.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Has Unbeaten Streak Snapped By Rutgers
October 30, 1999 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 30, 1999
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Princeton men's soccer team took to the field at Rutgers University this evening and tried to spoil the Scarlet Knights' senior night activities. The Scarlet Knights pulled ahead early in the second half and beat the Tigers 4-2 in front of 2,532 fans at Yurcak Field in Piscataway. The loss ends Princeton's six-match unbeaten streak, its longest since 1989.
Rutgers got on the board first with a goal from Vincent Almeida in the 13th minute. John Youssef assisted with a feed from the right side of the penalty box. Almeida knocked it home to the top right corner of the goal for the early 1-0 lead.
At the 10-minute mark of the first half, the Tigers started to put the pressure on Rutgers goalkeeper Jon Conway. It paid off as Matt Behncke (So., Willaimsburg, Va.) put home a header from a Matt Striebel (Jr., Gill, Mass.) corner kick. Behncke's fifth of the season knotted the score at one apiece 39:39 into the game.
In the first half, Princeton led Rutgers 4-1 on corner kicks and had legitimate scoring chances on all of them. The Tigers had a 7-5 advantage in shots at the break.
After the intermission, Rutgers scored on a goal by Youssef to break the deadlock. Youseff scored on a cross by Brian Pienser in the 55th minute. The Scarlet Knights kept the pressure and they scored again just six minutes later to stretch the game to a two-goal advantage. At the 65:36 mark, the Scarlet Knights scored their fourth goal of the game from Matt Friel.
Princeton came right back less than a minute later with a goal from Mike Nugent (So., West Windsor, N.J.) who scored on a nice feed from Matt Douglas (Fr., Rancho Sante Fe, Calif.).
The Tigers kept on the offensive throughout the rest of the game, but it was not enough. Rutgers scored four goals in a match for the first time since a 1997 contest against West Virginia.
The Tigers return to Ivy League play with a match at Penn next Saturday.