Princeton wins OT thriller

Overtime was scheduled to last twenty minutes, but the men's soccer team needed only 56 seconds last night for freshman forward Max Hare to score the game-winning goal in sudden death against Seton Hall.

Princeton (6-5-2 overall, 1-2-0 Ivy League) upset Seton Hall (7-6-1) by a score of 3-2, despite trailing for much of the second half. Hare scored two goals and fellow freshman Devin Muntz tied the game minutes before time expired in regulation.

Though the Tiger offense exploded in the final minutes, tight defense and reliable goaltending were the deciding factors in the game. Sophomore keeper Joe Walter made nine saves, including a diving block against Seton Hall senior Teddy Niziolek in the 15th minute. Niziolek drew several controversial fouls in the hotly-contested instate rivalry. The game was marred by 24 fouls.

Coming off a demoralizing overtime loss to Brown last week, the Tigers played with renewed intensity against the Pirates, who are ranked No. 6 in the Northeast.

The strong Princeton defense finally succumbed after 44 minutes of consistent Pirate pressure, when Seton Hall forward John Raus followed up on a rebound, driving the ball past Walter and deep into Princeton's goal.

Hare gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead, 16:02 into the game, off of junior forward Kyle McHugh's assist.

For much of the second half, the offense struggled controlling the ball almost as much as referees struggled controlling the game. The rivalry grew heated, as penalties racked up for both teams.

In the 70th minute, Seton Hall opened up a 2-1 lead when Raus fired from about 15 yards out. His shot was deflected off a defender into the back of the net for Raus's second goal on the night.

Though the Tigers dominated possession and tempo, they couldn't seem to finish plays. Corner kick after corner kick resulted in missed opportunities and frustration.

It looked like Princeton would lose its third consecutive game when freshman Pirate forward Austin Nyquist drilled a shot past Walter, apparently opening up a 3-1 lead in the 84th minute, but he was called offside.

Seconds later, Muntz, headed the ball into the goal in a crowd of Pirate defenders. The game remained locked at two until time expired in regulation.

Then, in the first minute of overtime, Hare stole the ball from Pirate goalie Paul McHenry and drilled the ball into a wide-open net.

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"The last couple of games we've had these [missed] chances, it feels great to finish a game off and get this victory," Hare said.

For the Tigers to win the Ivy League title, they must beat Columbia Saturday night at Lourie-Love Field. Even if Princeton doesn't win the Ivy League, it can still enter the postseason with an at-large bid.

"We still want to try and do everything we can to get a bid to the NCAA Tournament. We have a four-game season right now, we want to take them one game at a time right now," head coach Jim Barlow '91 said.