Some people will do anything to get on national television. They’ll dress up like lunatics and warble through an “American Idol” tryout or pretend their son is stuck in a giant balloon. All that the players on the men’s soccer team will have to do is play their game against the Harvard Crimson (4-4-5 overall, 1-0-2 Ivy League) on Sunday in a match that will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.
“[This] is a great opportunity for us to show the country exactly how good we are,” senior goalkeeper and captain Sean Lynch said. “Everyone on the team knows how important this game is, and being able to play [the game] on ESPNU just adds a little more motivation.”
No. 23 Princeton (8-3-1, 3-0) is coming into the game off a tough win over Columbia last Saturday, a comeback that took all of the team’s resilience to win. Despite trailing the whole game, the Tigers clawed their way to a win behind senior midfielder Josh Walburn’s free-kick goal in the 82nd minute. The team, happy to have extended its seven-game win streak, is feeling rested and eager to return to its dominant form that has put the Tigers at the top of the Ivy League with Penn.
“[The Columbia game] was an important wake-up call,” Lynch said. “The guys have been excited this week to come out and really get after it. The energy has been great, and you can tell everyone understands how important the game is on Sunday.”
“We made it a point to be more focused in training this week,” Walburn said. “I think that we have been practicing well this week, putting ourselves in a good position to play well this weekend.”
Princeton will also look to continue its prolific scoring streak, as the offense has churned out three goals a game to win its last seven games.
“Our will to win has been the driving force on our recent scoring run,” Walburn said.
This offensive production, which has the Tigers ranked No. 15 in the nation in terms of goals per game, is complemented and enabled by a stalwart defense that has allowed only 13 goals this season. The team will rely on this defense on Sunday.
“We feel if we defend as a team, [Harvard] will have trouble getting anything started against us and we’ll be able to open up the game with our offensive threats,” Lynch said.
The defense certainly should be able to handle Harvard, which is currently ranked No. 137 in the nation. Despite the sluggish offense the Crimson has exhibited, the Tigers are not taking the game lightly.
“Harvard is a solid team with a couple special players in the attack,” Lynch said.
Harvard’s real strength lies with its defense, which has allowed only 14 goals in their 13 games this season. The Tigers, however, are confident they can overcome the challenge.
“We struggled with our passing last weekend, so hopefully we will be able to rebound this weekend and play to our normal standards,” Walburn said. “If we play to our strengths, we match up well with Harvard and should have a good chance to keep our streak going.”
If the Tigers can keep their streak alive, they’ll have the possibility to fulfill a preseason mission.
“We came into this season with the goal that we would win the Ivy League and we have done a good job so far, but it is far from over,” Lynch said. “Right now we are focused on the next challenge, Harvard.”
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