Men's soccer looks to regroup against Harvard after first loss

In a week of firsts for the Tigers, this Saturday will be the first time that Princeton's determination will be questioned. The Tigers need to rebound after two sub-par games, as Princeton (3-1-2, 1-0-1) faces Harvard (5-2, 1-0-0) in Cambridge, Mass., tomorrow.

A 5-2 loss to Maryland on Wednesday night ended the Tigers' campaign for an undefeated season, was the first time a team has scored more than one goal against the tough Tiger defense, and was the first time that a Tiger (sophomore defender Jeff Hare) has received a red card this season. But the Tigers will need to put Wednesday night's game behind them, as Harvard poses a more worrisome threat to Princeton's undefeated Ivy League record.

"We lost a lot of momentum after Wednesday's game, but losing is part of the game. We obviously want to win every game, but it is all part of a season," senior captain and defender Graeme Rein said.

Fortunately for Princeton, Harvard is a very different team from Maryland. Harvard lacks the speed, strength and talent of the Terrapins, though the Crimson do have a lot more at stake in tomorrow's game.

Harvard also wants to preserve its undefeated Ivy record, as well as an undefeated home record of 2-0.

Unlike Princeton, Harvard is a young team, and it mostly relies on underclassmen for scoring. Tied with four goals each, sophomores Kevin Ara and Ladd Fritz lead the Crimson in scoring, and they are the heart of the Harvard attack.

"They are pretty athletic, they are fast and they play well as a team, so that makes them similar to us in many ways," Rein said.

Harvard has 18 freshmen and sophomores on the team. The youth have been successful so far, however, as Harvard opened its season with a 4-2 win over rival Yale on Sept. 8.

The competition and rivalry of the Harvard game might be just what Princeton needs to return to the success it demonstrated earlier in the season.

The Tigers will not be making many changes to their offense for the Harvard game, but their normal style will be tweaked in order to adjust to the Harvard team. In addition, the defense will have to make several changes to make up for the loss of Hare, a starter for the last two years who must ride the bench for the game because of his red card against the Terrapins.

"Missing Jeff will be tough for us, but I am confident that we can make the adjustments and put other people in that position during the game. And if we do make a mistake, it is nice to know that Jason White is standing in front of the goal," said Rein.

White had allowed only one goal in the first five games of the season. He has been a pillar for the Tigers since the fall of 1999, and despite giving up five goals against Maryland, no one is worried about his play. A return to form by White will be key to Princeton's success.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Strong team play up front will also be vital, as senior forward Mike Nugent will need help from sophomore Marty Shaw and freshmen Ryan Rich and Adrian Melville to provide the Tigers with an early lead. "We have a lot of guys banged up right now, but that is part of the game, and everyone will play through the pain," Rein said.

While this is still an early game in the season, the Tigers know that it is a crucial stepping-stone for the rest of their season, and could be a major turning point. Whether that turn will be for the better or for the worse remains to be seen.