Baldwin leads Harvard’s quest for revenge

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BURLINGTON – Nathan Baldwin had nothing left to do but beat his defender.

It was the perfect play for the Harvard senior forward who has propelled the Hornets’ soccer team to so much success this year. When junior midfielder Isaih Solis fed him the ball at the top of the penalty area in the middle of the first half Wednesday against Burlington Central with just one defender to beat, the odds were heavy Baldwin would capitalize.

Burlington Central had been lucky to contain Baldwin in its first showdown with Harvard. In that Sept. 12 match, the Rockets limited him to two shots on goal and shut out Harvard.

On Wednesday, Baldwin made the two shots on goal the Rockets spotted him count. Harvard beat Burlington, 2-1, to move into a tie for first with the Rockets in the Big Northern Conference East Division in a match that underscored that frustrating outcome from the first meeting.

“It was a harsh loss last time, and we came into this game knowing we had to win,” Baldwin said. “Our conference [title chance] was relying on this game, and we just gave it our all.”

Baldwin’s first goal came in the 20th minute. Solis won the ball in the midfield and sent a laser to Baldwin at the top of the penalty area. Baldwin cut away from his defender and sent the shot into the far right corner of the net for the 1-0 advantage.

“I saw the defender coming on my right,” Baldwin said. “I tucked it, and I just tried to curl it back post and it went in.”

The goal gave the Hornets (13-4-2 overall, 5-1-1 BNC East) a little room to breathe and a chance to flex their defensive muscle once they changed their shape. Harvard allowed Burlington (8-4-4, 4-1-1) just two shots in the first half.

The Hornets continued to pressure despite moving an extra man back. Harvard finished the first half with seven shots on goal and had five chances on set pieces – two free kicks and three corners – but couldn’t convert.

Baldwin gave the Hornets the ever-dangerous 2-0 lead in the 52nd minute. He got a pass from senior midfielder Jose Juarez and cut behind two defenders to send another ball into the far right corner.

“I thought he did an excellent job not just on the goals he scored, but he put the ball in a lot of positions for us,” Harvard coach David Abel said. “He was checking in and checking back out, making great runs. ... I think that’s one of the great things about Nate, he’s not a selfish player.”

Burlington avoided the shutout with senior midfielder Chris Gousios’ goal in the 60th minute that put the Hornets on their heels a little, but Harvard adjusted and took another three shots at Rockets keeper Riley Jensen to continue the threat.

Harvard won BNC East Division titles in 2007, 2008 and 2009, but missed a chance last year for a fourth straight.

Winning one this year would validate the growing pains the Hornets went through last season.

“Even on the bus ride here, during our warmup, it was silent,” keeper Evan Grieshop said. “It was really intense. We wanted it.”

Follow Maureen Lynch on Twitter @nwh_molynch