were issued red cards by the ref as a result of their protests. Cornish was also issued a yellow card for arguing.

“He was the worst referee I think I have ever had in my life,” Steffa said. “Both teams we’re surprised at the penalty shot. I know a lot of the Penn guys, and I talked to them after the game, and they were surprised at the penalty shot.”

The loss of coaches Kerr and Latronica left Gary Crompton as the only remaining coach.

He filled in well, and led Harvard to victory against the Ivy co-champions. Though Penn had just one more shot and corner kick than Harvard, the Crimson succeeded by converting its scoring chances.

“I was proud of the coaches for what they did,” Steffa said. “[The ref] made an absolutely awful call.”

The season-ending victory against Penn snapped a three-game Ivy losing streak for Harvard. The win did not change the overall disappointing nature of the season.

“We have no doubts in our minds that we should have made the tournament and that we should have won the Ivy League championship,” Roth said.

Seniors on the team were particularly upset with the Crimson finish.

“I’m a little disappointed that it’s over now,” Steffa said. “It’s been a great ride and I’ve enjoyed my four years here.”

Part of Harvard’s losing streak can be attributed to the injuries of so many star players, including senior back Mike Lobach, who helped Crompton in the coaching duties at the end of the game. Yet despite such setbacks, Harvard felt it should have had more success.

“We still felt that even without [the injured], we could have won the Ivy League,” Roth said. “But the injuries did hurt us a lot.”