After weeks of practice, several close games against nationally-ranked opponents and an exhausting overtime tie versus instate rival Rutgers on Wednesday, the men's soccer team (3-3-1 overall) will start from scratch this weekend.
On Sunday, the Tigers travel to Hanover, N.H., to take on Dartmouth (3-1-3) in what will be both teams' first Ivy League matchup of the season.
Though the Tigers have proven that they can be competitive against the country's most elite collegiate programs, those accomplishments will count for little in the team's quest for a league championship.
Ivy League soccer does not have a playoff or ranking system to determine the league champion. Instead, the champion is selected solely on the basis of league record. The Big Green, which registered a 5-0-2 record against Ivy League opponents in the 2004 season, tallied enough wins to become the sole League champion. The Tigers, at 3-2-2, took second.
In other words, calling Sunday's matchup a critical game would be an understatement.
The Tigers enter this weekend's contest with a full head of steam. They have not recorded a loss in their previous three games, which included a hard-fought tie against perennial rival Rutgers and two wins against strong opponents.
The team has received consistent sensational goalie play from senior Bobby Guelich, who has kept his teammates close in every game this season and helped make the Tiger defense seem nearly impenetrable. The only goal scored against the team in the pwast three games came off a penalty kick, which Guelich nearly stopped.
Meanwhile, on offense, senior forward Darren Spicer continues to prove that he is among the best in the Ivy League, leading Princeton in both goals and points.
The Tigers, however, are not at full strength. Senior forward Adrian Melville and sophomore midfielder Robbie Morgenroth missed Wednesday's game against Rutgers due to injury. The Tigers have previously counted on these players for their consistency and ability to make big plays; Melville scored Princeton's first three goals of the season.
To upset the Big Green, the Tigers will have to avoid coming out flat, as they did against No. 7-nationally ranked Farleigh Dickinson, or slipping in the final minutes of the game, as seemed to happen against Rutgers. Each of the Tigers' previous non-league games has sharpened the squad's skills and helped shape a very dangerous Princeton team.
Ultimately, this weekend's match may well set the tone for the remainder of the season. A win against the defending champs would send a clear message that the Tigers are a championship caliber team that can defeat the best the Ivy League has to offer. The Tigers would rather not consider the message a loss would send.
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