Men’s soccer finishes 2009 season against last-place conference rival Cornell

After a heart-wrenching defeat last weekend at home, the Columbia men’s soccer team (4-11-1, 2-4-0 Ivy) travels to close out its season against current league bottom feeder Cornell.

The last time on the pitch, the Lions faced off against current league leader and No. 12 Harvard in a thrilling overtime match. The Light Blue was first to light up the scoreboard, as freshman forward Nick Scott crossed the ball into the box, which sophomore co-captain Michael Mazzullo seamlessly headed in. The 1-0 advantage the Lions claimed in the 68th minute would not last, when 13 minutes later, Harvard freshman Brian Rogers embarked on a solo run, driving the ball between the posts from 15 yards out. Though neither team got on the board again in the second half, the 1-1 score prompted an overtime period, in which a feed from Andre Akpan to Rogers set up the perfect drive for Alex Chi. The freshman took the ball down the field and launched a shot over Columbia keeper Alexander Aurrichio for a 2-1 Crimson victory.

Cornell also tasted defeat in their last time on the field, as the Big Red suffered a 2-0 shutout to Dartmouth. After a scoreless first half, Big Green forwards Lucky Mkosana and Andrew Olson made a run into the box in the 53rd minute. Mkosana passed the ball off to Olson whose solid shot found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. Despite attempts on both goals, Mkosana lit up the scoreboard with a goal of his own in the 72nd minute. Teammate Daniel Keat attempted a shot on goal that Big Red keeper Rick Pflasterer got a hand on, but Mkosana jumped in to drive the ball the final yard between the posts. Unable to net goals of its own, the Big Red was shutout 2-0 by powerhouse Dartmouth.

Currently winless in the Ivy League with a 0-2-3 record, Cornell was bested by Columbia last year in the final match of the season. The Lions were able to shake off a six-game losing streak to trounce the Big Red in a 2-0 shutout. 19 minutes into the contest, junior Bayo Adafin made the odds work for him, as he drove a shot from an impossible angle from the left into the goal. Former Lion Scott Strickland was credited with the assist. Current junior co-captain Peppe Carotenuto added another tally to the score for the Light Blue when in the 56th minute he rocketed a shot into the upper left corner, giving the Lions a 2-0 lead. However, it was Aurrichio who secured the victory for the Lions, recording four saves in the contest to conserve the shutout.

While the Big Red might seem like an easy target for the Lions, Big Red goalkeeper Pflasterer has been key to an improvement in the team’s performance. Pflasterer, who became the starting goalkeeper mid-season, made 11 saves in his first career start against Lafayette en route to a 0-0 overtime draw and currently has made 34 saves, while allowing six goals. What Cornell may lack in offensive prowess, it makes up for in its goalkeeper performance. The Lions will have to find creative scoring opportunities to claim victory in their last match of the season.

The Lions face the Big Red in Ithaca, N.Y. on Saturday at 4 p.m