A single play dooms Tigers vs. Bulldogs

One play.

According to men's soccer coach Jim Barlow '91, that's the difference between a win and a loss in almost any game — and the soccer team's 2-0 loss to Yale on Sunday was one of those games.

On a chilly Senior Night in Princeton Stadium, the Tigers dominated play for 89 minutes but were unable to capitalize on their chances. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, took advantage of a controversial free kick with 13 minutes left to take a 1-0 lead, and then added a garbage goal with under 20 seconds left in the game.

"We have had a lot of games this season decided by one play," Barlow said. "In games like this, that is one kick or one decision, either by a halfback or by a referee. We didn't play poorly today, but those one plays will get you."

The first half started slowly, with both teams playing conservative soccer. Princeton got the better of play, firing the half's only four shots on goal, but was unable to connect on its limited chances.

The Tigers also dominated possession, beating the Bulldogs to nearly every 50-50 ball. With four minutes left in the half, senior forward Kyle McHugh sprung freshman forward Brandon Busch with a lead pass to the left of the goal, but Busch's shot was denied by the Yale goaltender. Quick passing and vision produced the play, which was the Tigers' best opportunity of the half, but the shot was saved and the half ended in a scoreless tie.

"At the start we had a lot of trouble opening them up," Barlow said. "This is a small field and a fast surface, and they had a lot of men behind the ball. Eventually we got the ball moving on the ground and established some possession, but we were still missing that last pass."

Princeton opened the second half with a lot more intensity. Less than two minutes in, McHugh hit the crossbar on a rifle from the top of the box, and the Tigers continued to apply pressure. A few minutes later, sophomore midfielder Devin Muntz fired a shot from the penalty spot that was deflected just outside the left post.

"We had eight corner kicks to their one, and at one point I believe we were out-shooting them 10 to three," Barlow said. "We were simply playing better than them."

With the field finally starting to open up, the Tigers began moving numbers forward and establishing possession in the Bulldogs' defending third. The increased offense made Princeton vulnerable in the back, and with 13 minutes left, Yale took advantage of the undermanned Princeton backline.

Picking up the ball in the middle of the field, a Bulldog forward dribbled uncontested for almost 40 yards before he was brought down with a light tackle by the Princeton defense.

Much to the Tigers' dismay, the referee blew a whistle on the play, and a Yale team that had mustered absolutely no offense all night was suddenly given a genuine scoring opportunity. The 30-yard free kick bounced around in front of the Tigers net before a Bulldog finally poked it past junior goalie Joe Walter.

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"We didn't think it was a foul," Barlow said. "That being said, you never want to give up a goal like that."

Down 1-0, the Tigers threw everything they had at the Yale defense. The remaining minutes were played almost exclusively in the Bulldogs' defensive third, but Princeton was unable to break through.

It was a bitter loss to take for the team's eight seniors — defenders Matt Kontos, Dan Cummins and Victor Noskov, forward Kyle McHugh and midfields Mike Jester, Ted Wolfson, David Metcalf and Robbie Morgenroth — especially on Senior Night, their last home game in a Princeton uniform.

"This senior class has been very important to this team," Barlow said. "The effort, energy and soccer that this team has been playing is not even comparable to the soccer we were playing earlier in the season [when the team started 0-6]. These seniors have been crucial in that transformation."

The loss broke Princeton's two-game winning streak and its five-game home unbeaten streak. The Tigers will finish their season on the road next Saturday at Dartmouth, where a victory will give them their first four-win Ivy League season since 2001.