Men's Soccer: Tigers look to spoil Penn’s run at Ivy crown

Princeton will battle it out with the Quakers in the last home game of the season on Saturday at 1 p.m. on Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium. Penn is currently tied with Harvard atop the Ivy standings.

Though Penn holds a national ranking and a solid record, its one Ivy loss came at the hands of Columbia, who is currently ranked seventh in the league. The Lions — a team the Tigers defeated 2-0 in New York — traveled to find a 2-1 victory in the Quakers’ home stadium. Lehigh is the only other team to beat Penn this season, doing so by a 2-1 margin in double overtime. The Tigers also lost to Lehigh, 2-1.

The Quakers rebounded from these back-to-back losses, however, and are coming off a 4-0 demolition of Brown. Princeton dropped a game to the Bears earlier in the season, 3-2.

“It shows the parity in our league that they can be at the top of the league with their one loss coming to Columbia at home,” head coach Jim Barlow ’91 said. “It just goes to show that anything can happen. It’s a crazy league.”

The teams have actually played each other already once this year in a preseason matchup that the Tigers lost 1-0. This gives both sides an added familiarity with the other team.

“They are a team we know well, and they know us well,” Barlow said. “We’re very familiar with each other.”

Though the Quakers may hold the advantage this year, Princeton has done remarkably well against Penn in recent history. Besides a 1-0 overtime loss in 2006, the Tigers have not lost to the Quakers in more than 20 years. Last season, Princeton fought out a 1-0 victory, and the teams ended the season tied for fourth in the league.

Penn boasts a solid offense and defense. While the defense and goalie Drew Healy have helped the Quakers earn nine shutouts this season, the offense averages 2.07 goals per game, the highest average in the league. Penn also leads the league in assists and lowest number of goals allowed.

“Penn is very good at moving the ball,” Barlow said. “They are quick, have good feet, and they pass the ball well. Our backs need to track their runners, and we can’t get caught ball-watching. We can’t lose track of guys — we have to stay alert.”

The main player to keep an eye on is forward Omid Shokoufandeh. The only player in the conference to be named Ivy League Player of the Week more than once this season, Shokoufandeh has earned the recognition three times. Against Brown, he scored two goals in the first half, and he has scored a total of nine goals thus far this season. He also leads the league with five game-winning goals.

“He’s just a really good forward,” Barlow said. “He can show up anywhere. We’ve got to beat him to spots and keep track of him, limit his touches and his chances to be dangerous.”

Barlow, however, balances his concern with confidence.

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“Our defenders are up to the challenge,” Barlow said. “We’re optimistic our backs can keep track of them.”

Princeton is coming off a solid 3-0 shutout over Cornell, so both the defense and offense will try to extend their successes. The offense is led by sophomore forward Brandon Busch, who has scored five goals and assisted three others this season. Freshman midfielder Antoine Hoppenot and sophomore defender Josh Walburn have scored three goals apiece, while junior midfielder and team captain Devin Muntz has facilitated the action with five assists.

Though their chances of winning the Ivy League are slim at this point, the Tigers have a huge opportunity to build up their confidence with a big win that could mix up the league rankings.