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Men’s soccer sees positives in loss to Loyola, prepares for Ivy League opener

Men’s soccer (4–4 overall) is gearing up for its first Ivy League matchup this Saturday at 1 p.m., home against Dartmouth (2–4–2). The Tigers are vying for the Ivy League title, and every game counts: the team with the best conference record wins the title and ensures an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

The Big Green will certainly be a competitive match-up for the Tigers — Dartmouth has won the Ivy League title for the past three years. Last year, Princeton lost to Dartmouth 1–2 in overtime. Dartmouth’s current record is 2–4–2; they had a slow start in non-conference play, but they are coming into Saturday hot after two wins, both in overtime. Most recently, they took down University of Albany (3–6). Midfielder Justin Donawa, 2017 First Team All-Ivy League player, recently returned to the field for the Big Green after recovering from an injury and has helped lead them to their last two victories. Princeton and Dartmouth faced different preseason competition, apart from Boston University: Princeton beat Boston University with a 1–0 win, while Dartmouth walked away with a 2–2 tie.

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Princeton’s non-conference record is 4–4. Most recently, they ended their three-game winning streak with a tough 1–0 loss against Loyola (4–2–1) this Tuesday. In the pouring rain, Princeton held Loyola scoreless until the second half. Loyola had 17 shots against Princeton’s nine. The Tigers’ defense shined against Loyola’s strong offense, even in the face of injuries and lineup changes. Junior defender Benjamin Issroff was unable to start after straining his quad in the pregame warmup; junior defender Bobby Hickson and sophomore defender Richard Wolf both had to come off the field at points in the game. 

Freshman defender Ben Bograd and sophomore defender and midfielder Michael Osei-Wusu have both stepped up as key defenders for the Tigers. 

“Against a good group of attackers, we made it pretty far holding it together without conceding,” said Bograd. Osei-Wusu spoke highly of Bograd’s performance. “Ben Bograd doesn’t look like a freshman on the field… he’s adapting so fast.” Osei-Wusu also commended the other seven freshmen on the team, who have “defined themselves as D1 soccer players.” 

On offense, Osei-Wusu says the team is hoping to work on converting chances to score. 

“A strength of the team is how we’re moving the ball,” said Osei-Wusu. Bograd echoed Osei-Wusu’s remarks; he talked about how the team is working on their speed of play and moving the ball in the midfield to “combine up top.” Recently dubbed Ivy League Player of the Week, senior forward and midfielder Jeremy Colvin has been a key offensive player for the Tigers, leading the team to victories with three game-winning goals.

Going into this weekend, the Tigers are feeling confident, even coming off a loss. 

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“We were able to take it in perspective, and recognize that there were a lot of positives to draw from the game in terms of creating chances on offense. Our run of form in terms of how we’ve been playing these last few games is overall pretty positive,” said Bograd.

Confident in their depth, athleticism, and talent, this year’s team believes it has what it takes to make a push to the top of the Ivy League standings. 

“Our team is looking really good going into Ivies against Dartmouth,” said Osei-Wusu. 

Come and support the Tigers at 1 p.m. this Saturday as they battle the Big Green on the field.

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