Barba Strikes Late as Princeton Rattles Off 4th Straight Win

Senior defender Patrick Barba’s first career goal was memorable not just in the state column, but in the win column as well.

Barba scored what would become the game winning goal off a corner kick by junior midfielder Matthew Mangini, heading the ball in with about 13:00 left in the half to give Princeton (4-2) the lead for good at 2-1 over the visiting Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights (2-6). On what was a chilly September night, the Tigers left their supporters’ hearts very warm as they rallied from a tie to win their fourth straight game. Princeton also extended their win streak at Roberts Stadium to three.

“I’m proud of the way we played today,” senior goalie Josh Haberman said after the game. “We didn’t give up and both sides delivered when it mattered. Great win.”

The Tigers struck first with a goal by senior defender Greg Seifert, his third of the season and first since his two-goal effort against Rider University. He was assisted by senior defender Mark Romanowski, who fed Seifert with a beautiful pass right to the front of the net. However, the lead did not hold for long, as FDU scored a mere 15 seconds later. Enver Caymaz led the quick FDU response against a Princeton defense caught out of position.

The first half was highlighted by some defensive heroics. Haberman faced considerable pressure throughout the first half and made a couple of nice saves, notably a one-handed save just after the first FDU goal. Moments later, Romanowski made a play on the defensive side, clearing a threatening pass before it could reach Haberman.

Princeton’s offense settled down late in the first half and generated some great chances, including a beautiful feed by sophomore forward Will Lentz to sophomore midfielder Sean McSherry, who couldn’t connect with the back of the net. A late surge by McSherry later in the half was halted by Marcus Marshall of the Knights, who was shown a yellow card for his attempted slide tackle. A yellow card was also shown to sophomore forward/midfielder Jeremy Colvin for antics with an FDU player near midfield.

Haberman had one of his finest halves of the season. Despite allowing a goal, Haberman carried a Tiger team throughout the first half until the offense answered the call and generated enough firepower for the win.

Throughout the second half Princeton had many chances, including multiple corner kicks, a free kick by Mangini, and a great chance midway through the second half. The offense looked impressive throughout the second half, putting forth an effort the Tigers will look to build upon as Ivy League play approaches.

Asking how the team responded to the early tie, Haberman responded with a simple yet effective summary of the Tigers’ season to date:“We fought. We fought and we got the win.”

The Tigers will have a few days off before they look to extend their win streak to five. Princeton will travel to Villanova for a Wednesday afternoon game before returning home for the opening of conference play against Dartmouth. The Tigers will be looking for revenge after falling to Dartmouth 1-0 last year, at what was also the conference opener for both teams.