Harvard brings nine-game unbeaten streak to Princeton

In a week characterized by performance under pressure during midterms, the men’s soccer team (6-3-3, 1-1-1 Ivy) will close its work week on Saturday evening when it hosts Harvard (8-3-1, 2-0-1 Ivy) in what could arguably be the most critical match of the team’s season.

Coming off a less than thrilling draw on the road last weekend against Columbia, the Tigers now face the only undefeated Ivy team in conference play. The Crimson showed signs of weakness when it dropped its first three games of the fall season. However, eight consecutive victories and a draw later, the Crimson is riding a hot streak in which it has not lost since Sept. 13. What’s more, it has a +10 differential between goals scored and goals allowed. Notably for the Crimson offense, no individual stands as the lone point scorer. Five players are tied for the team lead in goals with three, while 11 different members have found the back of the net for Harvard as October draws to a close. The fact that so many players can pose a threat to the Tigers’ defense and junior goalkeeper Ben Hummel is something the Tigers know they will need to address come game time on Saturday evening. And the Harvard-Princeton rivalry only intensifies the stakes, besides the fact that control of the Ivy League is at stake.

“It’s gonna be a fight,” junior forward Thomas Sanner said. “We don’t like them; they don’t like us. They play an ugly form of soccer, focused on long throw-ins and free kicks, so we will have to match their intensity and size and then let our soccer play take over.”

Senior back Joe Saitta also commented on the difficulty Harvard poses in its contrasting style of play.

“The Harvard game is always a difficult game for us,” Saitta said. “Their team in many ways is the opposite of ours. They are a direct-kick, long throw-in and high-press team that makes it very difficult to play possession soccer.”

After then-junior forward Cameron Porter scored on a penalty kick in Cambridge last October, the Tigers allowed two second-half goals in a 2-1 loss on Harvard soil. The team is hopeful that hosting the Crimson this time around will improve its chances.

“Last year we struggled on their field and weren’t really able to dictate the pace of the game,” Saitta said. “We are hoping that playing at home will give us an opportunity to control more of the game and wear them down over 90 minutes. At the end of the day, the game is going to come down to playing tight defense on direct kicks and long throws, and being able to play forward quickly to avoid their high press. I don’t believe that they will be able to sustain their pressure for more than a half, and once the game opens up, we have talented attackers up the field that can score goals and win us the game.”

With the Homecoming crowd set to attend in full storm, the conference title on the line, Harvard as the opponent, Saturday’s game is expected to be among the most heated athletic events Princeton hosts this fall. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Roberts Stadium.