Will Rodgers stood on the sidelines and watched his coach coming closer. The junior men's soccer midfielder knew what the question would be. And he knew what he would have to say.
It was Saturday night and the Tigers were tied against Brown with the second half about to begin. This would be the team's turning point — either it would survive without leading scorer Mike Nugent and salvage its Ivy League season or it would sink.
Rodgers wanted to play. But he could barely walk because of pain in his back that had forced him from the game in the first half. So when head coach Jim Barlow '91 asked if he could go back in, Rodgers said no.
The Tigers would lose 1-0 while Rodgers and Nugent watched helplessly.
"That was the most frustrating thing," Rodgers said. "There wasn't anything I could do."
Princeton (6-5-0 overall, 0-3-0 Ivy League) is now without an Ivy win and players admit that their playoff chances are ruined.
Key losses
Injuries strained the Tigers who were already struggling to score and sustain their concentration in long stretches. Last Wednesday, Nugent and sophomore goalie Jason White were injured during a dismal 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Seton Hall.
But Princeton's response was more disturbing than the injuries themselves.
The Tigers watched, stunned, as their two top players were snatched away for the entire second half, transforming a tight 1-0 game into a listless loss. They crumbled at a crucial moment in their season.
Princeton was concerned by its collective collapse without its stars, but the injuries had trickle-down effects as well. Junior forwards Lucas Moskowitz and Matt Douglas were forced to play despite lingering injuries that limited their effectiveness. Senior Mike Cohen had not seen a single minute all season before he was thrust into goal to replace White.
Brown was an opportunity for the Tigers to prove to themselves that they could withstand serious injuries and pick up an Ivy win in the process. Instead, Princeton seemed unfocused on offense, unable to convert its easiest opportunities. And now the season is in shambles, the Tigers' self-assurance shredded.
They cannot make up playoff ground. But today against Loyola, Princeton can begin to patch its tattered confidence even as Nugent — who incurred a leg injury when he tripped over a slide-tackling Pirate — may not play.
Missing catalyst
His absence was notable Saturday as every smooth offensive drive sputtered and stalled, leaving the Tigers without a goal for the fourth time this season.
"I think it would have made a difference if we had him," Moskowitz said. "But last year we were without great players at points and still won."
"It's been a struggle this year," Rodgers said. "Bounces were going our way last year and they're not this year. I don't really know why."
The injuries are part of it — but only a part.
"Obviously, we thought the injuries made a big impact," Barlow said after the Seton Hall game. "When Mike left the game we didn't have many options because Lucas and Matt Douglas have both been injured and can't really go more than 20 minutes. So we had to be a little bit creative. That hurt us definitely."
But, he added, even though it clearly affected the team, "it shouldn't have."
It will be tough to begin building new momentum against No. 23 Loyola (9-2-0, 6-0-0), which is nationally ranked for the first time since 1997.
The Greyhounds enter the game on a five game winning streak that includes four shutouts. During that span, Loyola has outscored its opponents, 12-1.
Overall, the Greyhounds are ranked fifth in the nation in goals against average, allowing just 0.49 goals per game. Their two scoring leaders — forwards Miguel Abreu and John Farese — have combined for 23 points.
It will not be easy.
"Good teams create their own luck," sophomore defender Bob Nye said after losing to Seton Hall. "We'd better start doing that."
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