M. SOCCER RESULT VS. COLUMBIA: M. Soccer drops a close game

BY SALIM MITHABY SALIM MITHADaily Pennsylvanian Sports Writer With the game tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation, the contest continued for two 15-minute overtime periods to determine the winner. The turning point of the game came in the first overtime period, when a controversial call reversed what appeared to be a goal for Penn, and in the process shifted the momentum to the Lions. A centered pass to senior captain Mike Gomez, who proceeded to head the ball towards the goal, had all the appearances of a score, but it was not to be. "[Gomez] had a really good header and it went over our goalie, and hit the crossbar," Columbia halfback Michael Payne said. "The ball then bounced off the crossbar and hit our goalie (Steve McAnulty) in the back. A similar thing happened earlier in the season at Brown – it hit his back and went in for a goal. So I guess he is kind of a veteran at it, so this time he quickly turned around and grabbed the ball to keep it out of the goal. It was close but the ball did not go in." However, the play looked different from the Quaker sideline. "It appeared that all the Columbia players knew that it was a goal," sophomore defenseman Greg Sexton said. "They were all walking back like it was a goal, but out of nowhere the ref said it wasn't a goal, and to just play on." "Everyone knows the ball was in," Penn assistant coach Brian Kammersgaard said. "The goalie was lying on his back and the ball was in the goal. It was a score. The Columbia coach knew it, the players knew it, the fans knew it too." With the controversy unresolved, the tied game continued, but the Quakers were not the same team. Penn never recovered and went on to play uninspired soccer, no doubt as a result of the call. The Lions, playing in their second overtime game of the season, added two goals, one in each overtime period, to seal the victory. Both Columbia goals were scored by sophomore forward Rikki Dadason on almost identical plays. The two scores came as a result of corner kicks to the front of the Penn goal, where Dadason met the ball with his head, and headed it into the back of the net. Columbia scored the first goal of the game and held a 1-0 advantage at the end of the first half, but the Quakers drew even in the second half on a goal by senior Christian Eidem. Even though the Lions eventually pulled away and were victorious, they conceded that the Quakers were formidable adversaries. "They are definitely much improved from last year," Columbia midfielder Brendan Sullivan said. "They looked good out on the field, and they played tough through regulation, but it was our game in overtime." There was one bright spot for Penn, even in the face of defeat. "When we fell behind Columbia, we had to push our players forward so we could get more shots on goal," Kammersgaard said. "This left our defense vulnerable, and this led to [Penn goalie] Andrew Kralik making some incredible saves. It was probably the best game Andrew has had since he has been at Penn. He definitely kept us in the game." Unfortunately, though, the Quakers were not able to get their offense in gear. Penn has found this to be especially true in Ivy League games. "There is something about the Ivy League games that gets us," Sexton said. "The attitude we need to have in order to win is not there. There is something missing – a key ingredient that we need. Against Columbia, we weren't clicking – we had no rhythm, we were lacking soul." Whatever the missing link is, the Lions believe that they have uncovered it and that they know how to use it. "A lot of the Ivy games are determined by your team's desire and your determination," Payne said. "It comes down to who wants it more, because most teams in the Ivies are pretty equal." Almost halfway into the season, Penn is still searching for the elixir that will rid it of its perpetual poison Ivy rash.

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