After ending losing streak, men's soccer plays non-league Hartwick

The spirit following Wednesday night's 3-2 victory over No. 11-ranked American was one of optimism.

"Last night was a huge win," freshman forward Darren Spicer said after scoring the game-winning goal with five seconds remaining on the clock. "I definitely think this is a turning point in our season."

"We really needed to get a result to show ourselves that we are a good team and that we can face any challenge that comes our way," Spicer's offensive counterpart, sophomore Adrian Melville chimed in.

This weekend the men's soccer team, riding this wave of newfound confidence, travels to Oneonta, N.Y., to face unranked Hartwick (6-4-2 overall, 2-0 Atlantic Soccer Conference) in a matchup which, though non-conference, still retains much significance.

Hartwick has a long history of soccer success. The team, which is one of just two at the school competing at the Division I level, will honor its 1977 National Championship-winning squad this weekend, during halftime of the Hawks' matchup with the Tigers. Hartwick, centered in the city which also houses the national soccer Hall of Fame, hosts the Tigers in its homecoming weekend.

"There will be a huge crowd with pretty festive and loud fans," head coach Jim Barlow '91 said. "It will be a tough environment."

The Tigers hope that the rambunctious sideline groupies will be their toughest opponent, though expect a fight from the Hawks.

Hartwick sits in first place in the ASC, having silenced in-conference foes Howard and Adelphi. The team showed remarkable heart in its 1-0 loss to No. 4 Indiana in mid-September, and despite losing to No. 21 Virginia, 5-0, outplayed the Cavaliers for much of the first half before allowing the flood gates to open in the second.

For Princeton, playing its best ball of the season, a win on Saturday would kindle its first winning-streak of the season and, on top of that, only add more confidence to a team still trying to forget about some of its deflating early-season losses.

"It was important to get the win Wednesday for a couple of reasons," Barlow said. "From a confidence standpoint, it helps to know that we can beat one of the best teams in the country. It is easy to doubt yourself when bad things happen. The win helps us with our confidence."

The Tigers' play has been fueled recently with the move of junior captain Jeff Hare from defense to midfield. A key for Princeton's success in its final eight games, beginning Saturday with Hartwick, will be for Hare — and the Tiger players for whom Hare creates opportunities — to keep up their strong play.

"Jeff is such a great ball-winner and his presence in the midfield helps us to break up the team's attack," Barlow said. "He wins so many balls off punts and free kicks that we have more ball possession, and he also helps guys in front of him like [junior midfielders] Marty Shaw and Gianfranco Trippichio to create more."

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Moreover, Hare's effect of forcing opposing teams to push up defenders in order to win goal kicks gives the team's forwards more space, which will be increasingly important as the Tigers look for more offense when they face the Ivy League's top teams in the waning weeks of the season.

As for now, Princeton has its sights set on merely putting another good game on the board following its strong showing against American.

According to Barlow, the team needs to remain "compact defensively," as it was against American, to prevent the Hawks from maintaining ball possession, while offensively it needs to generate more creative, sensible runs. The team's senior keeper, Jason White, nursing a hip injury still deemed day-today, could make his return Saturday as well, which would only increase the team's chances of winning its second in a row.

"I feel like the next two games are very important for the success of the rest of the season," Spicer said of Saturday's game and Tuesday's matchup against out-of-conference Loyola. "I think all the guys would agree with me that the rest of our six games are must wins, and we don't want to let any more games slip by like we did in the first half of the season."