Princeton Drops M. Soccer, 3-0

PRINCETON, N.J.--There was no love lost on Princeton's Lourie-Love Field on Saturday night, as the Tigers (7-5, 1-3 Ivy) crushed the Crimson (6-4-1, 1-3), 3-0, in a physical contest.

"In general, we didn't play as a unit," said Harvard Coach John Kerr. "We gave them too much space and they got into a rhythm."

After thirty minutes of rough play that saw both sides struggle on the dew-slicked field, Tiger freshman midfielder Gianfranco Tripicchio broke the game open.

On a nifty play, Tripicchio dribbled past Crimson senior defensive back Matt Edwards and streaked unabated down the right sideline. He then crossed the ball to fellow freshman midfielder Marty Shaw, who blasted the ball low on net.

Unfortunately for Crimson goaltender Dan Mejias, who was prepared for a low shot, freshman back Isaac Kim deflected the ball just under the crossbar. Shaw was credited for the goal, which gave Princeton a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute.

The shock of the first goal paled in comparison to the speed of the Tigers' second tally. Just 40 seconds after the Shaw strike, Princeton senior forward Matt Striebel collected a pass from junior Matt Behncke and rocketed a shot that deflected off the right post and into the goal.

"The first goal was really a fluke," Mejias said. "After that, we just kept our heads down and let them score another one."

After the quick turn of events, which left the Crimson in a two-goal deficit in less than a minute, Harvard struggled to end the first half. Mejias had to make three spectacular saves in the final five minutes to at least give the Crimson a shot to come back in the second half.

Harvard began play in the second half with only three defensive backs, hoping to cut into Princeton's lead. For a while, the new scheme was effective in providing the Crimson with scoring opportunities.

In the 57th minute, junior midfielder Mike Peller sent a cross into the area, but senior Wells Mangurm was unable to redirect the pass into the net. Seven minutes later, freshman midfielder Spencer George had a shot from 20 yards out, but his effort sailed wide right.

Despite the additional chances that the Crimson received from the additional midfielder, the diminished backfield proved to be a fatal weakness.

In the 71st minute, Tiger sophomore forward Matt Douglas settled a pass and turned to attack. Douglas was able to come into the box unmarked and force Mejias to come out and make a play. Mejias slid on the wet grass and took out Douglas, which gave Princeton a penalty kick.

Behncke converted on the penalty kick and gave the Tigers an insurmountable 3-0 lead with less than 20 minutes to play in the game.

"It is so tough to come back from a 3-0 deficit, especially on the road," Kerr said. "[The third goal] was the dagger in the heart."

The frustration of being unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities was apparent on the faces of the Crimson players. As an embodiment of this frustration, captain Ryan Kelly received a yellow card in the 81st minute for starting a physical confrontation with a Tiger defender.

Although Saturday's loss was the Crimson's most lopsided defeat all season and effectively ended its shot at the Ivy title, the team remained optimistic about its postseason prospects.

On Tuesday, Harvard will host Fairfield, which is currently ranked second in the region. If Harvard can pull off a win, the Crimson's regional ranking would greatly increase and possibly place it in contention for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

"It's critical that we do well in the region," Kerr said. "We have to make the most of this opportunity."

The players also understand the importance of Tuesday's game. With a win, the Crimson season can be turned around.

"This is our season right here," Mejias said. "Winning our regional games is now our only way of getting into the tournament."

Tuesday's critical game against Fairfield will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Ohiri Field.