Big Green With Envy. Brown 3-0 Dartmouth

THANK YOU SENIORS!

Four brilliant young men were honored before the Dartmouth match with fitting tributes read aloud over the public address system at Stevenson Field. T-Time, Schlenks, Nicky and TJ have all added so much to this program over the years and it is difficult to imagine that the end of their time in a Brown uniform is so close. All four have made their teammates and the coaching staff so very proud to be associated with them. The fact that the excellent vistory ensured an extension to their time in the program was a perfect way to end the day.....

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT PICTURED WITH THEIR PARENTS:
TJ THOMPSON, THOMAS THUNELL, JARROD SCHLENKER, NICK ELENZ-MARTIN

After the euphoric reaction to the excellent win at Yale, the boys had been brought back to earth with a week of intense and thorough preparation for this match against perennial Ivy-rival Dartmouth. A 2-0 reverse in Hanover at the end of the 2008 campaign had ensured that last-season was ended without a tournament appearance. Revenge was not the buzz-word of the week, but a certain amount of edge was added to the contest for the boys who had suffered in the freezing rain on national television last year.....

Nick Elenz-Martin

Coach Noonan rallied the troops in his pre-game talk, and the players entered Stevenson field with a determined and energetic look about them. From the first whistle it was clear that we were "up for it." Tackles were flying in, headers won, and the movement was crisp and quick. Chances came and went. Then, after about fifteen minutes Nicky played a wonderful 50-yard cross-field ball over to T-Mac who found himself in space on the left flank. He ran at the defender, beat him with a piece of sublime skill and planted the ball under the 'keeper and into the back of the net. 1-0 Brown.

Jarrod Schlenker

Dartmouth were clearly rocked, and for the remainder of the first-half our boys chased and worked their socks off as the visitors struggled to cope with the ferocious speed of play that our team produced. It was unsurprising when we added to the lead with another piece of excellent build-up play that finished with Jonny chipping the ball across to Tayls, who drove a volley into the ground and watched it bounce over the stranded Big Green goalkeeper. 2-0 Bears.

The Captain - Thomas Thunell

This well-coached Dartmouth team came out in the second half with a new plan and for the first fifteen minutes of the half passed the ball well in the middle of the park. They created some half-chances, but the work-rate of these Brown Bears remained steadfast. We blocked shots, tracked runners and got men behind the ball to ensure that the 2-0 lead stayed intact.
Slowly but surely we regained momentum and started to come back into the game. A couple of chance came and went.... Then, with about fifteen minutes left, T-Mac was felled by a forearm shiver to the face that wouldn't be out of place in the UFC. The ensuing red-card for the visitors put an end to any chance they had of getting back into a game that, to be honest, they were struggling in anyway. Minutes later Jay and Nicky combined on the left flank and crossed for Austin, who made no mistake with a header from about seven inches away.....! 3-0 Bears.

TJ Thompson

The rest of the contest was a formality. Dartmouth acted and looked like a well-beaten team - they were. This match was an outstanding performance and a perfect way to end the regular season. Up next is the NCAA tournament selection show..... who will we face???