In a season that has seen more injuries, own goals, and overtime losses than wins, the men’s soccer is still looking for a winning combination. Looking past its previous adversity the Red will hope to turn things around tomorrow as it heads to Providence, R.I., for its 5:00 p.m. match against Brown.
“The beginning of the season has not gone well for us,” said head coach Bryan Scales. “Now we’re stretching into the midseason and we’re still struggling, but as athletes and competitors all the guys can do is just get ready to compete for the next game.”
Moving into the final half of its schedule, the booters hold a record of 1-9-0, 0-3-0 Ivy play, leaving it tied for seventh place in the league with Columbia. The Red face a Brown team that is the reigning Ivy League champs and was once ranked as high as 20th in the nation.
However, the Bears, with an overall record of 5-4-2, have struggled in the Ancient Eight with a record of 1-2-0, most recently losing 1-0 to Harvard.
“We know their group pretty well, we’ve seen them play a number of times and we have a good feel for what they’re going to try and do,” Scales said. “They’re dangerous going forward, they seem to be able to score some goals and they’re going to be a hardworking, well-organized team.”
Cornell’s last meeting with Brown in 2003 marked a crucial turning point in both team’s seasons. Each entered the game undefeated in Ivy League play. The Bears won the match 2-0 and went on to win the Ivy title, while the loss for Cornell was the second in what would become a six-game losing streak.
“You need to live in the present,” Scales said. “You need to get ready for the next game. You can’t worry about what’s gone on before and you can’t worry about what’s coming up next. It’s just a very professional mentality.”
Although currently sixth in the Ivy League, Brown remains among the top scoring teams in the league along with Princeton, Harvard and Penn. Scales noted two players: Jeff Larentowicz, and Marcos Romaneiro as especially dangerous offensive threats for the Bears. Both are among the team leaders in scoring.
“There’s no magic pill that will make us adjust to these teams,” Scales said. “It comes down to just good, responsible, hardworking, individual defending.”
Thanks to four weeks with no midweek game, the Red is a healthier team than it was at the beginning of the season.
“We’re able to pace certain players in an effort to get them back for the weekend,” Scales said. “At this point in the season there’re always guys who are carrying stuff, but I expect our guys to be ready to play when the whistle blows tomorrow night.”
Archived article by Paul Testa
Sun Staff Writer