HARRY SITUATION: Princeton University men’s soccer player Harry Roberts sends the ball upfield last Friday night as the Tigers hosted New Hampshire. Senior forward Roberts scored a goal in the contest but it wasn’t enough as Princeton fell 3-2. The Tigers, who dropped to 0-2 with the defeat, were slated to play at St. John’s on September 10 before hosting Colgate on September 17. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

The results haven’t come quite yet, but the Princeton University men’s soccer team is taking steps forward.

The Tigers dropped their second game in a row to start the season, falling 3-2 to New Hampshire last Friday at Roberts Stadium.

“I think we made really good progress for the second game against a really good New Hampshire team,” said Princeton head coach Jim Barlow. “I thought our guys had belief and confidence that we could dictate the pace of the game, that we could play in their end, that we could defend high and I think all those things went pretty well in the first half.”

Senior forward Harry Roberts followed up a blocked penalty kick with Princeton’s first goal of the game 34 minutes into the contest for a 1-0 Tigers lead. New Hampshire countered six minutes later on a penalty kick of their own to tie it by halftime. The second half began with Princeton taking a 2-1 lead on junior forward Daniel Ittycheria’s penalty kick, but again New Hampshire responded within minutes to tie it, then took a 3-2 lead with under four minutes to play.

“It was a bit of a crazy game with three penalty kicks and a goal disallowed, and all kinds of crazy stuff, but I thought our guys played pretty well for the most part,” said Barlow. “If they bring that kind of energy and belief and commitment every game, we’ll have a chance to win every game. Now it’s just a matter of avoiding the big mistakes and making the big play.”

The game was a far cry from Princeton’s season opening 3-1 loss at Rutgers on August 30 in which the Tigers surrendered a goal 18 seconds into the contest and gave up a second goal less than 10 minutes later before settling in somewhat.

“We were all very frustrated with how we started the season against Rutgers giving up a goal in the first play of the season and then giving up another one like 10 minutes later,” said Barlow. “We just looked timid and hesitant, a little afraid. I don’t know why. I think we have enough guys that understand what the real games are like. It may be just because it had been so long since we had one.”

The Tigers produced a far better effort in the second game that they hope to build on as they hit the road for a game at St. John’s slated for September 10. Last year, Princeton followed up a 3-1 loss to New Hampshire with a 3-2 win over St. John’s.

“It’s another really good opponent,” said Barlow of St. John’s. “I know they just tied UNC at UNC this weekend, so it’s gonna be another really big test for us and these games are great for us to learn about our team and improve, but we need to start getting results as we’re doing that.”

Princeton still has Colgate at home on September 17 and Georgetown on the road on September 24 before it begins Ivy League play by hosting Harvard on September 28.

“Guys have to just keep trying to fight and improve and take care of business every single day, whether it’s training or a game” said Barlow. “I think we have a pretty good starting point, a pretty clear picture of some of the things that need to get better and I think the guys bounced back from Friday night pretty well.”

Barlow was happy to see the team return to work well Sunday as it resumed preparations for St. John’s. Coming back off a game in which twice the Tigers gave up leads, and ultimately losing in the final minutes made it a particularly difficult loss.

“Having a lead in the second-half and then conceding two late goals and having chances that we could have put away in the end of the game too, it is a devastating loss for sure,” said Barlow. “But that’s college soccer. You can play well, you still have to avoid the big mistakes and you still have to make plays at crucial times and get a few breaks. And it didn’t go our way against New Hampshire, but it’s done and we just have to get back to work. That’s all you can do.”

Princeton made several adjustments after its first game in the way it approached the New Hampshire game. The Tigers changes weren’t so much personnel but changes in the focus on the field. Their resolution defensively was the biggest improvement.

“The commitment to defend as a group and defend higher up the field and not just absorb pressure or sit back or feel like we weren’t good enough to get after them,” said Barlow. “Against Rutgers, I think we were hesitant to push guys on, to step to guys in a way that makes you feel like it’s real defending. I thought that all got better against New Hampshire. I think a lot of our energy up the field, our defending up the field, our pressing up the field translated into chances for us.”

Princeton has bright spots to work with as it goes forward from several of its experienced players. Roberts was resilient to follow up his penalty shot, which resulted from Ittycheria being taken down in the box. Ittycheria later got his first goal of the year on a penalty kick.

“Itty’s been a real threat up front,” said Barlow. “He’s a big presence. He can play with the ball at his feet and he can run behind and he can take people on and he’s good in the air. So he’s been a big presence up front.”

He’s been a good connection with Kevin Kelley, who logged 90 minutes as well against New Hampshire.

“It was amazing the shift he put in against New Hampshire in terms of just working nonstop to cover the field and to get into the attack and to get back defensively and to break up plays,” said Barlow. “Just the energy and commitment he brought to that game was pretty amazing.”

The defense too has had several standouts. One of the defenders, Giuliano Fravolini Whitchurch, had the first good scoring chance of the game for Princeton on Friday, but his header was saved by the New Hampshire goalie.

“We’ve been pretty solid in the center back position with Issa Mudashiru and Giuliano Fravolini Whitchurch,” said Barlow. “Both were solid. Jack Jasinski has been reliable in several different positions, whether it be wide back or filling in in spots in the midfield. I think we have a bunch of guys that are starting to become pretty consistent and we’re still trying to put all the pieces together.”

The Tigers have been trying to mix in some of their new pieces. Several of the freshmen already have gotten key minutes, no easy task given some of the new college subbing rules that limit coaches to six substitutions and don’t allow a player subbed to be reinserted in that same half of play.

“They’re all doing well to catch on and get used to the change from club soccer to college soccer and a couple of them have gotten some good minutes and have done well so far,” said Barlow.

“They’re still just getting their feet wet. Roka Tsunehara played right back in both games. In the second half, Dash Papez has gotten some minutes and Gary Zhang played against Rutgers. We’ve had a few of the new guys get a taste of it, not all of them yet.”

Princeton still is far from a finished product. Players are getting healthier, and any injuries will open more doors for opportunities for others. The Tigers are continuing to push each other each training session to fight for playing time.

“There’s guys in training who still are making a case for themselves who haven’t necessarily gotten a shot yet in the game and I think that’s going to keep evolving,” said Barlow. “I think there were some really good interactions in the game between the Danny Ittycheria and Kevin Kelley and Nico Nee and Will Francis and Harry Roberts, they all had moments together where they put some good plays together and got dangerous. There’s more combinations that I’m sure we’ll be seeing in the next couple of games, but we think that it’s a pretty good starting point.”

Princeton has a full week after the St. John’s game to prepare for Colgate, which was 2-2-1 after five games, including a win over then-No. 13 Virginia. The Tigers are hoping that each game and each day of training can be used to further themselves as they gear up for Ivy play. The clash against New Hampshire wasn’t a win, but a strong start and better commitment to defending hard were steps forward from the first to second game of the year.

“We’ve got to get used to the pace not slowing down for 90 minutes; it’s really hard to simulate that in training and that’s something that we took from the first two games,” said Barlow. “We could have a really good first half like we did against New Hampshire, but now it’s got to carry through, it can’t carry through for 60 or 70 minutes. It’s got to carry through for all 90 and I think you get better at those things by being in those kinds of games. So hopefully these two games will help us get ready for the kind of challenges that we’re going to be facing the rest of the season for 90 minutes.”