ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell men's soccer will look for a bounce back win in its final home game of 2014 when it welcomes Dartmouth on Saturday. The Big Red suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 setback against Princeton last Saturday, as the Tigers broke a 1-1 tie with a deflection goal in the 88^th minute of play. The Big Red will now face another team at the top of the conference standings in the Big Green. Cornell will look to pull itself within one-point of the top with a victory on Senior Day. Opening kick is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
 
Cornell Big Red (9-5-1, 2-3-0 Ivy League) vs. Dartmouth Big Green (9-4-2, 3-1-1 Ivy League)
Saturday, November 8, 2014 | 5:00 PM | Ithaca, N.Y. – Berman Field
All-Time Series: Cornell Trails, 28-34-5
Last Meeting (2013): Cornell Win, 1-0
Live Stats | Live Audio (ILDN)
 
SCOUTING CORNELL
 
Big Red Headlines
The play on Saturday was just as harsh as the weather conditions at a frigid and blustery Berman Field. Cornell and Princeton battled through a slugfest in which the refs let both sides get physical. Although Cornell dominated the first half in terms of chances, the Tigers exited the opening 45-minutes with a 1-0 lead. In one of the rare instances where a whistle did come out in the opening half, Cornell was tabbed with a foul on sensational Tiger striker Cameron Porter in the box. Porter lashed home the penalty kick attempt to give the Tigers the lead in the 41^st minute. The Big Red pushed hard throughout the second half for the equalizer, finally connecting on a set piece. After Cornell won a free kick just past the midfield stripe, senior Peter Chodas swung in a low bender that cut through a strong head wind toward the left side of the box from 40-yards out. Fellow senior Devin Morgan rose above the mass of players to direct a head on the ball, driving it low just inside the left post for the equalizer in the 84^th minute. With the game square, Princeton jumped back to the offensive after playing much of the half in its own end. The Tigers had several quality looks, before scoring on somewhat of a lucky bounce with just 2:18 left to play. After Brendan McSherry struck a low cross into the box, Chodas made a sliding clear attempt in front of the Cornell goal mouth. The clear attempt struck Tiger defender Andrew Mills in the leg and redirected perfectly into the right corner of the net past bewildered Big Red keeper Zach Zagorski for the game-winning tally.
 
About Head Coach Jaro Zawislan
Zawislan enters his sixth season at Cornell having established himself as one of the top coaches in the Ivy League during his short tenure. After taking over a program that was 1-15 the season before his appointment as head coach, Zawislan has transformed Big Red men's soccer into a consistent winner and a national presence in NCAA Division I. In his first five seasons on East Hill his teams have posted at least .500 winning percentages four times, while he has led Cornell to three consecutive winning seasons. He also directed the Big Red to its first Ivy League title since 1995 and first outright title since 1977 in 2012. His coaching record currently sits at 50-28-10 and his current .625 winning percentage is the second best mark in program history.
 
Zawislan is a graduate of Clemson University '93, while he was a four-year starting goalkeeper on the varsity soccer team. Upon his graduation he played professionally both in the United States and his native Poland, before pursuing a career in coaching. He made assistant coaching stops at Stanford, Creighton and Syracuse, before being named Cornell's 11^th head coach in 2009.
 
Last Meeting (2013): Dartmouth
Cornell dispatched Dartmouth 1-0 last season at Burnham Field in Hanover, N.H. Conor Goepel scored the game-winner right after play resumed for the second half, scoring a goal in the 46^th minute. Stephen Reisert played Goepel in on goal and lashed a laser past Dartmouth keeper Stefan Cleveland into the back of the net. Zach Zagorski made five saves to mark the clean sheet.
 
Recent Series: Dartmouth
Cornell is 2-3 against the Big Green since Zawislan took over in 2009. After losing the first three matchups against Dartmouth, Zawislan has led the program to two straight victories and will look to even his record to 3-3 this weekend. The Big Red defeated Dartmouth 2-1 in double-overtime in the team's last meeting at Berman Field. Tyler Regan was the hero for Cornell in the third minute of the second overtime period, burying a laser shot off a feed from Stephen Reisert.
 
Special Senior Class
The group of seven seniors who comprise the Class of 2015 have witnessed unprecedented success over their playing careers on East Hill. Over four years, the team has posted the third most wins of any class in program history (40). The Class of 2015 currently boasts a 40-14-11 (.700) record overall, trailing just the Class of '78 team that posted a 41-15-7 (.706). Over the last 35 years, only the Class of '99 team has posted more victories (43). This group of seniors also played an integral role on the 2012 Big Red squad that captured the program's first Ivy League title since 1995 and first outright title since 1977. The Big Red has set new records for team defense in each of the past two seasons and looks poised to do so again this year, while several individuals will finish their careers on the all-time record book in various categories.    
 
The Class of 2015
*Peter Chodas – Chodas has been a constant presence on the Big Red backline for the past four seasons. A starter from day one, he is currently tied for fourth in program history with 63 all-time starts, while he is just 33 minutes shy of setting a new program record for minutes played. He has collected two goals from his backline position, while his nine career assists rank 14^th all-time. He has earned multiple recognitions from the Ivy League, including Ivy League Player of the Week and All-Ivy Honorable Mention last season.
*Tyler Conway – Conway has played in the advanced midfield for the Big Red during his four seasons on East Hill. A hard worker in all facets of his time at Cornell, he has enjoyed a breakout season on the soccer pitch. He has set new career highs with 15 games played, 13 games started, and 358 minutes played. He scored his first collegiate point earlier this season, collecting an assist in the Big Red's 5-0 victory over Buffalo. He has also excelled in the classroom. An Applied Economics and Management major, he is one of just eight Division I men's soccer players who have achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average. He was recently named to the Capital One Academic All-District Team.
*Atticus DeProspo – DeProspo has been an influential part of the Big Red for the past four seasons. He has appeared in 63 games – including 47 starts – during his time on East Hill. Lauded for his offensive burst as well as his defensive responsibility, he has been a major contributor on the Big Red's league leading defense each of the past two seasons. He has recorded three goals and two assists in his career – including the game-winning goal in the Big Red's 1-0 victory over Loyola Marymount last season that buoyed Cornell to its third consecutive CU Inaria Cup title.
*Conor Goepel – Goepel has been one of the Big Red's most dangerous threats in the offensive third in the entire history of the program. He currently leads the team with six goals and 15 total points this season, while his 18 career goals and 42 career points rank 13^th and 15^th respectively on the program's all-time list. Showing a penchant for coming through in the clutch, he currently ranks second all-time with 10 career game winning goals and third all-time with two made penalty kicks. Earlier this season, he became the first Big Red player since Daniel Haber in 2012 to earn Ivy League Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks.
*Devin Morgan – Morgan has ascended to unprecedented heights after joining the program as a walk-on during his sophomore year in 2012. With the backline losing three key contributors from last season's record setting squad, he made the unselfish move to transition from his previous forward role to the defense this year. He has transformed himself into one of the strongest central defenders in the Ivy League this season and is the outspoken leader of the team's league leading defense. He has appeared in 38 fixtures – including 23 starts – for his career. Offensively, he has totaled four goals and nine total points – including a pair of game-winners in back-to-back contests against Hartwick and Buffalo earlier this season.
*Ian Panzica – Panzica has been an outspoken leader for the Big Red throughout his time with the squad. After missing last season, he returned for his fifth and final season with the team in 2014. His practice habits are unparalleled as he is frequently one of the last players to leave the pitch for both practices and games. He has earned recognition on the Strength and Conditioning Wall of Fame for his dedication and exemplary performance in training. This senior has made two career appearances – which includes posting a clean sheet over the final half hour of the team's shutout of Buffalo earlier this season.
*Zach Zagorski –Zagorski will go down as one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in the history of the program. After serving as the primary backup his first two seasons he has blossomed into one of the best goalies in the Ivy League over the last two seasons. He has started 26 games over the last two seasons, posting a record of 16 wins – 7 losses – and 3 ties. He has been a fixture in the top-10 of NCAA Division I in goals against average and save percentage the majority of this season. He currently ranks third all-time with 14 career shutouts, while his nine clean sheets this season are a single-season record for the program. His 98 career saves rank 15^th most in program history, while his .838 career save percentage is the 12^th highest of all eligible Big Red keepers.
 
Dynamic Defense
Cornell conceded a goal for the first time in four matches last Saturday against Princeton. The goal snapped a 352-minute and nine-second consecutive streak without allowing a goal. On the season, Cornell has allowed just eight goals with only two regular season contests remaining and looks in prime position to snap last year's program record for least amount of goals allowed in a season. The Big Red currently ranks sixth in NCAA Division I with a 0.52 team goals against average. It trails just Fairfield in shutout percentage, posting a clean sheet in two-thirds of its fixtures this season.
 
Parsimonious Paws in Net
Senior keeper Zach Zagorski was a victim of bad luck as he was bested twice in the loss to Princeton. The first goal allowed came off of a penalty kick, while the game-winner came off a deflection at the goal mouth, with little chance to react for a save on either opportunity. It was only the second time this season that a team was able to score multiple goals on the senior this season. Despite the loss, Zagorski has posted a historic season, moving into first place on the program's all-time single-season shutout list (10).
 
Zagorski currently leads the Ivy League for all eligible keepers in goals against average (0.533) and save percentage (.869). He currently ranks in the top-10 in NCAA Division I in two categories; checking in at fourth in save percentage and sixth goals against average. His 53 saves are tied for second most in the Ivy League. Zagorski now has 14 career shutouts; passing Quinn O'Sullivan '95 for third place on the program's all-time list.
 
Shutout Streaks
While Cornell has made a name for itself over recent seasons as one of the stingiest defensive teams in Division I, the squad has reached a new level in 2014. While the defensive rankings speak for themselves, the Big Red's ability to string together stifling defensive performances has been unprecedented this season. This is the first team in program history to have two separate streaks of three-or-more consecutive shutouts and 350+ minutes of game action without conceding a goal. The team already posted a 419-minute and 36-second span without conceding a goal earlier this season and had a 352-minute and nine-second streak snapped last weekend against Princeton.
 
Home Sweet Home
The Big Red will conclude its regular season home slate on Saturday against Dartmouth. Cornell lost for just the second time at home this season against Princeton last Saturday. The team is 6-2 at home and will look to get seven victories at home for the second time under Zawislan against the Big Green. The Big Red is 30-12-8 (.680) in home fixtures under head coach Jaro Zawislan, which includes a 1-1 mark against the Dartmouth.
 
Milestone Victory
The 1-0 victory over the Bears on Oct. 25 allowed head coach Jaro Zawislan to reach two career milestones. The victory was the 50^th career win at the head of the program, while it also was his first victory over Brown. He has now defeated every other Ancient Eight school at least once in his career.
 
SCOUTING DARTMOUTH
 
Big Green Headlines
Since opening the season with two losses against nationally ranked Notre Dame and Indiana, Dartmouth has been nearly unbeatable. The Big Green enter Saturday winners in nine of its last 13 games. The squad boasts a 3-1-1 mark in Ivy League play and currently sits in a tie with Princeton atop the Ancient Eight standings. Since defeating Princeton on Oct. 4, Dartmouth has sat on the periphery of the national rankings and has the inside track to earning a berth in the 2014 College Cup. The Big Green is coming off of a 1-1 tie with Harvard in its last fixture. Stefan Defregger opened the scoring for Dartmouth in the sixth minute of play, lashing a shot inside the far post from 25-yards out. Harvard equalized just before half in the 40^th minute when Kyle Henderson shuffled home a pass from Sam Brown just inside the left post.
 
About Head Coach Chad Riley
Riley became the Big Green's 10^th head coach in April of 2013. In his first season he led Dartmouth to a 6-7-4 mark, which included equaling a program record with an eight-game unbeaten streak to begin the season. Riley served as an assistant coach on Dartmouth's staff under previous head coach Jeff Cook in 2012. Prior to coming to Hanover, N.H., he spent six seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, national soccer power Notre Dame. He graduated from South Bend in 2004 after an extremely successful four-year playing career with the Irish. Riley currently ranks second in program history for assists (32), while he was named to the All-Big East team three times.
 
Dartmouth Depth
The Big Green has shown a remarkable amount of scoring depth this season. While senior striker Alex Adelabu leads the squad by a wide margin with six goals, seven other players have tallied multiple goals for Dartmouth this season. In all, 14 players have combined to score the squads 27 total goals, while 16 players have tallied at least one point in 2014.
 
Nothing on Net
Dartmouth keepers Stefan Cleveland and James Hickok have combined to rank towards the very bottom of NCAA Division I in saves per game. The Big Green ranks 194 out of 200 teams with just 2.33 saves per game, while the two goalies have combined for just a .660 save percentage (184 of 200). Despite these two statistics, Dartmouth ranks fourth in the league in goals against average. One reason for this is that they do not allow shots on net. Opponents have only directed 53 shots on net through the teams 15 games, a 3.53 average per game.
 
UP NEXT
Cornell will conclude the 2014 regular season next Saturday when it travels to the Big Apple to take on Columbia. Opening kick is scheduled for 4 p.m.