This past Saturday, the men’s soccer team (8-4-2 overall, 2-2-2 in Patriot League play) escaped with a tie against Colgate after senior forward Hale Lombard scored in the 89th minute. They now have four games remaining in their regular season.
The Leopards trailed most of the game after Colgate scored on a penalty kick rebound in the 23rd minute. Although the Leopards trailed on the scoreboard, Lombard thought they controlled most of the possession in the second half.
“The first half, I think it was pretty 50-50. We were definitely trying to figure out their play style … so it was a little difficult in the first half,” Lombard said. “In the second half, I felt like we had full control.”
The Leopards outshot Colgate in the second half, with seven attempts to Colgate’s three. The Leopards also tallied more shots in total, with 12 shots (six on-goal) against Colgate’s 10 (with three on-goal). Lafayette earned eight corner kicks against Colgate’s two.
The Leopards eventually converted one of those corner kicks. As the end of the game neared, Lafayette continued to pressure Colgate’s back line. According to sophomore defender Connor Dawson, who assisted Lombard’s goal, the team built up play on the right wing, where sophomore midfielder Carter Houlihan drew a corner kick.
“[Corner kicks are] always a good thing for us because we thrive on set-piece opportunities. I take a lot of the corners on my team, so I took that one in particular. We ran a good play, and I usually aim for [Lombard] because he’s our aerial target. I put it on his head and he scored,” Dawson said.
Both Lombard and Dawson emphasized how the team’s preparation in practice—particularly regarding creating plays for set pieces—led to the late goal on Saturday night. In addition, Lombard recognized how important the team’s mental preparation helped them come back and score the late equalizer.
“I think for us, it’s just keeping a cool head when we are down or things aren’t going our way,” Lombard said. “The worst thing we could do is start yelling at each other and start fighting. That’s what other teams would want, and that would definitely affect us and our play style.”
Dawson said that despite Colgate’s goal, the team defended very well.
“I definitely think we outmatched them in terms of just our work rate and our pressing. We worked really hard and a lot of it just came down to being focused and being switched on the whole game,” Dawson said. “It all starts at the back, and that’s what gave us opportunities going forward.”
The team is now looking forward to the last three Patriot League games of the season, which will determine whether they can enter the Patriot League tournament, scheduled to take place from Nov. 5th through the 12th.
Both Lombard and Dawson emphasized the need to “take care of business” in the remaining games, and if the team succeeds, both are confident about the team’s chances in the playoffs.
The team’s next match will be tomorrow at home against Loyola University Maryland. It will be the Leopards’ homecoming and senior day game.
