1999 Men's Soccer Outlook

After going 6-2 in the second half of the season in 1998, the Tigers cannot wait to get back to work in 1999. While seven talented seniors graduated in the spring, Princeton returns 11 players who saw significant playing time in '98. Add to that mix the return of a key player from injury and another talented incoming class, and all the ingredients are in place for a run at the Ivy League title.

What has the Orange and Black even more excited, however, is the prospect of getting off to a better start than in 1998. A year ago, with several freshmen in the starting lineup, the Tigers struggled out of the gate, going 0-4-1 in their first five games. This year a trip to England in the middle of August should help the Tigers' preparation.

“The process of becoming a good team takes time,” said Coach Jim Barlow. “With the trip to England, we are able to spend more time together than our usual preseason. We will play six good games over there and return the day before preseason begins. We are hoping this enables us to be ready for another tough schedule.” This year's slate has the Tigers playing their first four games at home, including the Ivy opener against Cornell Sept. 19. Other highlights of the schedule include trips to Hartwick, Rutgers, American and Brown, and matches in Princeton Stadium against Columbia and Villanova.

“The players worked so hard to rebound after a tough start last year,” added Barlow. “They cannot wait to get started.”

Forward

Up front, the Tigers saw two freshmen form a great partnership in the spring, Mike Nugent and Lucas Moskowitz. Nugent, a former under-17 national pool player, tallied three goals and one assist in 1998, despite being plagued with a hamstring injury for much of the season. He is sneaky around the goal and is gifted at finishing chances. Moskowitz, an NSCAA high school All-America in 1997, is a tireless worker up front. He registered four goals and one assist in limited action as a forward last fall.

Junior Matt Striebel, who returns as a second-team All-Ivy performer after a great season with the men's lacrosse team in the spring, will join this duo. Striebel registered three goals and two assists in 1998, and his athleticism and ability to hold off defenders make him a good target up front.

Adding depth to this position will be Matt Douglas, a talented freshman from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and Danny Osei, a junior who has worked his way onto the roster after spending two seasons with the junior varsity.

Midfield

The loss of last year's field general Chris Halupka '99 will be difficult, but the Tigers do return a talented group of midfielders. Sophomore Matt Behncke, last year's Ivy League Rookie of the Year, returns to the lineup after missing the last five games of 1998 with a broken jaw. Behncke registered four goals and one assist in 11 games as a freshman. His skill and vision will help the Tigers keep possession and create scoring chances.

Joining Behncke in the midfield will be senior Walker Wright, junior Kevin Griffin and sophomore Will Rodgers. Wright played in 15 contests last fall and scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Lafayette. Griffin started all 17 games for Princeton in 1998, while Rodgers, a former high school All-America from Ohio, emerged in the spring as a consistent playmaker.

Also competing for spots in the midfield will be senior Brien Wassner, who missed the entire 1998 season with a back injury, junior Garrett Bartolotta, who also can play in the back, sophomores Benji Diggs and Pete Kingston and freshmen Brian Smith and Vinny Vitale.

Defense

Starters Jason Booher '99 and Steve Belmonte '99 have graduated, but several strong defenders return to the Tigers' lineup this fall. Seniors Chad Adams and Griff Behncke did a great job in the middle during the spring. Adams, the team's captain, is the engine of the team and provides leadership in the back. Behncke's size and strength give the team a strong physical presence on defense.

Joining the two seniors will be sophomore Graeme Rein, a surprise starter in 1998 who is very talented at breaking up plays. Junior Andre Forrester also continues to improve, and should challenge for a spot.

The backfield was a strength of this year's recruiting class as well, with defenders Dan Zauber, Mike Castagna, Jason Extein and Bob Nye joining the Tigers' roster. All four should challenge for spots in the back, while sophomore Sloan Bermann returns after a two-year layoff to add depth to the Tiger defense.

Goal

Princeton will have three talented keepers this fall in junior Mike Cohen, sophomore Jeff Gillie and freshman Jason White. Cohen started six games last season before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Gillie stepped in and started the last seven games, recording three shutouts. White has spent time with the Under-17 National Team, and at 6'5” possesses great athleticism and shot-blocking ability. Last spring Cohen and Gillie were both injured, forcing the Tigers to use a field player in goal If all three are healthy, this could be Princeton's strongest position.

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