Princeton University
Columbia
Players Mentioned
Men's Soccer Blanks Columbia, 3-0
October 18, 2009 | Men's Soccer
PRINCETON, N.J. (10/17/09) - Three different players scored to give the Princeton men's soccer team a 3-0 win over Columbia on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium.
The victory was Princeton's first Ivy League win of the season and ends a seven-game winless skid, as the Tigers improve to 5-5-2 overall and 1-2 in the league. The win also extends Princeton's unbeaten streak over Columbia to seven games.
Princeton outshot Columbia, 13-5 in the game and took five corner kicks while Columbia did not take any.
The Tigers had back-to-back chances in the 6th minute, the first by senior captain Devin Muntz from 20 yards out, the second off a free kick from junior defender Josh Walburn, both of which were saved by Columbia goalkeeper Alexander Aurrichio.
Senior Ben Harms put Princeton on the scoreboard first, at 20:12 with his first goal of the season. Freshman Matt Sanner sent the ball up the near flank to freshman midfielder Lester Nare. Nare sent a great cross into the box where Harms was able to get a head on the ball and sent it past Aurrichio.
The goal would be the last shot for either team for the next 10 minutes, before Princeton closed out the first half with two shots being blocked.
Columbia entered the second half a bit more organized and started to put together some offense.
Columbia's Francois Anderson gave Princeton goalkeeper Sean Lynch his first real test of the afternoon in the 55th minute when he had a shot from inside the box, about 10 yards out. Lynch leaped to his left to stop the shot, but bobbled the ball. Fortunately he was able to get to it and smother it seconds before James Prince got to it. The Lions had another chance to light the scoreboard less than a minute later but Will Stamatis couldn't connect on yhe cross.
Ten minutes later Princeton would deflate Columbia's sail with the second score of the afternoon. Freshman Mark Linnville used a Princeton throw in to his advantage, using his characteristic long throw to put the ball into the box. Sanner tipped the ball towards the net and classmate Nare deflected it into the goal.
Freshman striker Antoine Hoppenot had a couple of terrific opportunities in the waning minutes for the Tigers. In the 72nd minute he had a chance when he was sent a long ball from Muntz and beat his defender off the ball and rifled the ball in on net, but Aurrichio bent down to make the stop. In the 81st minute he used his quick feet to get the ball down to the near post and stripped a defender from a possible turnover and then blasted a shot, but Aurrichio was there to make the save.
With 15 minutes to play, Columbia was awarded a free kick in a dangerous area, just outside the 18-yard box. However instead of sending the ball into the box, the Lions played a short ball and a Prince bicycle kick went way too high and out for a goal kick.
Junior Brandon Busch converted on a penalty kick with three minutes to playto give Princeton the three-goal lead. He easily beat Aurrichio with a high shot to the left, after being taken down just inside the box by Quentin Grigsby who earned a yellow card on the play. Busch is now 2-for-2 when taking penalty kicks for the Tigers this season.
Lynch ended the game with two saves while earning his third shutout of the season. Aurrichio came up with four stops in the loss for Columbia.
Princeton will host Colgate in its final non-conference game of the season, on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m.