Long season for men's soccer team comes to end against Yale

There will be no heartbreaking losses for the men's soccer team this postseason. There will be no comebacks, no upsets, no squeakers. In fact, for the Tigers there will be no postseason at all.

Tomorrow's game at Yale represents the end of what turned out to be a disappointing season for Princeton. The Tigers (3-8-5 overall, 1-3-2 Ivy League) began the 2002 season with hopes of picking up where they left off last November by earning their sixth Ivy championship and advancing to the second round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament.

This was not to be, as they watched their star goalie go down with an injury early in the season and their chances for a repeat title fade.

Princeton is now tied with last year's co-champion, Brown, for sixth in the league, while Yale and Harvard share fourth place. Although the Tigers could leapfrog Yale (9-5-1, 2-3-1) in the standings with a win, the game is mostly about pride and ending the season on a positive note.

The Tigers finished last season with an overall record of 10-3-5 and a conference record of 5-1-1, in stark contrast to their current record. Brown, who also finished last season at 5-1-1 in-conference, is currently 1-3-2 in the league as well. The Bulldogs have looked remarkably similar to the Tigers throughout the season, playing close games with the same teams, although the results have often been flipped.

What was perhaps Princeton's best game came last weekend against probable league champion Penn. The Tigers recorded more shots, more corner kicks, and fewer fouls than the Quakers en route to Jason White's Princeton-record 25th career shutout. The Bulldogs also played Penn closely, taking the Quakers into the 72nd minute before Penn put the game-winner in the net for a 2-1 victory.

Another big win for Princeton came at the expense of Harvard. The Tigers used a goal from senior forward Matt Douglas in the 80th minute to hand the Crimson their first Ivy League loss. Yale was not as fortunate, however, as they dropped a 2-0 decision to Harvard.

All season, the Bulldogs have been led by forward Lindsey Williams, and the Tigers will have to contain him in order to get the win. Williams, an All-Ivy Honorable Mention last year in his rookie season, leads Yale with 10 goals and four assists (24 points). After Williams, the Bulldogs' second most potent forward is senior Jay Alberts. Alberts has put up 13 points this season, far behind Williams' 24.

Princeton has several defensive weapons to contain Yale's scorers. Senior defender Bob Nye, playing in his last college game, is one of the league's strongest defenders. Freshman Ben Young, who has made his presence felt this season in the backfield and will undoubtedly make his mark in the years to come, has learned the ropes as a defender after playing midfield most of his high school soccer career. Junior defender Jeff Hare can leap above nearly every offender in the league when contesting for balls in the air. Senior goaltender Jason White, also playing in his last career college game, is the best keeper in the league if he is on his game, and stands as a bulwark to the Yale offense.

Although this game will in no way affect the Ivy League title race, two other contests going on tomorrow will. Penn (5-0-1 Ivy League) now sits alone atop the league, but Dartmouth is right behind the Quakers at 4-1-1. With both teams hosting Ivy league opponents, a Penn loss coupled with a Dartmouth victory would make the two teams co-champions. Penn will receive the Ivy champion's automatic NCAA berth regardless of the outcome, however, by virtue of a 1-0 win over the Big Green in Hanover early in the season.

Even though the Tigers' game at Yale will have no affect on the team's title chances, that does not mean the game has no significance. The team put forth a very strong effort against Penn last Saturday, and should it build on that effort with a win over the Bulldogs the off-season may not seem quite so long. Nothing serves to salve wounds better than a victory against rival Yale, and that victory is well within the Tigers' reach.