Princeton Rallies From Two Goal Deficit to Tie Dartmouth

Playing on home turf at Roberts Stadium, Princeton came incredibly close to rallying for an amazing win, but ending the Ivy League opening game with a tie was almost a win in itself. Sophomore forward Jeremy Colvin’s shot flew just over the crossbar in the 95th minute in what would have been the game-winning goal for the Tigers. Instead, Princeton (4-3-1 overall, 0-0-1 Ivy) closed out the game even with Dartmouth (1-2-5, 0-0-1) to open Ivy League play with a draw. It was their second draw in as many games and snapped a three-game winning streak at Roberts Stadium.

The situation looked bleak early in the game. The Big Green struck in the eighth minute as Noah Paravicini scored off a feed from Justin Donawa. Dartmouth’s offense was relentless all game, riding the early goal momentum to 24 shots, 11 of which were on goal. However, Princeton looked to respond quickly, and had some great chances throughout the first half. Jeremy Colvin — who nearly won it in the 95th minute — was responsible for some of the best early chances for Princeton, including a shot knocked down by goalie James Hickok. Later in the half, senior defender Greg Seifert nearly scored off a shot saved by Hickok but not controlled by the Dartmouth defense. However, Princeton could not find the back of the net and the score remained 1-0.

Princeton then faced major adversity late in the first half when junior midfielder Daniel Bowkett was shown two yellow cards in the span of a minute, forcing him off the pitch and forcing the Tigers to play with 10 men for the remainder of the game. Senior defender and captain Patrick Barba commented, “I think we need to do better with not getting in that situation in the first place.” However, the adversity seemed to fuel the Tigers as Barba almost found Colvin on a long shot to tie the game before the half. Despite the goal deficit and man disadvantage, the Tigers looked poised to take control of the second half.

Then, less than 10 minutes into the second half, Tyler Dowse dealt what looked to be the dagger for the Tigers, scoring to give Dartmouth what seemed to be an insurmountable 2-0 lead. But like many other games this year, the Tigers continued to fight, relentlessly attacking the Big Green and showing impressive resilience in the second half.

“I think that shows a ton of heart,”Barba said. “Playing 10 against 11 and dominating them in the second half … if we bring that intensity we are in great shape.”

The Tigers would indeed dominate in the second half, scoring twice in the next 15 minutes of play. Two Tigers — sophomore midfielder Sean McSherry and senior midfielder Brian Costa — each scored their first career goal en route to a tie game. From there the intensity grew and a back-and-forth effort ensued. Senior goalie Josh Haberman was excellent, stopping a career high nine shots. However, the scariest moment came in the final two seconds, as Haberman could only watch as a Dartmouth shot rattled off the post and skirted away from the net.

The Tigers showed the entire Ivy League that they are resilient, tough, and will play for the entire 90 minutes and beyond. The rally gave the Tigers more than just a point; it gave them the confidence they can play — and win — no matter the circumstances. “I think if we can do that we will play any team off the field,” Barba said.

The Tigers will have a few days off before their next game at Seton Hall. They then return home for their second Ivy League game of the season against Brown, who also tied in their conference opener against Columbia.