Despite leading Yale, 3-2, with four minutes remaining in the match, the men’s soccer team is still searching for its first Ivy League win. After scoring three straight second half goals to overcome a 2-0 first-half deficit, the Red then coughed up its lead by allowing two goals in the last four minutes of the game, losing to Yale, 4-3.

Yale jumped ahead early in the game, as junior forward Brad Rose scored in the 16th minute of play. Rose received a cross from senior midfielder Jon Carlos and then tapped the ball to the left corner, past junior Cornell goalkeeper Scott Brody. Twenty minutes later, Yale sophomore defender Andy Hackbarth sent a free kick straight on goal; the ball rattled off the crossbar and into the net, putting the Bulldogs up, 2-0.Head (and upper body) above the rest: Senior defender Matt Devitt (19) tied the game with a header off a free kick in the second half.

Cornell head coach Jaro Zawislan explained that his team was lacking defensive intensity during the first half. During halftime, he spoke to his team about minimizing Yale’s time of possession and their increased effort was on display as the second half began.

“It was a matter of making sure that we didn’t allow Yale to have plenty of time and space to keep possessions and execute attacks,” Zawislan said. “Our team responded very well at half time by raising their level, stepping up, and minimizing time and space that the Yale players had on the ball. Our defending improved so we began to have more and more possessions.”

Also at the half, Zawislan replaced Brody with freshman goalkeeper Rick Pflasterer. Saturday’s second half was just Pflasterer’s second appearance in NCAA play.

“The flow of the game was right for Rick to step in,” Zawislan explained. “Rick stepped in and performed very well. His distribution is very sound. He gave us the dimension of a quick counter attack with the long pass and his goal kicks from the ground are also very good.”

The Red players turned their play around in the second half. Senior forward Matt Bouraee notched his third goal of the season after he received a long pass from sophomore Jimmy Lannon and then hammered the ball home to the left corner of the net. Bouraee’s goal cut the Yale lead to 2-1 in the 58th minute. Less than five minutes later, Red senior Matt Devitt tied the game at 2-2 with a header off a free kick set.

“We were just pushing really hard forward, putting a lot of pressure on them,” Devitt said. “Eventually, we got fouled near the halfway line. Scott Caldwell put up a great serve into the box. I just went up to get it, I got it and it ended up in the big of the net. It was a great play by the whole time, a great play by [Caldwell] and I just finished it off.”

In the 72nd minute, Chase Aaronson beat Yale goalie Travis Chulik, putting the Red up, 3-2.

However, Cornell was unable to keep that lead safe. With under four minutes remaining, Yale scored twice, both times off of free kick sets. First, junior Andy Shorten headed in a free kick from the right side of the box, tying the game at 3. Just two minutes later, a Yale free kick created a scramble in front of the Cornell goal. Yale sophomore Chris Dennen recovered the ball and sent it past Pflasterer, giving Yale the 4-3 win.

Zawislan was disappointed with his team’s collapse but praised Yale’s execution in crunch time.

“In the whole game the momentum was shifting back forth,” Zawislan said. “One thing, we allowed the free kicks. The second thing is we didn’t defend them well enough. But the credit has to go to Yale for executing them very well. The serves of the free kicks were very good. On one of them they put the direct header in and on the other they kept it alive in the box and put it away. So credit to them for executing very good set pieces.”

Cornell returns to the field for a home game tonight against Lafayette at 7 p.m. While it’s still looking for its first Ivy League win, Cornell will aim to continue its 2009 non-conference success against a Leopards team that is 7-5-1 on the year and 2-2-0 in Patriot League play.

“We’re really looking forward to playing Lafayette,” Devitt explained. “That’s the easiest way to get over a big loss that is so disappointing. The best way to get over such a devastating loss is by looking forward to another game.”

Lafayette’s offensive attack is led by freshman midfielder Sean Peckham, who has registered five goals and 12 points in 13 games this season. Lafayette comes into this game on a three-game losing skid, having dropped games on the road at American, at Penn State and at home against Colgate.

Pflasterer’s appearance in Saturday’s games raises some questions as to who will get the start in goal tonight against Lafayette. Zawislan noted that the decision on the starting goaltender for tonight has not yet been made.

Zawislan believes that despite Saturday’s late-game collapse, his team’s confidence is still high.

“We have full confidence, and that showed in the Yale game,” Zawislan said. “When we come out, and are organized, tactically disciplined, competing on every part of the field, and executing the game plan, then that’s the recipe for success. We know that when we play to that level, then the results are going to come.”