Men's Soccer: Tigers play 4th straight OT game, take 0-0 draw

The men’s soccer team (5-4-2 overall, 1-0-2 Ivy League) is streaking, although not in the traditional sense. On Saturday, the Tigers played their fourth consecutive game that went to extra time. The streak started with a Sept. 29 win over Ivy League foe Dartmouth, the team’s first game of the season to exceed regulation. Princeton has collected a 1-1-2 record over the span, which includes all three of the team’s conference games and a golden goal defeat at the hands of No. 24 Creighton last Tuesday.

Most recently, the Tigers took on Columbia (3-6-3, 1-1-1) in New York, in what was Princeton’s first away contest in nearly a month. The eventual stalemate began as a defensive duel, with neither team surrendering a shot attempt until senior striker Matt Sanner’s shot was blocked in the 26th minute. At the end of the first period the Tigers had just two shot attempts, both from Matt Sanner, while the Lions totaled only three. A shot on goal would not occur until Columbia goalie Kyle Jackson rejected freshman midfielder Brendan McSherry’s shot in the 64th minute.

While the first period was marked by a lack of shot attempts and a defensive deadlock, the second half of regulation saw a clear shift in favor of Princeton. The Tigers posted 10 shot attempts, five on goal, over the course of those 45 minutes. Princeton’s defense did not relent either, surrendering a meager two shots to the Lions’ beleaguered offense. However, as far as the Tigers were able to bend the Columbia defense, the Lions would not break, and Princeton could not convert any of its 10 attempts into goals. The two teams took the contest to overtime without a goal scored.

The defensive battle that defined regulation was hardly unexpected as both teams came into the contest touting impressive defenses and less than overwhelming offensive attacks. The Tigers have allowed only 1.18 goals per game while netting the same number for themselves. Columbia’s defensive unit boasts an imposing 1.00 goals allowed per game, but the team has tallied only nine goals through 12 games. Coming into the contest, Princeton had been shutout three times previously while the Lions were held scoreless in four of their prior matches.

The first period of overtime continued the trend from the previous period as the Tigers led the way with two shots while stifling the Columbia offensive attack and allowing no shot attempts by the Lions. Ten minutes later, the score held at 0-0, and the second overtime began. It was Princeton’s second double overtime in a week, having played Brown to a 1-1 draw over two extra frames the Saturday before. This time Columbia would threaten with the first attempt in the period, and their only shot on goal of the night, which junior goalkeeper Seth MacMillan saved in the 104th minute. The Tigers then proceeded to pepper Jackson with three shots on goal between the 106th and 108th minute. The keeper came through in the clutch, denying Princeton the game-winner on all three tries. The game ended scoreless, and the Tigers remained undefeated in Ivy League play with a 1-0-2 record.

Princeton’s next test will come from non-league contender Adelphi in Garden City, N.Y., on Wednesday. The Tigers will then resume their Ivy League schedule at home versus Harvard this coming Saturday. The Crimson (1-7-3 overall, 0-2-1 Ivy League) will be gunning for its first conference win.