Sept. 23, 2007

Box Score

HANOVER, N.H. - A fast start could not help the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's soccer team on Sunday, as it dropped a 3-1 decision to Yale in its final game of the Dartmouth Classic. The Panthers (0-8) scored just 55 seconds into the game, but the Bulldogs (1-4) tied it in the sixth minute and went on to add two more unanswered goals.

"We're almost a good team," UWM head coach Jon Coleman said. "We all need to play well and all of us aren't playing well right now. The season is a journey ... no one expects to go 0-8. But the journey is by no means over. There is so much to play for and we have to keep moving forward."

Junior Travis Phillips got things started quickly for the Panthers, catching the Yale goalkeeper off guard with a 35-yard blast off a free kick from sophomore Nkuti Ndely in the first minute of play. The tally at the 55 second mark was the sixth-quickest goal to start a match in program history.

But Yale netted the equalizer in the sixth minute when UWM caught yet another unlucky break. After a foul just outside the penalty area, Tyler Guse sent a shot on goal. The ball caught a piece of the wall, redirecting it past junior goalkeeper Ryan Germann, who had started one way and could not react after the misdirection.

The Bulldogs then went ahead in the 28th minute, when Brad Rose poked in a shot from about eight yards out to make it 2-1 going into the half.

They would then add the only score of the second half, when Guse netted his second of the game by being in the right place at the right time. After a Yale corner kick and second phase attack, the UWM back line clearance went right to Guse by himself at the flank, sending a blast to the far post at the 59:32 mark for an insurance score.

Senior Martin Castro had two of Milwaukee's best chances to record goals in a 10-minute span early in the contest, but Yale goalkeeper Erik Geiger was up to the task both times. In the eighth minute, Germann's long goal kick was flicked by senior Zeke Dombrowski out on the break to Castro. He tried to loft a shot to the far post, but Geiger made the diving save.

A few minutes later, junior Colin Baker found Castro in front of the goal off a long free kick. Castro rifled one at the near post, but Geiger made a one-handed save at the line to keep the match tied at the time.

For the game, UWM won the stat sheet once again, recording a 16-to-10 edge in shots and a huge 11-to-six advantage in corner kicks. Geiger made eight saves for the victory, while Germann had three saves in the loss.

It was a meeting of old friends for the Panthers, as Yale is coached by Brian Tompkins, the former UWM coach. Tompkins was at Milwaukee from 1989 to 1995, compiling a record of 90-41-11. His teams were ranked in the top 25 in four of his final six seasons.

Milwaukee will look for an answer when Horizon League play begins this weekend. UWM welcomes league-newcomer Valparaiso to Engelmann Field, starting under the lights Saturday at 7 p.m.