Box Score Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – Coming into the game knowing an Ivy League championship was in its grasp, the Cornell men's soccer team fought hard but came up just short in a 1-1 tie with visiting Columbia on Saturday night.

Cornell was one goal shy of winning its first league championship since 1995, a possibility that became available when Dartmouth and Brown tied 0-0 earlier in the day. That set up a thrilling scenario where the winner between Cornell and Columbia would win the Ivy League championship.

But in the end, a tie in both sets of games gave Dartmouth and Brown a share of the Ivy League title and Dartmouth the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. Cornell now awaits its fate, to be announced during the NCAA selection show on Monday at 4:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.

Things started poorly for Cornell on Saturday night, as Columbia's David Najem went on a breakaway and got the benefit of a Cornell defender slipping on the ground. Najem, with plenty of free space in front of him, chipped the ball over Cornell goalkeeper Zach Zagorski for a 1-0 advantage in the 17th minute.

But Cornell fought back, and Daniel Haber got his team-leading ninth goal of the season in the 41st minute. The play began all the way back in the defensive end when Patrick Slogic launched a long pass to Tyler Regan on the right sideline. Regan collected the ball, sprinted, beat a defender, and cross to Haber in the penalty box. Haber tucked the ball low and right past Columbia's keeper, and the game was tied.

After that, the teams played nearly 70 more minutes of scoreless soccer. Both teams had excellent chances to score, with the Lions nearly claiming the Ivy League late in the second overtime and the Big Red nearly doing the same two minutes later on a free kick by Haber that had to be saved by the fingertips of the Lions goalie.

Instead, the season may have ended for both teams. Players from both Cornell (8-2-6, 3-1-3 Ivy League) and Columbia (8-7-2, 4-2-1) fell to their knees as the final whistle sounded, knowing the seniors' last games may not have gone how they wanted.

Five Cornell seniors played in their final home game with the team: Jimmy Lannon, Will Ogden, Kyle Parsons, Scott Caldwell and Chase Aaronson. All five started the game, and Parsons and Lannon stayed in the entire time.