On a warm night at Belson Stadium in Queens, N.Y., Princeton men’s soccer (1–2 overall, 0–0 Ivy League) picked up their first win of the season against the St. John’s University Red Storm (2–2–2 overall, 0–0–0 Big East). After starting the season with consecutive losses, the Tigers entered this matchup hungry for a positive result and ended up notching their first win of the season.
“We were motivated to send a message to St. John’s,” sophomore forward Kevin Kelley told The Daily Princetonian. “We were there to win.”
The match started with intense play, with St. John’s earning a free kick just slightly outside of Princeton’s penalty box after merely three minutes. Protecting the net, senior goalkeeper Khamari Hadaway deflected the shot.
The Red Storm possessed the ball for the next few minutes, earning another free kick near mid-field off of a Princeton penalty seven minutes into the match — though momentum soon shifted in the Tigers’ favor. With 34 minutes left in the half, the Tigers began to dominate possession of the ball in the offensive third, earning two opportunities inside St. Johns’ penalty box.
Not even 10 minutes later, Princeton was the first to make a mark on the scoreboard. After regaining possession in the midfield, Kelley took a series of quick touches and struck an exceptional shot from outside of St. John’s box that snuck past the outstretched arms of the Red Storm goalkeeper. The goal was Kelley’s first of the season.
Kevin Kelley with a SCREAMER from deep to put the Tigers up 1-0!! 🤩#PrincetonSoccer #WhosNext pic.twitter.com/lemfbyGeJV
— Princeton Men’s Soccer (@PrincetonMSoc) September 10, 2024
Following the goal, the Tigers continued to command possession. The Princeton defensive line caught the Red Storm offside twice in two minutes, forcing turnovers.
With 15 minutes left in the half, Princeton stretched their lead to 2–0. Off of an assist from Kelley, junior forward Daniel Ittycheria struck a shot from the left post at an impossible angle into the back of the net with force.
Danny Ittycheria with the first touch FINISH!! 😮💨💥
— Princeton Men’s Soccer (@PrincetonMSoc) September 10, 2024
Tigers lead 2-0!#PrincetonSoccer #WhosNext pic.twitter.com/y7eUZlrDRC
Ittycheria, who led the team in goal-scoring en route to a first-team All-Ivy selection last season, now has two goals on the season, following his first in Princeton’s home match against New Hampshire last week.
“In the first half, our team did a great job by playing forward and keeping possession while creating great opportunities in front of goal,” Ittycheria told the ‘Prince.’
Princeton was penalized twice in the final minutes of the half, including a yellow card being shown to first-year forward Roka Tsunehara.
In the final minutes of the first half, the Red Storm scored their first goal. Off of a free kick outside of the penalty box, St. John’s Dechlyn Hauge redirected the ball into the back of the net to cut the deficit to one. The game entered halftime with a narrow Tiger lead of 2–1.
Princeton was able to regain the momentum in the second half, preventing the Red Storm from turning the tide in their favor. The Tigers earned numerous offensive opportunities, keeping the ball in St. John’s half. Strong efforts from Kelley gave Princeton several close looks.
With 33 minutes left in the match, Hadaway made an important stop for the Tigers, deflecting a strong on-target shot launched from close by.
Princeton upheld their defensive front once again, clearing a dangerous set piece from the Red Storm just inches outside the box.
St. John’s took back momentum in the following minutes. The Tigers were shown their second and third yellow cards of the game given to junior midfielder Jack Hunt and Kelley just five minutes apart.
As time began to diminish, Princeton initiated offensive substitutions and began to send their midfielders into the defensive third, signaling an emphasis on preventing a late goal from the Red Storm.
“Our communication and willingness to run from the back line and midfield was key,” Ittycheria told the ‘Prince.’
In the final minute of the match, St. John’s earned a free kick on the outskirts of Princeton’s box. The ball was headed out by the Tigers, sealing a scoreless second half and a 2–1 Princeton win.
The Tigers will face Colgate at home on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.
“We have a full week of training before our next game,” Kelley told the ‘Prince.’ “This will be a great chance to look at film and find a way to improve on things we’ve done well, but also to make some adjustments.”
Lily Pampolina is a staff Sports writer and staff Audience creator for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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