A single goal was the only scoring in the Harvard men's soccer team's 1-0 overtime loss to Cornell Sunday.
The loss in Ithaca was marked by several key injuries and the ejection of junior star fullback will Kohler.
Kohler received two yellow cards early in the second half, which resulted in his automatic ejection.
"[The ejection] really ruined the game for us," Kohler said. "With those types of conditions, when you're down a man, it makes it much harder."
The game was played on a hard field and in stiff wind--conditions that made it difficult for the Crimson to play its usual passing-oriented, ball-control style.
"It was pretty ugly soccer," Kohler said. "This game just kind of dragged on."
The lone goal, which came with about ten minutes remaining in the second overtime, came on a free kick by Cornell's John Bernard from just outside the Crimson's 18-yard line.
The Crimson defenders failed to block shot, and the ball found its way past junior goalie peter Albers.
The goal marred what was otherwise a stellar performance by Albers and the Crimson defense, which has been plagued by key injuries.
Junior John Vrionis, one of the team's defensive staples, may be out three weeks with an ankle sprain. Freshman defenseman Lee Williams suffered a knee injury during the game, and junior midfielder Kevin Silva is out for the season.
Albers himself played with a broken finger.
"We have some bumps and bruises," Albers said. "We could definitely use some time to heal, but our schedule doesn't afford us that."
The team does not expect any further disciplinary action against Kohler, because neither of his individual offenses were red-card offenses.
The first yellow card came after Kohler and a Cornell player got tangled up after a Cornell tackle. The second card came just one minute later after Kohler hit the hand of an opposing player who was allegedly grabbing Kohler's shorts.
"I just let my temper get the better of me," Kohler said. "It was pretty immature."
After Sunday's shutout, the team is concerned with its offensive play. The team had been shutout once before, in a non-league game against North Carolina.
In Sunday's game, Harvard had only seven shots on goal, compared to thirteen by Cornell.
"We weren't shooting enough," Silva said. "We didn't have a lot of scoring opportunities, but you create your own opportunities."
Some of the players worry that the loss may, in part, stem from complacency on the part of the Crimson.
Coming off big wins over league rival Columbia two weeks ago and over nationally-ranked Boston University on Wednesday, Harvard came into the game with a lot of confidence.
"We didn't play with as much heart and desire as we did going into the games against Columbia or B.U.," Kohler said.
With 11 games left, including five in the Ivy League, and the Carolina Classic at the end of the season, the team cannot afford to dwell on the loss.
Although it puts the players' hopes of a national ranking in serious jeopardy, they still hope to win the Ivy League title.
The loss to Cornell evens the team's league record to 1-1, with Brown remaining the only undefeated Ancient Eight team. The Crimson plays the Bears at the end of the season.
However, the team cannot afford to lose another league game. The game was perhaps a warning against over-confidence.
"We're on the verge of becoming a very, very strong team, but we're not there yet," Albers said. "We can't beat teams just by walking on the field." Scoring Cornell--Bernard (Notarantonio) 109 29
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