HANOVER, N.H.- The Dartmouth men's soccer team used four first-half goals, including two from senior forward Lucky Mkosana (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe), to rout defending Ivy League champion Princeton, 4-1, on Saturday night at Burnham Field. The win snaps Princeton's 12-game Ivy League unbeaten streak and gives Dartmouth its fourth consecutive Ivy League victory, dating back to last season.
The scoring was fast and furious in the first half with three Dartmouth goals coming in the first 15 minutes of the game. Freshman midfielder Colin Heffron (Upper Brookville, N.Y.) opened the Dartmouth scoring 10 minutes into the contest. After catching the Princeton defense on its heels, Heffron dribbled right up the defense and took a shot from 10 yard out the went just behind the Princeton goalkeeper, Max Gallin, for the early advantage.
Junior Kevin Dzierzawski (Oakland Township, Mich.) picked up his second goal in as many games exactly one minute after Heffron's goal. Heffron, who had the ball in Princeton box, found Dzierzawski's feet and he put it right in the inside post to put the Big Green ahead 2-0 with just 12 minutes off the game clock.
Mkosana led the Dartmouth offense with two goals on three shots on goal, but sophomore goalkeeper Noah Cohen (Johannesburg, South Africa) was very impressive in net with seven saves on eight shot attempts.
Dartmouth controlled the offensive side of things throughout the first half and never let the Tigers find any rhythm. The Big Green maintained possession for the majority of the first half and rarely allowed Princeton into their defensive third.
Mkosana scored the first of his two goals on the evening in the 30th minute of action. The Big Green defense played a ball out of the back to the feet of senior Aaron Gaide (Avon, Conn.) who found an unmarked Mkosana in the box for the score.
Princeton threatened when a shot hit the cross bar in the 37th minute The ball bounced back into the box one long clear by a Big Green defender led to Dartmouth's final goal of the game. Mkosana picked up the long ball and drove up the left flank and beat Gallin one-on-one.
The Tigers got on the board in the 44th minute of action with a goal from Patrick O'Neil but that was as close as they would get as neither team recorded any goals in the second half.
The Big Green's win marks its fifth consecutive Ivy League home opening win and its second consecutive win at Burnham Field. Dartmouth is unbeaten at Burnham in its last four outings.
The Dartmouth men's soccer team returns to the pitch on Tuesday Oct. 4 when they host regional rival Vermont at Burnham Field. Kickoff between the Big Green and Catamounts is set for 7 p.m.
