Tenth win, possible tourney berth, m. soccer's season hang in balance at Yale

There were times this season when Matt Behncke would listen to his older brother's phone messages and not want to call back.

"Sometimes you get a little tired of saying the same things," the junior men's soccer midfielder said. " 'Oh, we played a good game, created a lot of chances, but ended up losing, 1-0.' You don't really want to say the same things over and over again."

But as the Tigers' final regular season game approaches, Griff Behncke '00 — a captain for last year's Ivy-champion Tigers — provided a fresh perspective.

Princeton (9-6-1 overall, 2-4-0 Ivy League) will travel to Yale (8-7-1, 3-3-0) tomorrow in its most crucial game of the season. Despite midseason stumbles, the Tigers are still ranked in the top 40 in the national power rankings and are nourishing hopes that a win this weekend could propel them into the playoffs. The NCAA selects 32 teams for its tournament.

Matt repeated this information to his brother. The team had a chance. The season could be saved. The game will mean something.

No, said his brother. The game means something — but that is not why.

"He said, 'Regardless of that, even if you don't believe you have a chance, even if you don't, there's a still a ton to play for — like getting 10 wins, finishing higher in the conference,' " Behncke said.

It has been a strange, slippery season for the Tigers. Each time they believed they banished one set of demons — shaky play at the beginning of the year, injuries to players, a search for their team identity — a startling loss introduced another.

And simmering in the background were the standard themes that the younger Behncke grew tired of recounting after every game: Bad breaks, cracks in concentration, a fatal flub.

Now the season has come down to this. A loss not only squashes already slim hopes of a playoff appearance, but would mean that the defending Ivy champions failed to win 10 games.

"Every season sort of has its rocky patches," senior forward Matt Striebel said. "I think it took us a long time to figure those things out this season. It's sort of frustrating when that happens toward the end of the season, but that's how it is."

The last time Princeton and Yale met — last Nov. 13 — the Tigers managed a thrilling overtime tie, which gave them the Ivy title. There will be no such implications Saturday, but the result will still be significant.

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"It pretty much comes down to our season," freshman midfielder Marty Shaw said.

And it all may come down to Mike Nugent's head.

When the junior forward suffered an ankle injury Oct. 11 against Seton Hall, it was a crushing loss for Princeton.

Nugent has not played in the team's six games since, but has remained a presence.

His head became a good luck charm for the team, which rubs it before leaving the locker room and trotting onto the field.

"You hear about schools like Notre Dame that touch signs," Striebel said. "We just rub Mike Nugent's head. It's a team ritual."

Nugent said that he will "definitely" play against Yale. Head coach Jim Barlow '91 was more cautious, saying that "the final decision hasn't been made yet."

If Nugent decides that he can play, it would provide an enormous boost to the Tigers as they attempt to salvage their season.

Before losing to Brown in their last game, the Elis had outscored their last three opponents 11-2. Overall, their scoring advantage is 27-19.

But despite a talented team, Yale's record is mediocre. Princeton knows all about that.

"I think we're similar teams," Barlow said. "Last year they wound up winning games that this year they didn't. We've kind of been in similar situations. Yet we've still fought through it. I think it's two teams trying to end the season on a high note."

Tomorrow, Nugent's head will be rubbed. The game will end. Behncke's phone will ring.

And the result will determine if he wants to pick up.