It was the closing minute of regulation in the final game of the regular season for the men's soccer team. The Tigers had been deadlocked with Yale, 0-0, for almost 90 minutes of play, and now the Elis had one last chance to pull out the win.
With 50 seconds remaining, the Tigers (11-4-2 overall, 5-1-1 Ivy League) stopped a Yale corner kick, but as the defense cleared out of the back, the Elis responded with a quick counterpunch. The result was a Yale breakaway. And, suddenly, the only thing that stood between the Elis and a storybook ending to an Ivy League championship season was Tiger goalkeeper Jason White '03.
But with a six-foot, four-inch frame and seven shutouts to his name, White was as imposing as a brick wall to Yale.
In his rookie season, White was one of the reasons the Tigers were in the position they were in. With one game to go, Princeton found itself atop the league but facing third-place Yale on Nov. 13. A win or a tie would clinch the title and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for the Tigers. A loss would vault Yale into first in the league and put the Tiger tournament bid in doubt.
Thus, when White stopped the first shot at the right post, it was no surprise. The second save — a dive to his left to punch out a follow-up rebound — was more impressive. And a third save on the left post was downright heroic. When the dust settled after defender Bob Nye '03 finally cleared the ball a couple of skipped heartbeats later, one thing was clear: White had just saved one of the most successful Princeton seasons in recent history.
Something for nothing
Two overtimes and 30 minutes later, the two teams found themselves still mired in a 0-0 tie, giving the outright Ivy title to Princeton for the first time in almost four decades.
"To know you've done something nobody has done since 1960 — it's amazing," forward Lucas Mos-kowitz '02 said after the game. "The level of play and crowd support we got was great."
Princeton drew a strong Virginia squad for the first round of the NCAA tournament Nov. 21 and found itself in the role of underdog. In the tournament for the first time since 1995, the Tigers faced the No. 6 seed in the 32-team competition.
Virginia led for almost the entire game after scoring an early goal eight minutes, 56 seconds into the contest.
But Princeton tallied the equalizer with five minutes to play. Off a perfect centering pass from forward Matt Striebel '01, Moskowitz drilled an untouchable shot from the top of the 18-yard box. The ball sailed into the upper right corner of the net.
Sudden death
The Tigers could not continue the magic, however, as they lapsed in the third overtime and fell, 2-1.
The season was the best so far for the Tigers under the tenure of head coach Jim Barlow '91. Princeton battled its way out of a league with a high level of parity and showed that the Ivy League can produce some quality teams. Along with the Tigers, Yale and Brown also earned bids to the tournament.
"It's been a great season, but we're not happy to lose," captain Chad Adams '00 said following the Virginia game.
Princeton now looks to repeat as Ivy champion next season as two All-Ivy first team selections — White, the league's top goalkeeper, and forward Mike Nugent '02 — and two All-Ivy second team members, midfielder Matt Behncke '02 and defender Graeme Rein '02, will return to the lineup. The biggest loss to graduation will be felt in the back, as fullback Adams and sweeper Griff Behncke '00 — both first-team All-Ivy selections — are the only two starters to leave the team.
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