M. soccer records ties

For a team looking to define itself and prove that it can still do battle with the best in the nation, men's soccer had a frustrating weekend. After losing both Mike Nugent '02 and Matt Behnke '02 to graduation and professional soccer teams, Princeton had two chances over the weekend to prove it was still at the top of its game.

The question is still up in the air.

The Tigers ended both games — the first against Fairleigh Dickinson, the second against Seton Hall —with the score tied.

Princeton (0-0-2 overall) looked strong at the beginning of the Fairleigh Dickinson game, rushing out to a 2-0 lead. The Tigers, however, were unable to maintain the momentum, and Fairleigh Dickinson (2-1-2) was able to sneak back into the game before ending the contest tied, 2-2.

The first goal came courtesy of senior defenseman Bob Nye, who scored from 30-yards out with an assist from senior forward Matt Douglas.

Douglas picked up where Nye left off, capitalizing on a header from freshman midfielder Neil Chaudhauri to score again 15 minutes into the game on what was only the second shot attempt of the night.

Fairleigh Dickinson got on the board 22 minutes, 35 seconds into the game when Nate Olson scored and sent the game into halftime with the Tigers maintaining a 2-1 lead.

Olson's goal-finding capabilities continued to haunt Princeton in the second half when he scored in the 71st minute of the game and sent the Tigers into overtime — the seventh in the past 17 games — during which neither team was able to score.

"Fairleigh Dickinson is a very good team," head coach Jim Barlow '91 said.

"It's disappointing to lose a two-goal lead, but they are a veteran squad and we're a very young team. All things considered, I think we played well."

The team matched up with Seton Hall (3-1-1) Sunday. Though this time it was Princeton which had to battle back from a deficit, the end result was exactly the same.

Neither team was able to connect with the net through the first half, and the Tigers found themselves in a familiar position going into halftime — a tied score.

Mark Pedreiras ended the dry spell when he found the net in the second half to give Seton Hall a 1-0 lead.

Freshman midfield Darren Spicer had a near miss for the Tigers, coming within inches of tying the game. His shot, however, was just wide enough that it bounced off the post.

Another freshman, however, was able to avert defeat. Midfielder Alex Reison entered the game at 81:29 and, after getting less than two minutes of collegiate soccer under his belt, was able to tie the contest when he found the goal at the 83:06 mark.

Shots were abundant during the remainder of the game. Scoring, however, was not. Senior goalkeeper Jason White made seven saves for Princeton while Alex McDonald had eight for Seton Hall.

"We played well enough to win today," Barlow said. "We had opportunities to score, but did not capitalize."

The game ended in a tie and, for the first time in Princeton history, the team is 0-0-2.

"It's frustrating not to get a win,," senior defenseman Jeff Hare said. "But the two teams we tied this year are two of the better teams in the region if not the country."

Princeton ended last season with five ties, setting a school record for most ties in a single season. With two ties in two games this year, the Tigers are well on their way to breaking that record.

The Tigers will continue their search for answers next weekend, when they will face off against Drexel on Friday and La Salle on Sunday. Both games are in Philadelphia.

Game 1: Princeton vs. Fairleigh Dickinson

Scoring

P: Nye (Douglas), 9:03; Douglas (Chaudhuri), 15:00. FD: Olson (Savaria), 22:36; Olson (Rusevic), 71:57.

Shots

P: 7. FD: 13.

Corner Kicks

P: 3. FD: 8.

Yellow Cards

P: 1. FD: 0.

Game 2: Princeton vs. Seton Hall

Scoring

P: Reison (Hare), 83:06. SH: Pedreiras (Scerba), 79:52.

Shots

P: 13. SH: 11.