Tigers top Bruno for first conference victory

The men’s soccer team earned a hard-fought 2-1 home victory over Brown (3-4-3 overall, 1-1 Ivy League) on Saturday afternoon, when senior defender Joe Saitta scored the first goal of his college career in the 84th minute. Saitta collected a well-placed cross from sophomore midfielder Vikran Pothuri on the left side of the box and finished clinically. His far-post strike catapulted the Tigers (5-3-2, 1-1) to a 2-1 victory and to their first win over Brown since the 2010 season.

But Princeton had to win the hard way, climbing back from a 1-0 firs- half deficit. A 12th-minute Bear throw-in sent the ball soaring high into the Princeton box, as midfielder Jack Gorab perfectly timed a keen run. Gorab beat junior goalkeeper Ben Hummel off a deflection, giving Brown an early 1-0 lead and setting the pace for continued Brown dominance. The Bears, who earned a 1-0 victory in their first Ivy League matchup against Columbia last weekend, had not allowed a goal in over four consecutive games. The two goals necessary for a Tiger comeback seemed difficult, if not impossible.

“I thought we didn't have our best first half, but we still felt at halftime that we had the ability to win the game," Princeton head coach Jim Barlow '91 told GoPrincetonTigers.com. "I didn't think our passing was great in the first half; there were too many plays that went backwards or stalled and allowed them to get a lot of numbers behind the ball. They weren't taking any chances and were keeping guys back, and we had a hard time breaking them down. In the second half, I thought we did better at getting the ball moving and getting more dangerous plays moving forward. Certainly the penalty helped break the ice, and I think we were pretty good after that.”

The breakthrough penalty kick occurred in the 69th minute as Princeton continued to fight for the equalizer. Senior forward Cameron Porter, no stranger to scoring big goals, notched his eighth goal of the season on a well-placed strike. Even so, Brown did not relent, and the Tigers were forced to fend off four shots and two corner kicks over the ensuing 15-minute period. But the Tigers’ defensive resolve paid off, and Princeton put the nail in the coffin with Saitta’s 84th-minute go-ahead goal.

This victory held particular importance for the Tigers, who feared losing two straight home games to open this season’s Ivy League campaign. After falling at home to Dartmouth 2-1 in overtime in its first Ivy League game last Saturday, Princeton needed a win to bolster its push for the Ivy League title. Saitta’s goal proved a timely antidote, providing Princeton with some momentum as league play picks up again next weekend.

“I think this gets us back in the race," Barlow told GoPrincetonTigers.com. "If you lose the first two, and both at home, it's really very difficult to have a chance to win the league. With how much parity there is in our league I think we're right back into the thick of the race now. We still need to take care of business outside the league and see if we can keep climbing up the RPI, but it was a really important win to get back in the race.”

Now, Princeton will turn its attention to a non-league opponent as Loyola (4-5-2, 2-3 Patriot League) comes to town Tuesday evening. The Tigers will resume Ivy League play at Columbia (4-5, 1-1 Ivy League) on Saturday. Last season, Princeton defeated the Lions 2-1 at home.