Defender Stands Tall for Crimson

Kwaku Nyamekye has spent much of his Harvard soccer career as an unsung hero, helping to cement the Crimson back line during the last four years.

“For a defender to get recognition is a tough thing in soccer,” Harvard coach Jamie Clark said. “Shutouts are associated with goal keepers, and goals are associated with forwards. Defenders often don’t get the recognition they deserve.”

But this weekend, in a pivotal game against No. 21 Dartmouth (8-5-1, 3-2 Ivy), Nyamekye exploded into the spotlight, scoring an early goal for the No. 16 Crimson (11-3-1, 3-1-1) and making a goal-line save to protect the Harvard victory over the Big Green.

The goal came off of an assist from Adam Rousmaniere just 4:42 into play and could not have come at a better time or during a better game.

“The game against Dartmouth was huge,” Nyamekye said. “Getting a win was crucial for us in order to gain potential for an Ivy title.”

Besides providing the Crimson with an early-goal lead, the score also broke Nyamekye’s longest-scoring drought since his freshman year—one that dates back to Nov. 8, 2008 against Columbia.

“Scoring that goal definitely made me happy,” the senior said. “It was my first goal of the season and came during such an important game.”

His defensive save inside the penalty box in the waning minutes of the match evinced the skill Nyamekye has been developing since his freshman year.

“The goal-line save is a picture of Kwaku’s awareness and athleticism,” Clark said. “He was able to clear the ball off the line during a scramble and prevent a goal.”

Senior teammate and co-captain Brian Grimm was also not surprised by Nyamekye’s outstanding performance.

“Kwaku, in the last four years, has become one of the fiercest competitors in the conference,” Grimm said. “He had a great game defensively and had a big goal that got our offense started.”

The goal and save are examples of Nyamekye’s function on the Harvard squad as a dynamic, all-around player and his more recent responsibility as a team leader.

“We’ve had a young defensive line for the last seven games,” Clark said. “Kwaku has taken a real leadership role on his shoulders, providing strong defense when we need it...and being more vocal on the field.”

“Kwaku’s definitely the senior leader of our back line,” Grimm agreed. “He plays alongside a couple younger guys and really keeps them focused and prepared for every game.”

The senior’s leadership has been key in overcoming the setbacks Harvard has suffered this season—losses to the University of Connecticut, 4-0, on Oct. 14 and conference rival Princeton, 2-1, on Oct. 24.

“It’s tough to lose in Ivy competition,” Nyamekye said. “The loss against Princeton made our path to the Ivy title a little more difficult, but after each loss, we work a lot harder, so we don’t let a game slip like that again.”

The goal in mind now for Nyamekye and the Crimson team is the Ancient Eight championship, a prize that is at their fingertips following Brown’s loss to the University of Pennsylvania over the weekend.

“Luckily for us, Brown’s loss last weekend puts us back in the race for the Ivies,” Nyamekye said. “I feel like we’re back on track to capture the title.”

With only two games remaining in the regular season, back on track is exactly where Harvard needs to be.

“Honestly, we’re in control of our destiny here,” Clark said. “Unlike at the beginning of the year where there are so many games to focus on, now the finish line is in sight, and we only have to envision two wins.”

“We have plenty of motivation to be prepared for our next two games,” Grimm added, “because we know the magnitude and importance of each one.”

Despite some difficulty during the season, Nyamekye is optimistic about the final stretch.

“We definitely aren’t invincible,” the defender said. “But we have a lot to look forward to in the next few games.”

A title this year would carry special sentiment for Nyamekye and his senior teammates, who won the Ivies at the beginning of their careers.

“Kwaku and the seniors started their freshman year with an Ivy League title.” Clark said. “They would all like to bookend it with a win as seniors. This is their last chance...they want to go out as champions.”