Like nine-year olds hiding dirty laundry under the bed and then forgetting all about it, the Princeton players shoved images of their soiled play into the back of their minds.
It was early in the season and the men's soccer team saw a spotless 4-0 record. So Princeton looked past the stretches of awkward passing and poor finishes, ignoring the flaws concealed under its impressive record.
But after losing their second straight game last night to Rutgers, 2-0, the Tigers (4-2 overall, 0-1 Ivy League) are officially busted.
It was the fifth straight win for the Scarlet Knights (5-4) and the fifth straight shutout by goalie Ricky Zinter.
The listlessness that suffused the 3-1 loss to Dartmouth Saturday was replaced last night with aggression and the strained offensive series with smart passes and precision.
But the Tigers still suffered from an inability to finish plays and coordinate crosses. Graceful sets of passes were constantly disrupted by rally-killing clunkers, easily intercepted by the swooping Scarlet Knights.
There were positives to point to but also puzzled looks on the faces of Princeton players. The Tigers do not know why they have been unable to string together 90 minutes of solid soccer, but they were encouraged by the flashes of cohesion that hinted at better things to come.
'Soft goals'
"That was a tough one for us, especially Dartmouth," sophomore defender Bob Nye said. "We were looking to get back on track this game and I think we did in some ways. We played well at times, connecting well, getting the ball moving, but in the end we gave up two soft goals and didn't have anything to show on the offensive end."
Rutgers did.
With 10 minutes left in the first half, Scarlet Knight forward Dennis Ludwig gathered in a crisp pass by Josh Gros and twisted into the air as he scissor-kicked a shot that deflected off Nye. Sophomore goalie Jason White dove but the shot slid by his fingers.
It was Ludwig's second scoring opportunity, the first coming minutes earlier. Ludwig darted through the Princeton defense as it collapsed around him and peeked up to see White looming ahead.
Attempting to take advantage of the stranded White, Ludwig whacked the ball weakly with his head, but White stumbled backwards, furiously fumbling to get back in position and diving to deflect the ball with one hand.
White was not so lucky the second time, but the Tigers appeared energized by Ludwig's goal. Scarlet Knights crashed to the field as Princeton defenders reasserted themselves, while the offense pressed downfield.
But Princeton seemed to fall two passes short repeatedly and could not convert on any of its 14 shots, including six attempts by junior forward Mike Nugent.
With 11 minutes left in the game, Ludwig streaked downfield and lofted a shot into the upper right hand corner of the net. As his dive fell short, White crumpled to the ground. The Scarlet Knights would hold on for the 2-0 victory.
"On our end I thought it was a pretty good game for us, especially compared to Saturday," head coach Jim Barlow '91. "But up front we didn't have anything to show for it.
Why?
Junior midfielder Matt Behncke shook his head with a small smile.
"If we knew that one," he said, "we'd be able to change it."
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