Still winless in Ivy League, Princeton hosts Cornell

With just five games remaining in the men's soccer season, the prospect of Princeton (3-6-3 overall, 0-2-1 Ivy League) claiming the Ivy League title for the first time since 2001 has all but disappeared. But that fact has not deterred a resilient Tiger squad from setting a lofty goal for the final home stretch of the season.

"The team's goal for the rest of the season is simple," freshman midfield Jason Adams said. "We want to step on the field every day and have everyone contribute with a great effort and pick up five wins to end the year."

The Tigers will certainly have their work cut out for them. Over the next three weeks, the team will be taking on four Ivy opponents. During Fall Break, Princeton will face Cornell, Penn and a Bucknell team that recently vaulted itself to the top of the Patriot League standings.

"Any time you have four of the next five against Ivy League teams, it is going to be a difficult stretch," Adams said.

The Tigers' first test will come against Cornell on Saturday afternoon at Lourie-Love Field. Though the Big Red (3-7-2, 2-2-0) struggled at the start of the season, it has won games when it has counted, tallying two of its three overall wins against Ivy League opponents.

To start its Ivy schedule, Cornell handed rival Penn its only league loss of the season. But the Big Red's most impressive performance came in its most recent bout against No. 18 nationally-ranked Brown. Cornell held the Bears to just one goal in 90 minutes before finally falling in a 2-1 overtime loss. The Big Red will head to Princeton with only one thought on its mind — a run on the league title.

After three days' rest, Princeton will face another challenge when it takes on Bucknell. The division-leading Bison are riding a hot streak, not having tallied a loss in their last three contests.

Anchored by goalie Adam Edwards, who with last week's 1-0 win over Lehigh became the all-time career shutout leader in the Patriot League, Bucknell will enjoy an Ivy League "respite" in the final stretch of the season. The Bison will be intent on keeping their streak alive to preserve their spot at the top of the standings.

The following Saturday, the Tigers will head to Philadelphia to take the field against Penn (2-1-1, 8-3-1). The Quakers, like Princeton's other two Fall Break opponents, are also coming off a strong performance, this one against No. 25 nationally ranked Yale, nationally ranked No. 25. That contest ended in a 1-1 stalemate, but it kept Penn in a third-place tie in the Ivy League. The game against the Tigers will be the penultimate league match for the Quakers and will almost certainly have significant league title implications. Princeton hopes to spoil any Penn aspirations of claiming that honor.

"The next five games will be challenging for us," Adams said.

But with this challenge comes a shot at redemption for the Tigers. Over Fall Break, Princeton will face some of its toughest opponents of the year. Three wins against these teams would silence any murmurs that the Tigers have not lived up to their preseason expectations. Though a league title is nearly impossible, Princeton has the opportunity to reassert itself as among the best in the Ivy League.

"While our record isn't where we want it to be, we have really come together as a team over the last few weeks," Adams said. "These last five games will show that we have our best soccer still ahead of us."