During a tense match at Jordan Field in Boston, men’s soccer (6–1 overall, 1–0 Ivy League) defeated Harvard (3–2–2, 0–1) with a final score of 1–0 in the Tigers’ Ivy League opener. A goal from senior forward Daniel Ittycheria proved to be enough for Princeton in an opportunity-laden matchup, combined with penalty heroics by junior goalkeeper Andrew Samuels.
“Vibes are really high,” Ittycheria told The Daily Princetonian regarding the team’s first league win. “And [we’ll] just keep moving forward.”
Head Coach Jim Barlow ’91 entered the game with a specific focus on defensive prowess.
“We knew how important it was to keep track of their guys up the field,” Barlow told the ‘Prince’ postgame. “They’re very good dribblers, they can pass in tight spaces, and they can get dangerous without committing a ton of numbers forward.”
Barlow’s tactics immediately showed results. While Harvard’s attack was suppressed, finding it hard to even enter the box, Princeton saw good chances to score off runs down the wings. In the ninth minute, quick passes between Ittycheria and junior forward Kevin Kelley down the left of the box led to Ittycheria’s shot on goal, which was saved. Ten minutes later, a long shot outside the box by Kelley was also narrowly saved by the Crimson keeper. From the start of the game, it was Princeton knocking on Harvard’s door.
The Tigers’ breakthrough came in the 23rd minute. After Kelley picked up the ball just behind the halfway line, a pass into open space sent junior forward Bardia Hormozi running down the right side of the pitch. After beating his defender, Hormozi lifted a cross into the box, perfectly placed for Ittycheria as he leapt high to head it into the goal.
But after finding the net, Ittycheria went down, clutching his head following a heavy collision with the Harvard goalkeeper. Unable to continue, he soon left the pitch.
“We have a deep team,” Barlow told the ‘Prince’ when asked about the injury. “We’re fortunate that we have guys that we can go to pretty much in every position that we have confidence in.”
Following the goal, Harvard began to regain their footing and seek out better offensive chances. Samuels was forced into action in the 33rd minute as he made a close-range save. In the 43rd minute, Harvard’s Nicholas Nyquist placed a header just over the goal.
“I give Harvard a lot of credit for [their play],” Barlow said. “I thought they did a good job taking away some of our strengths and our ability to pass and counter press.”
Harvard’s momentum continued into the second half. Although the Tigers began with some solid chances, it looked like the Crimson were still calling the shots. In the 53rd minute, a Harvard corner led to a shot that went just above the bar.
The pivotal moment came in the 61st minute. After the referee called a foul on Princeton for holding in the box, Nyquist stepped up to the spot. As he prepared to take the penalty, Samuels began taunting him, jumping up and down and pointing to the right as if inviting Nyquist to shoot there.
The crowd held its breath as Nyquist ran up, placing his shot low and down the middle. Samuels dived to his right, but the ball met his trailing leg and was deflected high in the air. The Princeton bench erupted in cheers and the players scrambled to clear the ball, denying Harvard the equalizer.
“You got to get in their head, all the pressure’s on them, and I’m gonna do every little thing I can to get an advantage there,” Samuels told the ‘Prince.’ “You always do that before penalty kicks. I’ve been doing it lately, and it’s been working, so I want to keep doing it.”
After the save, momentum shifted back to Princeton as the Tigers’ defense tightened back up and their offense came close to goal a few times. The late game also saw several fouls, with four yellow cards coming out in the last 15 minutes of play.
The match was intense until the very end. In the 89th minute, a Princeton handball gave Harvard a free kick just outside the box. The curling shot by Harvard’s Alejandro Palacio was aimed well towards the side of the goal, but Samuels reacted with an incredible save to keep the clean sheet. The final score ended at 1–0.
The Tigers will stay on the road as they face Army on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. in West Point.
“[Army’s] another good team, another tough place to play,” Barlow told the ‘Prince.’ “It should be a really good game.”
James Li is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Read More
Princeton Football dominates first away game 38–28 against Lafayette
Andrew KangFootball returns next week for their Ivy League opener against Columbia at the Princeton Stadium.
Football returns next week for their Ivy League opener against Columbia at the Princeton Stadium.
Women’s soccer falls 2–0 to Harvard University in competitive midday matchup
Siena SydenhamWomen’s soccer drops Ivy League matchup against Harvard with a 2–0 loss.
Women’s soccer drops Ivy League matchup against Harvard with a 2–0 loss.
Lawnparties budget, transport for off-campus religious observances discussed at USG meeting
Oliver WuAt the USG meeting on Sept. 28, members discussed offering funding for religious transportation and addressed additional methods to make communication with the USG more transparent.
At the USG meeting on Sept. 28, members discussed offering funding for religious transportation and addressed additional methods to make communication with the USG more transparent.