While there were not quite as many yellow cards as there were against Harvard, there was no lack of action in the men's soccer game Tuesday night, as No. 14 Brown (8-1-3, 1-1-1 Ivy League) picked up a decisive 3-1 victory over the Hartwick Hawks (2-10-1).
After a tangle in front of the goal with just over 16 minutes left in the game, Hartwick midfielder Greg Mathers threw a punch at defenseman Kevin Gavey '13 before Mathers fell to the ground grabbing his ankle and was eventually helped off the field by an athletic trainer. Mathers' teammate, forward Dan Summers, was later given a red card and escorted off the field after receiving his second yellow card of the game.
"Brown deserved to win the game," was all Hartwick Head Coach John Scott had to say of his feelings about the game.
The Bears, who had only found the net once in their past three games, wasted no time in scoring, as defender David Walls '11 rocketed a free kick into the goal from about 23 yards out. Forward Sean Rosa '12.5 tallied another goal 15 minutes later after redirecting a hard, low shot by forward Austen Mandel '12.
"It's always going to be a tricky game after such an emotional game against Harvard," said Head Coach Pat Laughlin. "But we came out, and we did some good things. We also did some not-so-good things."
Breaking Brown's shutout opportunity after an early 2-0 lead, a Hartwick fast break in the 25th minute left Mathers wide-open. He fired left-to-right from the top of the penalty box, skipping the ball off the turf and netting it past goalkeeper Paul Grandstrand '11.
The final goal for Bruno came when Hartwick's goalkeeper, Lee Fenner, left the box to grab a ball that was launched in the air. The ball bounced over his head, leaving nothing between Walls and the goal. On the evening, the Bears took 22 shots, compared to 14 by the Hawks.
Grandstrand, in a rare mental error in the second half, received a foul for a botched throw-in inside the penalty box. But the ensuing free kick from roughly 12 yards out met a wall of Bear defenders and eventually picked up by the goalie.
"We obviously didn't play our best," Gavey said. "We needed a win here. Here, we came out and got the job done."
Gavey was one of just a slew of reserves that entered the game for Brown throughout the contest — so many that Laughlin said he lost count. In total, 21 different players saw playing time.
"I thought there were some guys that really stepped up," Laughlin said. "Kevin Gavey was outstanding."
Defenseman Dylan Remick '13, who has been a consistent player for Brown all season, made numerous quick breaks that left Hartwick players struggling to keep up.
"I'm going to try and get as much offensive power and help that I can give," Remick said. "My personal goal is to all-around play for keeps."
The Bears continue their whirlwind schedule of four games in 10 days as they take on Cornell this Saturday at Stevenson Field. The 7 p.m. game against the Big Red will give Brown a chance to move up in the Ivy standings. A win is worth three points and a tie is worth one. The squad is currently one point behind Harvard and five behind league co-leaders Princeton and Penn.
