Despite Guelich's 12 saves, Tigers fall in OT

Senior goalie Bobby Guelich had the game of his collegiate career on Sunday against Dartmouth (4-1-3 overall, 1-0-0 Ivy League). Unfortunately for his team, his performance was part of a losing effort in which the Tigers (3-4-1, 0-1-0) could not muster much of an offense and fared little better on defense. Despite Guelich's best efforts, Princeton dropped its first Ivy League match of the season in overtime, 1-0.

Three minutes, 27 seconds into the first overtime period, the Big Green's Matt Carroll found teammate Mike Ordonez, who was well-positioned inside the Tigers' penalty area. Upon receiving the cross, Ordonez ripped a shot that, for the first time in the match, found the back of a net. With the goal, Dartmouth won its first league match of the year and extended its undefeated Ivy League record, a streak that began at the start of the 2003 season.

Princeton was outplayed on both ends of the field. The Big Green got off 22 shots, 13 of which were on goal. The Tigers managed only seven attempts, and only two of those found their way toward the net. Princeton was also whistled for five offsides, in addition to 15 fouls. In these two categories, the Tigers more than doubled the numbers recorded by their opponents.

The low score was a result of the nearly Herculean effort of Guelich, who kept the match tied for over 90 minutes. Guelich recorded 12 saves, two of which came in the first three minutes of overtime. In other words, Guelich made as many stops in the first three minutes of overtime as Dartmouth goalie Rowan Anders was forced to make in 93 minutes of play.

"They weren't necessarily the most skillful team, but they were athletic and able to create chances," Guelich said.

Guelich's effort has pushed him to the top of the league's statistical charts in goalkeeping. His 45 total saves, 5.6 save per game average and 84.9 save percentage are the best in the Ivy League. His play over the past two games, which also included a 1-1 tie to Rutgers, earned him a place on the weekly Ivy League Honor Roll.

Spicer silenced

Princeton's chief offensive weapon was silenced throughout the matchup. Senior forward Darren Spicer scored zero goals on zero shots. The Big Green is the first team that has been able to contain Spicer, who is off to another stellar start in his final year with the Tigers, and was recently named the East Coast Athletic Conference Division I Player of the Week. Few Princeton players fared much better than their captain, with the only shots on goal coming from sophomore forward Kyle McHugh and junior linemate Zach Schwarz.

"We were extremely disappointed with the result," Guelich said. "The Ivy League games are most important to us, and any time we let one get away it hurts."

There is no question that the Tigers are feeling the pain of two key injured starters. Senior forward Adrian Melville was sidelined for a second straight game, and sophomore defender Robbie Morgenroth missed his third. Despite sitting out the previous two games, Melville is still second on the team with seven points.

This lack of offensive production has put a tremendous amount of pressure on Guelich and the defense. Despite giving up only two goals in the previous four games, the Tigers have managed to record just two victories. On the season, Princeton's defense has allowed just eight goals in eight games.

The team seeks to step up its offensive production on Friday as the Tigers head to Providence to take on Brown (5-3-0, 1-0-0). The Bears are coming off a 3-1 win over Columbia. This game is paramount to Princeton's league play — the Tigers need a win to keep their Ivy League title hopes alive.