Columbia indeed got into position to try the winning field goal, but it went just wide, (after a five-yard false start on the first attempt...of course, the actual kick hooked just about five yards from the goal post).
Two weeks later against Brown in Providence, a late Bear fumble was nullified by the officials in one of the worst calls in Ivy football history. Brown kept the ball and went in for the winning score in a 19-16 season-ending win.
But Matt Sodl is proud to have played on this team and for Columbia. And he remains a very strong supporter of Columbia football in many ways.
Today Matt is now Managing Director and Co-Founder of Innovation Capital, where he runs the investment banking firm that has a specialty in the gaming, hospitality, and entertainment industries.
Matt is often quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek and the Las Vegas Sun and was named to Investor Dealers' Digest's "40 under 40" list in 2006.
Most importantly, he recently appeared as a guest on FOX Business Network.
Matt was good enough to do an interview for ROAR LIONS ROAR.
Jake: Tell us about where you grew up. Football was obviously a big part of life in that part of Pennsylvania, but how many guys thought about going to the Ivies to play ball?
Matt: I attended Whitehall High School, which is located in a farm community just outside of Allentown, Pa. The school is best known for its famous alum Matt Millen who grew up down the road from my neighborhood.
The Ivy League certainly wasn't in the mindset of any of us growing up. All we heard about was Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia, and Notre Dame.
Our high school football program was populated with several Parade All-American players who played at these schools.
I remember Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden, and Bo Schembechler visiting our school, walking through our weight room...I think you get the point.
Most of my teammates were focused on playing for Division 1-A schools. Of the 17 seniors in my class, I believe 13 of our players went to play football at a Division 1-A or 1-AA school.
J: Give us some highlights of your high school career on and off the field.
M: Our high school team was all about winning...competing against the largest schools in the state of Pennsylvania. We lost three games in four years. We had some phenomenal athletes who could really play the game.
I played defensive line, was a two-year starter and earned All-State honors my senior season.
In the off-season, we lifted weights year-round and actually competed as a powerlifting team, (comprised of nearly all offensive and defensive linemen), where we won the Pennsylvania state championships several years in a row.
The off-season weight training program was ahead of its time. The offensive line coach expected all of the football players to lift weights year-round...beginning the Monday after Thanksgiving (right after our last game), and up and through summer camp.
It was here in high school, thanks to my coach, John Bendekovitz
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