The men’s and women’s soccer teams find themselves at similar junctures early in the season, with both looking to build momentum heading into Ivy League play.This weekend, the men’s soccer team (1-2 overall) travels to the Windy City, where it will take on two nationally ranked teams. Today, the men’s team will play at 11th-ranked Illinois-Chicago (4-0-1) before taking on ninth-ranked Northwestern (5-0-1) on Sunday. The difficult weekend slate will give the Tigers a chance to test their mettle against two high-quality teams in a menacing road environment.“We’re excited to have the opportunity to play two really good teams,” head coach Jim Barlow ’91 said. “We’ll see how we handle the challenges they throw at us.”The games will also give Princeton an early indication of where it stands before the always-competitive Ivy League season.“Every year, we try to play a really tough schedule to get ready for Ivy League matches,” Barlow said. “Going on the road into two tough environments will give our guys a picture of what it takes to do well once we start the Ivy League season.”The Tigers hope to channel the competitive mentality and cohesive play they displayed in their 3-1 win over Seton Hall last Sunday. In that game, Princeton used a strong team effort to overcome not only its in-state rival, but also the 95-degree heat. “I think we really chased a lot more. We got after their backs and midfielders [and] made them make decisions early rather than give them time and space,” junior midfielder and captain Devin Muntz said. “We were able to cover a lot more ground, winning second balls, giving them a hard time and getting in good spots for each other.”Princeton was buoyed by goals from senior midfielder Brad Fechter, sophomore defender Josh Walburn and sophomore midfielder Teddy Schneider, as well as two assists from Muntz.To be successful this weekend, the Tigers will have to continue working as a unit to create multiple scoring opportunities as they did in their game against Seton Hall.“This is our first real test. I think everyone is really looking forward to getting out there. We really want to win these two games. It would put us on a national stage,” Muntz said. “We’re really excited about getting this opportunity, and we’re looking forward to taking advantage of it.”Women’s teamThe women’s soccer team (1-1) will have the luxury of playing one of its games this weekend in the friendly confines of Myslik Field when the team competes against Towson (3-4) tonight. Princeton will then conclude its weekend with a Sunday afternoon game against St. John’s (5-1-2) in Queens.The Tigers will have the added challenge of having had an almost two-week layoff because last weekend’s road trip to Texas was cancelled due to Hurricane Ike.“Missing out on the two games this week was definitely a disappointment, especially missing an opportunity to play against such a highly ranked Texas A&M [team],” senior midfielder and tri-captain Lisa Chinn said. “These last two weeks were definitely challenging, but I think we really made the most of it. It gave us more time to work on team tactics and moving the ball around in different formations.”During the layoff the Tigers were able to play in a few scrimmages, which enabled them to work on some new tactics while also improving their play on set pieces.“We were fortunate enough to get some scrimmaging opportunities, allowing us to maintain our game fitness as much as possible,” Chinn said. “I think we have just been taking things a day at a time, and in retrospect, the time has gone by relatively quickly, as we are already approaching game day.”Princeton will look to the senior trio of Chinn, midfielder and tri-captain Jen Om and midfielder Sarah Peteraf to headline its offensive attack with the dependable senior middle back Taylor Numann anchoring the defense. These four veterans will have to set the tone for the Tigers, as they take the field against two opponents who have played multiple games over the past two weeks.“One of the major keys to success this weekend will be focus. We haven’t had games in two weeks, while our opponents have had several, so I think we will really need to maintain our focus throughout the entire course of the game and also the entire course of the weekend,” Chinn said. “In addition to that, I think we need to be determined to outwork our opponents and really possess the ball as much as possible.”Possession will be critical, as the Tigers attempt to start the weekend on a strong note and show that they are more than capable of handling the challenges that nature has thrown their way.
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