Men's Soccer: Hoppenot nets two in thrilling double-overtime win

The men’s soccer team faced an intimidating task last Saturday. With the fate of their season on the line, the Tigers traveled to Ohiri Field to take on No. 9 Harvard, who had not yet lost at home this season.

Undaunted by the game’s significance, Princeton (7-5-2 overall, 2-2-0 Ivy League) produced its biggest result of the season to come from behind to defeat Harvard (10-3-1, 2-1-1) in a stunning double-overtime victory.

The Tigers had not managed a win over the Crimson since 2002 and had not beaten a ranked team this year, but after a recent string of impressive results and with a well-conceived game plan, the team knew it had a solid chance of victory.

“We all understood that if we were able to pressure the ball all over the field and keep it locked at the back, then we would have a good opportunity to get a result,” freshman defenseman Mark Linnville said, and for 65 minutes, Princeton looked to be right on track.

In a tense first half, the Tigers dominated the Crimson, but, as has become a recurring problem this season, they found it hard to translate their superior play into goals. Princeton struck 11 shots on goal, in comparison to Harvard’s five, but the team was denied the lead by a combination of wayward shooting and fine goalkeeping.

“We came out fast in the first half, created the better chances, and pressured them all over the field just as we planned,” Linnville said. “They could only resort to kicking the ball up the field, and we were unlucky to not go into halftime with the lead.”

After the half, the Tigers again came close when freshman forward Matt Sanner hit the crossbar, but this near miss seemed to rouse Harvard into action.

Five minutes past the hour mark, a Harvard midfielder slipped a ball through the Princeton defense to All-American striker Andre Akpan, who was felled in the box for a penalty. Akpan duly stepped up to take the kick, and he scored for the 10th time this season, leaving Princeton down, 1-0.

The Tigers might have been demoralized by conceding a goal, but they struck back immediately.

From the ensuing kickoff, junior defender Josh Walburn found sophomore striker Antoine Hoppenot with a long pass, and Hoppenot burst through the defensive line to slip the ball past the Harvard goalkeeper into the net and level the score at one.

“We knew we were still playing well when we conceded,” senior striker Ben Harms said. “But scoring so quickly afterwards, without Harvard even touching the ball, really spurred us on.”

Princeton went on the offensive for the remaining 25 minutes of the game but was unable to break down a resolute Harvard defense, so for the fourth time this season, the Tigers went to overtime.

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In the first period, Harvard, with a strong wind at its back, was finally able to overturn the tide of Tiger pressure. The Crimson shut down Princeton’s offense and got into advantageous positions twice in 10 minutes, but both chances resulted in wild shots that didn’t trouble the Princeton goal.

When the teams switched sides for the second period of overtime, the Tigers had the benefit of the blustery weather, and they made the most of it. After one minute, Princeton forced a corner, and Walburn swung the ball into the center.

No Princeton players made immediate contact with the ball, but junior Tim Sedwitz eventually picked it up at the far post. He maneuvered some space for himself and put in a cross that Hoppenot headed in from six yards for the winning goal, his second of the game.

Head coach Jim Barlow ’91 was delighted at the Princeton performance and the determination to get the victory.

“The entire team played well,” he said. “It was a great result yesterday to come from behind against a top-10 team in the second half on their own field, too.”

With this victory, the Tigers have given themselves a chance in the Ivy League and put themselves in the running for an NCAA tournament berth. Barlow was cautiously optimistic about Princeton’s chances for the rest of the season.

“This is a huge win for us, as it hopefully keeps us alive in the Ivy race and also in contention for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament,” he said. “Our next three games are vital, but with our strength of schedule being among the toughest in the country, we think we have a chance.”

The Tigers can only hope their efforts will be rewarded, but they will need to be at their best again when they face Cornell at Roberts Stadium on Saturday.