The dizzying descent stopped with the dull thud of Mike Nugent's cleats colliding with the ball.
The junior forward slipped a shot passed Vytas Lenkutis 56 minutes into men's soccer's game against Farleigh Dickinson, 60 seconds after the Knights had tied the score at one.
It was not a minute too soon.
The 2-1 victory may be what the Tigers needed to stop their spinning season from spiraling out of control.
After starting the year with four straight victories, Princeton bungled its way through three losses.
Problems that had been hinted at in their early wins roared to the surface. The Tigers seemed to lack the concentration required in a 90 minute game, stumbling through stretches in which their passes skittered aimlessly across the field.
When players scrambled for balls, they could not seal the play. When they sagged in frustration, fierce pressure by their opponents punctured the defense.
There were freakish, flying goals that danced past the deft fingers of sophomore goalie Jason White.
Confidence segued into caution, which soon collapsed into chaos. The two Ivy losses against Dartmouth and Columbia may cost the Tigers — at one point ranked No. 22 in the nation — a chance at an Ivy championship and an NCAA bid.
"The Ivy League is so competitive that any losses are difficult to make up," Striebel said. "Our ultimate goal is just to make the playoffs in the end. Winning the Ivy League would be great, but the playoffs are the ultimate goal."
Bouncing back
But the Tigers did not crumble when Farleigh Dickinson scraped together a goal early in the second half. And by bouncing back to snatch the victory, Princeton (5-3-0 overall, 0-2-0 Ivy League) hopes to have preserved a remnant of its fractured season.
"It was a very important win," senior Matt Striebel said. "I think we've struggled in the beginning of games, but in the FDU game we were tenacious from the beginning. And we really went out and attacked them. We have a tendency to sit back, and that's hurt us."
Saturday night, the Tigers will have their first opportunity to probe the extent of their newfound resilience.
Princeton will meet Hartwick (6-4-1, 3-0-1) at Lourie-Love field Saturday at 7 p.m.
At the beginning of the year, it was important for Hartwick to build on last year's late-season success.
The Hawk's season seems to have been cleaved in half, with the two sides nearly reciprocal. They began the season 2-7 and over their last 10 games went 7-2-1.
And the one tie was a tense 0-0 game against No. 4 Penn State .
This season, the Hawks have attempted to hone in on their greatest problem last year: scoring. All nine of their losses were shutouts. Including their splendid finish, Hartwick scored only 27 goals all season.
And so Hawk conversations this year have centered around selecting better shots and converting on opportunities.
So far, the strategy seems to be working.
With a senior-laden squad led by captain Andrew Sambrook — an Independent first team all-star last season — and last year's leading scorer, Matt Strode, the Hawks have soared.
They are currently in the midst of a two-game winning streak, in which they have outscored their opponents 8-0. They are undefeated in league play and would cheerfully use the Tigers as a stepping stone to a special season.
But if Princeton cannot convert its momentum into a second straight victory, the momentary stillness of its steadying victory Tuesday night will be shattered.
And so will the season.
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