For more than three decades, the NCAA Tournament has yielded heartbreak for Princeton. But on Sunday, a Tiger squad in the middle of a record-breaking season will try to rewrite its history.
The No. 3 ranked Tigers men’s soccer (13–1–2 overall, 9–0 Ivy League) will face off against the Duke Blue Devils (9–3–6, 4–2–2 Atlantic Coast Conference).
“We need to continue doing what we have been doing all season: playing with energy and confidence and staying connected with and without the ball,” Head Coach Jim Barlow ’91 wrote to The Daily Princetonian. “We also need to stay alert and tuned in on restarts, second balls, and plays in both boxes.”
Preview
The Tigers capped off a historic season with a dominant run in the Ivy League tournament, where they defeated Harvard (6–6–5, 2–3–2) and Cornell (14–3–2, 5–1–1), helping to earn them a first round bye and home-field advantage through the NCAA quarterfinal.
The Tiger back line will be anchored by junior goalkeeper Andrew Samuels, who secured his 12th shutout of the year in the win against Cornell. Samuels was the Ivy League defensive player of the year and the Most Outstanding Player in the Ivy League tournament.
“I think a big difference from this year compared to other years is that defending is a responsibility taken seriously by the whole entire team this year, from top to bottom,” said senior defender and captain Giuliano Fravolini Whitchurch.
Up top, senior forward Daniel Ittycheria leads Princeton with nine goals and three assists. Ittycheria was selected with the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.
Alongside Ittycheria will either be junior forward Kevin Kelley or first-year forward Jackson Martin. Kelley started in the tournament final against Cornell, but Martin has been a more regular starter and was in the XI for the semifinal against Harvard. Barlow said the team was not yet ready to name a starting line-up.
In midfield, the Tigers have a veteran group with senior midfielder Jack Hunt, junior midfielder Liam Beckwith, junior midfielder Bardia Hormozi, and senior midfielder Sam Vigilante.
On the other end, the NCAA committee didn’t do the Tigers any favors with a second round matchup against the Blue Devils. Despite not being ranked in the top 25, the visitors will come into Sunday’s match playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. Including Duke, the ACC has 11 teams in the top 50 of the NCAA RPI.
The Blue Devils have also made the NCAA tournament every year since 2021, including an NCAA quarterfinal appearance in 2022. During that run, now-senior defender Kamran Acito and senior midfielder Kenan Hot started in all three tournament games in their rookie seasons. They’re key players on Duke’s squad, with Hot having a team-high seven goals and four assists over the course of the season.
“These guys don’t need me to prepare them mentally,” Barlow wrote. “They have been prepared for every game and we have played a very demanding schedule. They are super excited and ready to compete.”
Despite an inconsistent year, Duke was ranked No. 15 in the preseason poll and has the talent to compete with most teams in the country, including a 2–1 win against No. 7 University of San Diego (13–2–3, 7–1–1 West Coast Conference) early in the season.
Outside of Acito and Hot, the Blue Devils have a familiar face: forward Alessandro Arlotti. After three standout years with Harvard, where he was a three-time first team All-Ivy selection and the offensive player of the year in 2023, Arlotti used his graduate year at Duke. He now has seven goals and five assists to lead the Blue Devils offense.
“A lot of our defending starts with how we play in attack and defend in transition, and that will be important again,” Barlow wrote. “Among other things, we need to limit the service into their dangerous forwards, keep track of runs in the box, be first to win knock-downs and second balls, and be smart to not commit any dangerous fouls.”
Fellow Duke forward Ulfur Bjornsson, a preseason No. 1 player according to TopDrawerSoccer, has five goals and three assists. In midfield, the Duke No. 10 is Drew Kerr, the son of Head Coach John Kerr. Drew has started all 18 games for the Blue Devils, recording five assists and anchoring the midfield for his father’s squad.
“We’re excited for Sunday and the opportunity to take on an excellent Princeton team. They’ve had a fantastic season, and we have great respect for their players and coaches,” John Kerr wrote to the ‘Prince’.
Duke is coming off a 1–0 win against Fairleigh Dickinson University in a game where they needed a penalty in the 88th minute to advance past the Knights at home.
Staff Picks
Princeton 2, Duke 2 (Princeton advances via Penalty Shootout 5–3) — Sports Contributor Xavier Latimer
Boasting an undefeated record in Ivy League play, the Tigers earned the No. 3 seed, a ranking many argued should have been pushed closer to the top. Their sweep of both the Ivy League regular season title and the tournament reflects a level of cohesion and control that has defined their entire season.
Duke, though, is as seasoned as any unseeded side in the bracket. The selection committee did Princeton few favors, with the Tigers facing the battle-tested Blue Devils in a league that placed an astonishing nine teams in the NCAA Tournament — four of which are seeded and possess byes. That environment has sharpened the Duke offense, led by Bjornsson.
The early phases will matter: Duke is aggressive from the jump, thriving when matches tilt into transition, while Princeton enjoys a more methodical approach, electrified by capitalizing on opponents’ mistakes.
In the end, Princeton’s form, depth, and discipline outweigh Duke’s resume. The Tigers will make the necessary adjustments at halftime to stretch the game, and will advance to the Sweet Sixteen after a penalty shootout to remember at home.
Princeton 2, Duke 1, after extra time — Senior Sports Writer Hayk Yengibaryan
The Blue Devils will not be an easy test for the Orange and Black, but this is a resilient group that has shown all season that they can compete with the best teams in the country.
While Duke has enough offensive firepower with Arlotti and Bjornsson to cause problems for the Tigers, I don’t see a world where they’re able to get two goals past Samuels and his defense. Defensively, Duke has frequently left themselves vulnerable in the latter stages of the season. If there’s one team that will capitalize on your mistake, it’s the Tigers.
I expect Princeton to be the aggressors in the first half and get a goal courtesy of Kevin Kelley. However, Duke will respond with an equalizer late in the second half. In extra time, the composure, experience, and depth of Princeton will prevail, with Ittycheria finding the back of the net.
Kickoff is Sunday at 4:00 p.m. from Roberts Stadium.
“We treat every game as a final,” senior defender Jack Jasinski said.
Hayk Yengibaryan is a head News editor, senior Sports writer, and education director for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Glendale, Calif. and typically covers breaking news and profiles. He can be reached at hy5161[at]princeton.edu.
Xavier Latimer is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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