Men's Soccer: Game, like season, ends on near miss

Princeton (5-9-3 overall, 2-2-3 Ivy League) played to a 2-2 draw after two overtime periods against Yale (7-7-3, 3-3-1) on a dreary Saturday afternoon.

In the 109th minute of an exhausting match, Harms tried his best to put the Tigers over the top and end the season on a high note. As has been the case in so many games this year, things just didn’t work out. Harms controlled the ball off a cross and shook his defender to generate enough space to get off his shot. The kick was almost perfect, but the ball sailed just over the crossbar.

“It was another close game where we played really well and put ourselves in a position to win,” head coach Jim Barlow ’91 said. “It was frustrating. From a chances and possession standpoint, we felt we really had the edge.”

The Tigers actually fell behind midway through the first half when Yale midfielder Sam Post took a free kick from about 15 yards out. Post directed the free kick toward Yale defender Max Rhodes, who managed to get the ball in behind senior goaltender Joe Walter for the game’s first score.

Though the Bulldogs got on the board first, it was Princeton who dictated the tempo of play in the first half. The Tigers outshot Yale 10-4 over the first 45 minutes, and one of those shots tied the game at one only 10 minutes after the Bulldogs drew first blood.

Freshman midfielder Antoine Hoppenot, who is second on the team in points, once again caused havoc while on the offensive. Hoppenot sprinted down the left sideline, carrying the ball all the way into the corner. Just before reaching the baseline, Hoppenot whipped a cross to junior midfielder and captain Devin Muntz, who decisively slammed the ball into the back of the net to knot the score.

The Tigers carried that momentum into the second half. An odd play resulted in Princeton’s second score. In the 62nd minute, there was a bit of chaos in Yale’s goal box. A penalty ensued when Bulldog goalkeeper Travis Chulick took down Hoppenot in the box, and the Tigers were awarded a penalty kick.

Sophomore forward Brandon Busch buried the shot for a 2-1 lead.

“Antoine had his best game of the year,” Barlow said. “He and Brandon Busch have been causing all sorts of problems for teams.”

Princeton couldn’t hold on, however. Yale midfielder Jordan Raybould delivered a perfect cross to forward Aden Farina-Henry, who headed the ball into the back of the net to even the score at two.

“We had them chasing the game for a good stretch,” Barlow said. “Once we had the lead in the second half, though, for maybe the next 10 minutes we lost the momentum. We had a couple of chances late, but we couldn’t finish.”

Neither team could find the back of the net during the two overtime periods, though Harms came very close. Over the course of the game, the Tigers had a substantial edge in shots taken, 20-11. Princeton also had four corner kicks to the Bulldogs’ three.

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“It was such a great effort,” Barlow said. “We played really well; it’s just disappointing to play so well and not come away with the victory.”

Walter made two saves before giving way to sophomore goalkeeper Sean Lynch toward the end of the second half. Lynch did not have to make a save during the last moments of the second period nor during overtime. On the other side of the pitch, Chulick made five saves for the Bulldogs.

At season’s end, the Tigers have been left asking, “What if?” Princeton’s other ties came against Penn and Dartmouth, the two teams sharing the Ivy League title. Much like those two contests, Saturday’s game against Yale was very winnable. Princeton just couldn’t make the finishing plays necessary to add one more to the win column.

Though the Tigers end the season without a trip to the NCAA tournament, they do have a lot to look forward to. As a team, Princeton was clearly far more lethal than its record ultimately showed, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

“There are so many things that you try and improve on over the year,” Barlow said. “I think the thing we improved on the most was becoming more of a dangerous team — moving the ball well. Other teams had a hard time dealing with us.”

The problem was that this metamorphosis took hold too late. Because Princeton got off to a rough start, pressure mounted on the team to win the Ivy League championship. The Tigers were constantly playing catchup with the rest of the pack.

“The biggest thing is we need to get off to a better start. By losing games early, you put pressure on yourself to win every game to keep your hopes of the postseason alive,” Barlow said. “You always feel like you’re climbing uphill.”

The results that Princeton had hoped for early in the fall didn’t come this season. With a large contingent of dynamic playmakers returning next season, the Tigers will have a great chance to finish what they started.

As Saturday proved once again, finishing has been the one ability that has frequently eluded Princeton this season. Time will tell if the Tigers can find their killer instinct before next season. If they do, the rest of the Ivy League will have to look out.