An Ivy League men's soccer season can be a long, hard road, full of ups and downs, big wins and difficult losses. The 2003 season is shaping up to be all that and more for the men's soccer team.
The Tigers have played only two games in the Ivy League, but the team has already enjoyed a thrilling come-from-behind overtime win over Dartmouth and suffered a heartbreaking loss to Brown.
The Tigers (4-4-2 overall, 1-1 Ivy League) enter this weekend's game against Columbia (6-3-0, 1-1) on a decidedly downward swing in their rollercoaster season. Last weekend, the team traveled to Brown looking to get a second Ivy League win but left disappointed, losing 3-1 as the Bears scored the decisive goals on corner kicks and a penalty kick.
On Wednesday the Tigers took a trip down to Washington, D.C., to play American and could muster just a single shot on goal in the 3-0 loss.
The two consecutive losses came on the heels of what were the Tigers' two biggest victories of the season, a 3-2 overtime win over Dartmouth to open their Ivy League schedule and a 2-1 win over Adelphi on the strength of freshman defender Jame Wunsch's last-second goal. Those two victories saw the Tiger offense, which was a question mark coming into the season, come alive with five goals.
Two of the goals came from freshman forward Kyle McHugh, who scored his first ever collegiate goal late in the second half to give the Tigers the lead over Dartmouth, then put the Big Green away for good with the game-winner in overtime. McHugh, along with sophomore forward Darren Spicer, has been counted on to provide the scoring punch that was lacking for the Tigers last year, when they played in a team-record eight overtime games.
Spicer has been dangerous all season and has three goals to show for his efforts. Meanwhile, McHugh's breakout against the Big Green seemed to indicate big things on the horizon for the Tigers' offense. However, the last two games have seen a regression to 2002 form for the Princeton strikers. Against Brown the only goal came on a penalty kick, and the single shot on goal against American was not nearly enough to provide a victory.
This weekend against Columbia goals will be at a premium as the Tigers look to earn their second Ivy League win in as many chances. The Tigers will be at home for the first time in league play as they return to Lourie-Love field.
Columbia enters the game riding a two-game winning streak that included a 2-1 overtime victory over Long Island and a 2-1 Ivy League victory over Penn. Columbia has an aggressive, attacking style that has led to its 6-3-0 record. What the record doesn't show is that the Lions have been to overtime three times, with a 2-1 record in the extra frame.
The Columbia offense, which is second in the Ivy League in shots per game with 14.22, has taken 12 more shots than its opponents on the season while outscoring them, 11-9. Ajene Green leads the offense with three goals while Jorrell Best has scored the game-winner in each of the last two games.
Defensively, the Lions are strong, led by goalkeeper Dean Arnaoutakis who boasts a .960 goals against average. Strong goalie play is a must for the Lions, as their love for attacking the goal can sometimes leave their own side of the field a bit vulnerable.
The Tigers must exploit Columbia's aggressive style if they hope to get a win this weekend, and McHugh and Spicer must be ready to quickly counterattack and capitalize on any good scoring chances. But as always for the Tigers, winning will start with the defense, and senior defender Jeff Hare will need to keep his young back linemates disciplined as they stave off Columbia's constant offensive charges.
Sophomore back Neil Chaudhuri will look to make up for a costly penalty last week that led to Brown's final goal, while Wunsch will try to continue his solid effort from the other side and possibly make a run or two toward the Columbia goal from the back. Wunsch is tied for the team lead with six points on two goals and two assists, an unusual total for a defensive player.
If Hare and his young mates on the defensive front can hold up against Columbia's pressure, things will be looking up for Princeton. All the Tigers need is the return of the offensive powerhouse that took the field against Dartmouth and Adelphi.
Hopefully the Saturday night lights on Princeton's home turf can bring that scoring touch back.
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