Talented men's soccer ties two top-20 teams this weekend

The men's soccer team played host to two in-state rivals this weekend, Farleigh Dickinson and Seton Hall, playing what were then two top-twenty teams to ties.

In a season-opening weekend where the Tigers had plenty of opportunities to put away their opponents, the results could have been better.

But they also could have been worse.

"I'm disappointed, because I felt like we could have won both games this weekend," head coach Jim Barlow '91 said.

Princeton stormed out to a two-goal lead in its season-opening game against Farleigh Dickinson. Senior forward Matt Douglas played a part in each of the goals, earning an assist on the first and then netting a header at the 15-minute mark.

The Tigers had a chance to take a commanding three-goal lead when junior defender Jeff Hare lined up to take a penalty kick, which was pushed out by the FDU keeper, and from there, all is history. The Knights came back to tie the game, and it ended that way.

Princeton had the win in its grasps, though in the tie it ultimately earned, the Tigers showed heart against the physically intimidating Knights.

The lesson that needs to be learned is that, against Ivy League opponents, this kind of game is one which the Tigers cannot afford to relinquish.

"Given we were playing a tough opponent, I think we did well," Barlow said. "A mature team preserves the lead but I'm pleased with how we moved."

The Tigers showed some light under gray skies Sunday afternoon against Seton Hall, a perennially good team.

Seton Hall scored the game's first goal midway through the second-half, though the young Tiger team showed mettle as it stormed back amidst the pouring rain and scored at the 84-minute mark.

It was freshman midfielder Alex Reison who scored the equalizer.

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Princeton had a flurry of chances at the end of the game to win it, though ultimately could not. Still, the tie was a hard-earned and well-deserved one.

"I thought we had more good opportunities against Seton Hall," Barlow said. "When we got behind, too, we showed a lot of character."

The coach admits that though the team only scored three goals in the two games, the flow of the offense and the plethora of scoring opportunities signals only good things.

"We'll score, which was one of our concerns coming into the season," Barlow said.

A handful of freshmen made their mark on the weekend, giving Princeton hope that the holes left from the graduation of the scorers from last year's team are beginning to be sealed.

Freshman Darren Spicer nicked the post in the first half of the Seton Hall game while frosh Reison tied it.

Freshman Neil Chaudhuri's cross in the FDU game found the head of Matt Douglas, who launched the ball into the net.

The weekend's matchups prove the team is ready to take on the region's best teams, several of which are on the Tiger schedule. Brown, who split the league championship with Princeton last season, is favored to win its third straight Ivy Championship. At 0-0-1, the Bears gave nationally-ranked UNC a run for their money last weekend, out shooting the Tar Heels in the contest.

Yale already has a national ranking, and showed just how tough they might be with a win over the defending national-champion Tar Heels.

Columbia sits just on the cusp of the Top 25.

As it is every year, it will be an eight-team battle for the Ivy-league championship.

Look for Princeton to be a major player, again.