The Columbia men’s soccer team will be looking to build on an impressive three-match conference unbeaten streak when it hosts Cornell in the season finale on Saturday.
The Light Blue (6-8-2, 2-3-1 Ivy) achieved a huge result last weekend, triumphing 1-0 at Harvard thanks to freshman David Najem’s 33rd-minute goal after an assist by sophomore striker Will Stamatis. Najem’s goal earned him a pair of honors on Monday. The freshman was named the Ivy League Men’s Soccer Rookie of the Week for the second time this season, and he also made the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Men’s Team of the Week. Najem and fellow Light Blue freshman Henning Sauerbier have five of this season’s 10 Ivy League Rookie of the Week awards between them.
Prior to beating Harvard, the Lions suffered a nonconference defeat to Adelphi and were held to a goalless draw at Yale.
A win against the Big Red would give the Lions their best season record since 2003, and head coach Kevin Anderson acknowledges the buoyant mood in the camp.
“It’s the last game of the season, and we’re playing at home—so there’s certainly some excitement in our camp, thanks to the result at Harvard,” he said. “We’ve created the challenge for ourselves. It’s an opportunity to put on two consecutive strong performances, and that’s something we’re capable of doing. If we can do that successfully, the performance will take care of the result.”
“Training has been very good,” he continued. “Spirits are high, and we need to come out on Saturday and follow our game plan. We need to be accountable as individuals and as a team, and how we do that should show where we are as a group.”
The contest against Cornell marks the final time the senior Lions will don light blue. Coach Anderson reserved words of praise for the trio of Adafin, Peppe Carotenuto, and Hayden Johns.
“When we spoke two years ago with that group, the objective was for them to leave something better behind compared to when they found it,” he said. “All three of them have been phenomenal—they’ve been great leaders, great role models, great friends, great teammates, and they’ve been three guys that can certainly be looked up to. They’ve rightfully earned the respect they get from the coaching staff, the administration, and the team.”
“We spoke today in a staff meeting with the seniors, and we acknowledged that this isn’t a week to celebrate—it’s a week to work. They need to lead by example, stay focused, and put their best foot forward to show where they are in their careers. I’m really happy with the approach they’ve taken, and they understand they need to train hard this week and come out to play their game on Saturday.”
The Big Red (4-8-4, 0-5-1 Ivy) has yet to win an Ivy League encounter this season, and its only goal in conference play came in a 1-1 tie at Harvard after overtime. Chase Aaronson got the goal and is the points leader for Cornell. Aaronson and Franck Onambele have both scored thrice this season, but Aaronson has more assists. The Big Red has been a better side outside the conference and has recorded wins against Hartwick, Canisius, Saint Joseph’s, and Colgate.
Senior co-captain Carotenuto raised the stakes ahead of the clash with the Big Red but suggested that it isn’t all about the emotions just yet.
“In a single word, it’s bittersweet,” Carotenuto said. “I always looked forward to my senior season, but it’s come and gone by so fast that it hasn’t really sunk in yet. People have been saying that we’ve finished our last team lift, our last Wednesday practice, and such, but for me we’re still in the moment—and focused on Saturday. When the game’s done, I’m sure we’ll look back on our careers here, and hopefully it hasn’t gone by too fast and we can cherish the memories.
“Our target at the start of the season was to have something to play for in our final game,” he continued. “We didn’t want a situation where the season was dead and buried before we hosted Cornell, and while we’re not in contention for the championship, we need the win to finish at .500. It hasn’t been done since 2003, and when you put that into perspective it’s quite a feat—and helping the program make these strides in our senior season is something we’re very proud of.”
Kickoff against the Big Red is Saturday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m.
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