By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
A quick look at Princeton’s University’s 1-3-3 record in the Ivy League last year might make one think that the Tigers have a long way to go to contend for a men’s soccer championship.
But a closer look at those results will show that each of the three losses were by just a single goal, giving the Tigers reason to believe they aren’t that far away from contending for a league title.
“It should be another really close race,” said Princeton coach Jim Barlow, who is set to begin his 22nd season in guiding the Tigers. “After going 11-3-3 and sharing the title in 2014, and 10-5-2 in 2015, we were disappointed last year to finish 7-7-3 and out of contention for the league title. All seven of our Ivy games last year were either ties, or decided by one goal.
“We played six overtime matches last year, but didn’t win any of them (three ties and three losses). We know how much parity there is in our league and in college soccer in general, and we’ve been working hard on the little details that can determine the outcome.”
Princeton will open the season with a trip to upstate New York, playing at Syracuse on Sept. 1 and at Colgate on Sept. 3. The home opener will be Sept. 7 against Seton Hall, while the Tigers will start the Ivy League season on Sept. 30 at Dartmouth.
The Tigers graduated their top goal scorer from a year ago, Greg Seifert, who finished with 11 goals and four assists. Sean McSherry and Benjamin Martin, who each scored three goals a year ago, are the top returning goal scorers for Princeton.
“We graduated a deep and talented class last year, but we feel confident that we have players who are ready to step in to some of the spots vacated by the class of 2017,” Barlow said. “We also had an incredible trip to Portugal in the spring and were able to play against very good competition there. The guys started to come together in the spring, and, with another talented class joining the group, we are optimistic going into the season.”
Princeton began practice for the upcoming season only a week ago. The Tigers figure to rely on some newcomers to the roster to eventually step into key roles. But Barlow also feels like his team has some solid veterans who can be leaned on to lead the way this season.
“Our captains this year are seniors Matt Mangini and James Reiner, and both have done a good job setting the tone and leading the group,” said Barlow, who was the Ivy League Freshman of the Year in 1987 and Player of the Year in 1990 while playing for Princeton. “Matt has been a key player in the middle of the midfield for us, and, last spring, he formed a strong partnership with classmate Dan Bowkett. Having experienced leaders in the middle of the field is important, and both Matt and Dan have great work rates and can become the engine of the team.
“We also return All-Ivy performer Sean McSherry, whose pace and attacking instincts should help us score goals. It is still very early for us, and we have many players competing for a spot in the starting 11.”
Princeton, which has qualified for the NCAA tournament in two of the last six years, figures to be part of another tight Ivy League race this year. A year ago, Columbia and Dartmouth shared the Ivy League title with 5-1-1 league records.
