.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
1998 Men's Soccer Year in Review
September 13, 1999 | Men's Soccer
Five games into the 1998 season the Tigers were disappointed and frustrated, and searching for answers. By season's end, this courageous group had battled back and put together an impressive 6-2 record down the stretch to finish 8-8-1.
Going into the season the Tigers' roster had been bolstered by the addition of a highly touted freshmen class, including NSCAA All-Americas Lucas Moskowitz, Will Rodgers and Sanjee Weliwitigota, along with national team pool players Matt Behncke and Mike Nugent.
Coach Jim Barlow knew it would take some time for this talented group to feel comfortable with the pace of the collegiate game, but when injuries took their toll on several players, the newcomers were thrown in the fire.
Before the season even began, Brien Wassner suffered a back injury that forced him to miss the entire year, and junior Justin Kerr, who had led the Tigers in scoring as a sophomore, suffered a career-ending knee injury. With seniors Jason Booher and Cliff Moskowitz, junior Walker Wright and sophomore goalkeeper Mike Cohen sidelined with injuries early in the season, the Tigers relied on the youngsters to take on major roles. In all, seven freshmen saw considerable playing time in 1998, and by the end of the season their maturation was apparent.
It took a little time to get this new combination in sync. The season began with a pair of losses at the UConn/New England Ford Dealers Soccer Classic. In the opener the Tigers fell 5-1 to a Husky squad that spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the country. Two days later, with the freshmen in Princeton participating in orientation, a depleted
Tiger team lost to Georgetown 4-0. Over the next two weeks Princeton recorded a 1-0 overtime loss at Lehigh, a 1-1 tie with No. 20 Seton Hall in the home opener at Lourie-Love Field and a 4-0 loss to Dartmouth in the Ivy opener.
Now desperate for its first win of the year, Princeton traveled to nearby Mercer County Park to face the Rider Broncs. The Tigers came out inspired, as Ivy League Rookie of the Year Matt Behncke scored two goals to lead the team to a 3-0 victory. The win, followed by a 5-3 triumph on the road against Cornell, demonstrated that the young Tigers had continued to improve and were ready to turn the season around.
Two tough losses to Rutgers and Ivy League champion Brown delayed the turnaround, as the Tigers fell 1-0 and 2-0 respectively. The Tigers got back to their winning ways when Griff Behncke connected on a penalty kick in the 100th minute for a 2-1 overtime win against American under the lights of Princeton Stadium. The win was the first of four one-goal victories in which Princeton also defeated Fairleigh Dickinson (2-1), Lafayette (1-0), and Harvard (1-0).
Unfortunately, Matt Behncke suffered a broken jaw during the Lafayette match, ending his outstanding season five games early. Nevertheless, the resilient Tigers refused to quit. First-team All-Ivy selection and David S. Hackett Memorial Cup winner Chris Halupka returned to form after being hampered with an ankle injury in the beginning of the season. Halupka scored on a direct kick in the closing minutes of the first half to lift the Tigers over Harvard. Seniors Steve Belmonte and Greg Busch, along with junior co-captain Chad Adams, provided much needed leadership in the middle of the field. As the season progressed the young talent around this trio continued to gel.
Princeton hit a small bump in the road, a 3-0 loss to Columbia in New York. The Tigers bounced back and scored two goals in a matter of 47 seconds to defeat Adelphi 3-2. In the final game of the season on Princeton soil, Griff Behncke found the back of the net two times in the first half as the Tigers blanked Penn 3-0.
Freshman goalkeeper Jeff Gillie was forced to play a major role with Cohen sidelined with injuries and Keith Lucas studying off campus, and he posted a 6-2 record in the final eight games with three shutouts and a .702 save percentage. Graeme Rein emerged as one of the best defenders in the league. Up front, freshman Mike Nugent had flashes of brilliant play, and classmate Lucas Moskowitz had three goals and an assist in the last three games of the season to help the Tigers.
Besides being named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Matt Behncke was a second-team All-Ivy selection. Halupka took home first-team All-Ivy honors for the second consecutive year.
Indeed, the 1998 season saw a young team struggling early, but Princeton successfully turned the season around with a collection of wins down the stretch. While the team will miss the seven seniors that held the team together through the peaks and valleys of the 1998 campaign, the experience gained by the young Tigers will be the major building block for the 1999 season.