Penn Men beat Harvard 1-0 to share Ivy League Title
Written by Harvard Athletics
November 16, 2008
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PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Freshman goalkeeper Austin Harms made four saves, but the 26th-ranked Harvard men's soccer team fell 1-0 in overtime at No. 24 Penn Sunday afternoon.  Harvard finishes up the regular season with an 11-5-0 overall mark and 5-2-0 record in Ivy League play.  The Crimson will now await Monday evening's NCAA tournament selection show on ESPNews at 6 p.m. to see if Harvard will advance to the NCAA postseason for the third consecutive season.   
 

The Crimson outshot the Quakers, 15-9, for the game, but Penn had both shots in overtime.  Kevin Ungar kicked a shot that went wide of Harms and the Crimson net around the 91st minute, but the Quakers quickly regained possession.  At 94:08, Loukas Tasigianis broke through the Harvard defense and found himself 1-on-1 against Harms.  The Penn forward blasted a shot that went past the Crimson keeper and into the back of the cage, lifting Penn to the Ivy League title.
 

The Quakers (11-2-4, 5-1-1) put two early quick shots on net in the first half, but Harms stood up to the challenge and stopped attempts by Unger and Christina Barreiro.  At 15:11, Andre Akpan registered Harvard's first shot on net, forcing Drew Healy to make the save.
 

The Crimson put the pressure on the Quakers in the final minutes of the frame.  Michael Fucito took a shot that went wide of the cage at 37:02, and was followed by a blast by Akpan which was saved by Healy.  Akpan had another chance just 32 seconds later, but the ball soared wide and out of play.  In the 41st minute, John Stamatis also kicked a shot on net, but the Penn defense cleared to keep the game scoreless after one.
 

Harvard led, 5-2, in shots in a competitive first period which included 15 fouls, including six on Harvard.
 

The Crimson came out firing in the second, as Fucito put a shot on net at 46:28 and Harvard followed with a corner kick, but could not muster another opportunity on the possession.  Penn moved the ball down the field and Barreiro recorded his second shot on goal of the afternoon, but Harms snared it and cleared away.
 

The back-and-forth action continued as Akpan kicked another shot at Healy, but the Quaker goalie made his fifth save at 50:30.  Two minutes later with Penn on the attack, Harms came up big once again, stopping a chance by Omid Shokoufandeh.
 

After shots by Penn and Harvard's Alex Chi both went wide around the 60th-minute, neither team had a chance again until 67:48 when Andrew Ferry missed the net with a shot for the Quakers.  At 74:03, Fucito sent a shot wide and moments later Michael Giammanco had a shot blocked in front.  Harvard regrouped and pushed the ball back into the box, allowing Stamatis to put consecutive shots on net, but both were pushed aside by Healy.
 

In the 82nd minute, Giammanco booted another ball, this one getting through to Healy, but he grabbed it for his eighth save, keeping the Crimson off the scoreboard.  Harvard's offense kept pushing forward and had a shot by Dillon O'Neill blocked and another by Fucito which went wide at 83:53.
 

With 3:11 to go, Penn's Alex Grendi got the last shot off in the second, but the ball went wide of Harms and the game moved to overtime.  Harvard held a 15-7 advantage in shots during regulation time, including 8-4 in shots on goal.