Reeling Tigers look for relief against Lions

After what feels like weeks of rain, the men's soccer team (0-2-0 Ivy League, 3-5-1 overall) hopes that Saturday will bring Princeton some relief — both literally and figuratively.

This weekend, the Tigers will take on Columbia (0-2-0, 3-8-0) under the lights at Lourie Love Field. Princeton has dropped its first two league games of the season and had its most recent match postponed due to rain.

The Tigers will look to record their first league win against a Lion team that has lost six of its past seven games. Columbia will not be underestimated, particularly after its past weekend's performance against rival Penn. The Lions held the Quakers scoreless through regulation before falling, 1-0, in overtime.

Princeton understands it must win on Saturday. The Tigers face every Ivy League opponent just once per season. In a championship determined by league standings, each of these matches is vitally important. After losing its first two league matches, Princeton cannot afford to tally another Ivy League loss.

The Tigers hope that senior forward Adrian Melville will be the proverbial ray of sunshine that the team has lacked over the past two weeks. Melville came off the bench in last weekend's loss to Brown after having sat out the previous two games with a hamstring injury.

With Melville back in the lineup, the pressure to score will slightly ease off senior forward Darren Spicer, who after a red-hot start to the season has been unable to find the back of the net in league play.

In Melville's absence, sophomore forward Kyle McHugh stepped up his play and has performed consistently well. McHugh led Princeton in both goals and shots on goal in its match against Brown.

One week prior, McHugh scored the lone goal in the team's 1-1 overtime tie against Rutgers, which put an end to the Scarlet Knights' recent domination of the series. McHugh's efforts have earned him a position on the Ivy League's weekly honor roll.

Senior goalie Bobby Guelich, a seemingly regular recipient of these weekly honors, has been the team's anchor in net. Over the past eight games, Guelich has made 52 saves in the net, 22 more than the Tigers have forced the opposing goalies to stop. Over the same period, Princeton has only been outscored by a margin of 10-8. But the credit for these saves does not lie solely with Guelich, who has been aided by a solid supporting defensive cast.

The Tigers need a win to remain in playoff contention. They have demonstrated that they can stick with tough teams, and have done so against Farleigh Dickinson, Akron and Rutgers. Now, Princeton needs to prove it can defeat league rivals. A win would catapult the Tigers into contention and provide a much-needed confidence boost for a team that has been on the losing end of several tight matches.

The forecast is calling for a break in the rain Saturday. Things are already starting to go Princeton's way.