After Ivy championship hopes last year faded into a seventh place finish, Princeton men’s soccer (4–3–0 overall, 1–0–0 Ivy League) will look to continue their strong start to this year’s Ivy season on the road against the Brown Bears (3–4–1, 0–1–0). The Tigers picked up a huge 2–0 win at Roberts Stadium at home in their last Ivy matchup, and will look to continue their momentum in Providence.
Ahead of their Ivy encore on Saturday, Staff Sports Writer Lily Pampolina, along with Associate Sports Editors Hayk Yengibaryan and Tate Hutchins offered their predictions for Princeton’s road contest in Rhode Island.
Princeton 1, Brown 1 – Hayk Yengibaryan, Associate Sports Editor
While I do believe the Tigers are the better team in this match, playing three games in a span of a week is a tall task. The Bears have yet to lose at home while the Tigers have won just one out of three away from the 609.
On the offensive end, the Tigers should have no trouble creating chances against a Brown defense that has kept only one clean sheet all season and allowed three goals to a subpar Stonehill side. Junior forward Daniel Ittycheria will look to get on the scoresheet against the Bears in his third game against the Bears.
Defensively, the Tigers may be forced to make rotations after defending for a big part of their midweek game against Monmouth. The rotation may leave the Tigers more exposed in the backfield against a Brown team that has scored 15 goals so far this year.
The player to watch for the hosts will be forward Lorenzo Amaral. The Orlando native was an honorable-mention All-Ivy in 2023 and has four goals and three assists this season. The Tigers will also have to watch out for midfielder/defender Mads Stistrup Petersen. The Danish international is a transfer from Saint Louis and has dished out four assists for the Bears thus far.
Princeton and Brown have drawn during their last two encounters, and I expect that trend to continue for a third straight year. The Bears went undefeated during regular season Ivy play last season and will be motivated to get back in the win column after a loss to Dartmouth last weekend. Furthermore, I expect the Tigers fatigue to be on display on the road.
Princeton 2, Brown 1 — Tate Hutchins, Associate Sports Editor
Princeton men’s soccer has been on a hot streak recently, picking up two huge shutout wins against Harvard and Monmouth at home. Now heading on the road to Providence to face Brown, the defense has been stifling. The return of defender Issa Mudashiru this season after being out last season with an injury has been huge for the Princeton defense, who, after giving up six goals in the first two matches, have only surrendered four in the last five. They have started to gel together, and the defensive momentum for the Tigers should hold down the Bears, who dropped their Ivy opener at Dartmouth.
As per usual for the Tigers offensively, Ittycheria will be the biggest threat against Brown. He’s already ripped off 13 shots on goal this year and should be a problem for the Brown defense, which has been less than stellar and even gave up three goals to Stonehill. Coupled with the leadership in goal from senior keeper Khamari Hadaway, the Tigers should be able to continue their strong start of the Ivy season and pick up another three points.
Given that the Tigers only picked up one win in conference play last year, surpassing that mark in the first two Ivy matches this year would be a huge turnaround for Princeton and solidify them as a contender for the Ivy League this season. They have the talent and will try to demonstrate to the league that they belong at the top of the Ivy standings.
Princeton 3, Brown 1 — Lily Pampolina, Staff Sports Writer
Coming off of a strong start to Ivy League play, Princeton will look to keep the momentum up against Brown this weekend.
On the offensive side, Princeton has had success with reliable veterans like junior forwards Daniel Ittycheria and Will Francis finding the back of the net in key moments — the pair account for six of the eleven goals scored by the team this season. On Saturday, the two will have to contribute to the team’s offensive success by forcing mistakes from Brown’s defense and capitalizing on opportunities created by their midfield. Sophomore forward Kevin Kelley is another offensive weapon that the Tigers will need to make an impact this weekend.
Against Harvard, the Tigers earned their first shutout of the season, and according to Head Coach Jim Barlow, the team has been focusing on defensive composure in practice. To get a win this Saturday, defensive communication will be key, as Brown is known to capitalize on mistakes in the final third, putting up five goals in games against Boston University and Stonehill.
Ultimately, the Tigers have all of the weapons they need to have a strong showing against Brown — it’s just a matter of how they put these tools to work. If the team can stay consistent defensively and make the most of their offensive opportunities, they should add another win to the column.
Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Tate Hutchins is an associate Sports editor, staff Audience creator, and News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
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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