Behncke takes helm for Tigers

In soccer, there are two types of leaders. The first is the one who leads by example on the playing field, always playing with a grim determination and coming through with the big play at the crucial moment. The other is the emotional leader of the team, inspiring the other players to expend more effort and to play to the fullest extent of their potential. While the types are often mutually exclusive, the women's soccer team is lucky enough to have a single player, senior captain and forward Emily Behncke, who seamlessly combines the two.

"She is probably the best mix of both a competitive player and the nicest person I have ever been around," head coach Julie Shackford said. "Not only does she have energy and passion, but she is always smiling so you want to be around her ... A lot of competitive people can be somewhat edgy, but [Behncke] is literally one of the nicest players I have ever coached."

Behncke is not only an inspirational leader — she also gets results. Her four goals this year lead the team, and she has played a role in every single goal that the Tigers have scored this year when her two assists are taken into account.

Just last Sunday, the Tigers found themselves down 2-0 to Boston University 15 minutes into the game. But in the 29th minute, Behncke outpaced the Terriers' defense to receive a cross from sophomore midfielder Diana Matheson before chipping the ball over the keeper for a goal. Then, 20 minutes into the second half, she drilled a shot in from 25 yards out for the equalizer, and Princeton held on for the tie.

"[Behncke] never gives up, even when we're down, and plays hard for 90 minutes every game," said Matheson, a co-captain with Behncke this year. "She always seems to make a big play when we really need it."

Hailing from Williamsburg, Va., a town better recognized for its historic Colonial downtown than for producing top-level soccer talent, Behncke stepped into the proverbial footsteps of giants from the day she stepped onto campus. The Tigers' captain that fall was Heather Deerin '03, a four-year first-team All-Ivy League selection and Ivy League Player of the Year in 2002. Still, for Behncke, Deerin's overall approach to the game was even more important and impressive than those accolades.

"Every time she stepped on the field, whether for practice or a game, she was the best player out there," Behncke said. "But above all, she cared most about Princeton soccer."

Behncke played alongside another Princeton great last year. Forward Esmerelda Negron '05 led the Tigers to the NCAA semifinals and was named Ivy League Player of the Year, becoming Princeton's all-time leading scorer in the process.

Despite the attention given to those players, Behncke has quietly been a key contributor to the Tigers' success. She is currently the third all-time leading goal scorer in Princeton history, with 29, and is a two-time first-team All-Ivy selection.

But the success of last season puts a great deal pressure on her this fall to lead the team to a repeat performance, especially as the Tigers have started the season off slowly, with a 1-3-2 record.

"She puts a lot of pressure on herself, and she has been carrying us in a lot of ways," Shackford said, "but she keeps a good perspective. She never walks away from a game feeling she could have done more, and she can treat each day like a new one no matter what our previous results."

Princeton faces several key challenges this season. After graduating 10 seniors and welcoming six new freshmen to fill the hole, the team is significantly younger. Furthermore, after the slow start, the team will need to win the Ivy League to earn its automatic bid if it hopes to be in the NCAA tournament. Always the optimist, Behncke is confident that the team can do just that.

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"We are a different team this year. . . we look, act and come together as a team a lot differently," she said. "Hopefully, the seven of us seniors working hard and setting an example will make the rest of the team inclined to do the same."

It is never easy for a young team to win an Ivy League championship in the face of the grizzled veterans of the competition. But with Behncke at the helm, the Tigers have a good chance to do just that — and to do it smiling the entire way.