“It’s a difficult challenge,” men’s soccer head coach Jim Barlow told The Daily Princetonian ahead of the Tigers’ (12–0–6 overall, 5–0–2 Ivy League) first round match of the NCAA Tournament.
Awaiting the Tigers in Ohio are the Akron Zips (11–4–4, 7–0–1 Big East), who will play host to Princeton in the Tigers’ first NCAA Tournament game since 2021.
The Tigers are coming off a magical run in the Ivy League tournament, where they beat Cornell (12–3–2, 5–2) and No. 6 Penn (14–3–1, 8–1) on the road to an NCAA berth.
“These guys were five minutes away from having their season end on Friday night,” Barlow said. “And then they managed to get over the hill and to get over the hump of beating Cornell and Penn and now we want to see how far we can take it.”
Meanwhile, the Zips are coming off a 2–1 extra time loss to No. 4 Georgetown (11–4–5, 5–2–1) in the Big East semifinals. Despite this, the Zips received an at-large bid from the committee after missing out on the Cup in 2023.
“Akron is one of the best teams in the Big East and the country, year in and year out, they've had a really strong season,” Barlow noted.
The Zips are led by redshirt senior Emil Jääskeläinen. The English forward was the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and has 23 goals and seven assists for the Zips this year — recording 48.9 percent of the team’s total goals. On defense, senior defender Beto Ydrach has been an anchor for the Zips, playing 1,385 minutes this season and helped limit opponents to just 70 shots on goal and a .112 shot percentage. Ydrach was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year.
The Tigers’ defense will have to be laser focused on Jääskeläinen. Junior defender Giuliano Fravolini Whitchurch was the lone Tiger to be named first team All-Ivy for the regular season and will have his hands full Thursday evening. First-year defender Roka Tsunehara has been crucial for Barlow's squad, playing 1,351 minutes during his rookie campaign.
“I think our center backs have really good awareness and ability to keep track of guys around them,” Barlow said, adding that Akron’s attack “is certainly going to be a big task for them, but they’ve handled that challenge really well in the last couple weeks, with some other really talented and dangerous forwards so we’re confident that our guys are ready for this challenge.”
In goal for Akron, Mitch Budler has been phenomenal for the Zips. The junior goalkeeper was the Big East Goalkeeper of the Year and ranks fifth in the NCAA with eight shutouts.
The Orange and Black attack will have to be in top form to get past Ydrach and Budler. Thankfully, Barlow’s attack has scored 13 goals in their last five games — a significant leap from the mere four they scored in their previous five matchups.
“I think recently, the biggest improvement has been in the attack,” Barlow said. “I think we felt all year long [that] we were a hard team to score on. And maybe a couple weeks ago, starting with the Seton Hall game, we started to put more together going forward, and scored five goals in that game. And that gave us a little bit more confidence.”
Watch out for senior forward Nico Nee, who has been crucial to the Tigers’ success. After returning from injury, Nee found the back of the net in both of the Tigers’ Ivy League Tournament games against Cornell and Penn. Another key player in the Tiger roster will be junior star forward Daniel Ittycheria, who was named the Ivy League Player of the Tournament after a brace against Cornell and a goal against Penn.
For Barlow, Akron is similar to many teams the Tigers have seen throughout the 2024 season.
“I think they have elements of Georgetown, of Monmouth, and of Cornell,” Barlow said. “They have parts of their game where they possess the ball really well like Monmouth and Georgetown do, but they also have a lot of dynamic players in the attack, like Cornell does.”
“I think we’re going to have to be at our best again, and be able to find our times to get dangerous, stay connected defensively,” he continued.
“No pressure on them,” Barlow said. “They’re just going to go for it and give everything they have to try and keep advancing as far as we can.”
Akron 2, Princeton 1, after extra time — Hayk Yengibaryan, Associate Sports Editor
The NCAA committee did not do the Orange and Black any favors with a road draw against the Zips. After dominating the Quakers in the Ivy League Championship game — a side ranked No. 6 in the country by the NCAA committee — the Tigers have to travel to the Midwest to take on a Zips side that is battle-tested and has faced some of the best teams in the nation.
The Tigers’ magic will run out against Jared Embick’s Akron side. The Zips are led by forward Emil Jääskeläinen. The former Long Island University standout is leading the Zips with a staggering 23 goals and seven assists on the year. More impressively, he has registered 42 shots on goal.
The Zips are also significantly better at home, boasting an 8–3–1 record at the FirstEnergy Stadium, where they have amassed a loyal fanbase.
While Princeton’s defense showed its strength during the Ivy League Tournament, going on the road in what is a short turnaround for Barlow’s squad will prove to be too much on Thursday night. The offense will come back down to earth after running on all cylinders during the Ivy League Tournament.
Akron will come into the match with a lot of energy, snagging a goal early while Princeton fights for the equalizer late in the second half. In extra time, I trust the side that is well-rested and at home to score the winner and advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Princeton 2, Akron 1 — Bryant Figueroa, Staff Sports Writer
The Tigers are in their best form this season — arguably, their best in recent years — and they’re set to continue their courageous stand-up performances against top teams in the nation. After a highly successful Ivy League Tournament campaign, where they not only got revenge but dominated in the later halves, Princeton will look to build on the momentum and tactical brilliance they displayed last weekend.
Although they might have been considered underdogs entering the Ivy Tournament as the No. 3 seed, the Tigers’ resurgence in the second half of the season foreshadowed their potential. Since key players returned from injury — Nee, who is on a streak of four goals in his last four games, and first-year center-back Dash Papez — every player on the Tiger squad has been stepping up in the biggest moments of the season.
Princeton has shown all season that they can compete with the best, and they will prove once again that they are not underdogs heading into the affair against nationally-ranked Akron. The key to victory will be limiting Jääskeläinen, who leads the nation in goals this season.
Princeton’s defense was a huge strength in their Ivy League Tournament win — notably limiting Cornell’s Alex Harris, the second-leading goalscorer in the nation — showing that they are very much up to the task when it comes to battling one-on-one situations.
The match will likely be an intense defensive battle, with both sides relying heavily on their backlines to stop each other’s explosive offense. The Tigers’ front three, amplified by the work rate of their midfielders and even defenders, will be explosive on offense and will be sure to create a new challenge for Akron. Ultimately, the game will come down to who can capitalize on their chances and outlast the other’s pressure for ninety minutes.
As shown in their overtime semifinal win against Cornell, the Tigers have proven that under pressure is exactly where they flourish and will finish Akron with their solid defense and dynamic attack.
Kickoff is scheduled at the FirstEnergy Stadium for 6 p.m.
Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate Sports editor and News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Bryant Figueroa is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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