COSTLY DEFEAT: Princeton University men’s soccer player Brian Costa chases down the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, sophomore Costa provided the Tigers with a lot of energy in the midfield but it wasn’t enough as Princeton dropped a 2-1 overtime heartbreaker to Dartmouth in the Ivy League opener for both squads. The Tigers, who fell to 3-3-2 overall and 0-1 Ivy with the defeat, host Brown (3-3-3 overall, 1-0 Ivy) on October 11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

At around 6:15 on Saturday evening at Roberts Stadium, the players on the Princeton University men’s soccer team stood around glumly with heads bowed in unison as they listed to head coach Jim Barlow.

Across the way, the Dartmouth squad was all smiles as it went through its post-game stretch, with some of the players high-fiving and others chanting the ole, ole, ole soccer anthem.

The scene reflected the contrasting emotions after Princeton dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to the Big Green in overtime in the Ivy League opener for both teams.

A subdued Barlow acknowledged that the loss was a critical setback for his side. “It is a killer,” said Barlow, whose team fell to 3-3-2 overall and 0-1 Ivy with the defeat.

“It is the first Ivy game, a game that everyone was pumped up for. It was at home and we didn’t get the result.”

The Tigers dug an early hole, falling behind 1-0 as the Big Green scored 12:26 into the contest.

“I think we started off really poorly tonight and we let Dartmouth dictate how the game was going to go in the first half,” said Barlow.

“They sat back, we weren’t sharp with our passing. They won it in the midfield and just kept looking to get behind us and it was pretty effective. We never got on top of things in the first half.”

After halftime, Princeton started playing more effectively, tying the game 1-1 on a Cameron Porter penalty kick with 25:45 remaining in regulation to force overtime. The extra session didn’t last long, however, as Dartmouth’s Matt Danilack found the back of the net on a header 2:45 into the first overtime.

“In the beginning of the second half, we started to get it going a little bit and I thought it was better,” said Barlow.

“At the end of the day, you can’t turn it on and off and have a bad 45 minutes and expect to win against a good team. We got back into the game and by overtime, it could have gone either way, a call here or there, a break here or there.”

Junior midfielder Brendan McSherry, a former Peddie School standout, nearly got the game to go Princeton’s way as he made some dazzling counters in the waning moments of the second half.

“He found a way to get through the midfield on a couple of plays,” said Barlow.

“He got on the end of one ball near the end of regulation and just hit it wide. He had a good game.”

Barlow liked the way his midfield rebounded collectively from a shaky first half.

“Brian Costa was our best player by a lot,” asserted Barlow of the sophomore star from nearby Warren, N.J.

“I think we really struggled in the midfield in the first half and then when we had Costa, Matt Mangini, and Andrew Mills in there, I thought we got it back.”

Princeton will have to show some strength of character in order to get back on the right track in the Ivy race.

“Now we will see what we are made of and whether we can bounce back from this and try to get it going,” said Barlow, whose team was slated to host Rutgers on October 7 and Brown (3-3-3 overall, 1-0 Ivy) on October 11.

“It is tough when you let one slip away. We will first think about Rutgers, they are coming in here Tuesday night, and then get ready for Brown.”