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Princeton University Athletics
Men's Soccer Announces 2009 Schedule
June 04, 2009 | Men's Soccer
PRINCETON, N.J. (6/4/09) ? Princeton University head men's soccer coach Jim Barlow has announced the 2009 men's soccer schedule.
The Tigers will play eight home games at Roberts Stadium and will host the Princeton Invitational. Highlighting the season will be a trip to the West Coast to participate in the San Diego State University Tournament.
Princeton will play seven teams that played in the NCAA Tournament in 2008, including St. John's, one of the final four teams.
“We are excited to once again have some of the best teams in the country on our schedule and to have some great match-ups in Roberts Stadium, highlighted by a West Coast trip, a final four team coming to Myslik Field,” Barlow said. “We can't wait to get started.”
Princeton fans will have to wait it out before they can see the 2009 team in action, as the Tigers play the first three games of the season on the road.
The season opens on September 4 at Lehigh. Princeton has a 31-7-1 record over Lehigh since the series began in 1922. The Mountain Hawks took a 2-1 game in last year's season opener, the first game to be played on Myslik Field.
Three days later the team will travel north to Seton Hall. The Pirates have a slight edge in the all-time series, leading 11-7-5, however Princeton took a 3-1 game in 2008.
The Tigers will be at American on Sept. 11. Princeton holds an 8-5-2 edge in the series, but the Eagles have taken the last two games by a combined 4-1 score.
The Princeton Invitational returns for the second straight year, with Cornell, Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth participating. Princeton will face FDU on Friday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m., and Monmouth on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 2:30 p.m. FDU earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Northeast Conference in 2008. Princeton is 12-5-1 against FDU all-time and has won the last two meetings, including a 2-1 decision last year. Princeton and Monmouth have met just five times, with Princeton earning three wins and one tie. Monmouth earned its first win in the series last year, a one-goal decision.
The following weekend the squad heads to California for the San Diego State Tournament. The Tigers will face the host school on Friday, Sept. 25 and UC-Irvine on Sunday, Sept. 27 in the first meetings between the schools. San Diego State was 6-8-3 last season and recently completed an undefeated spring season with a 7-0-2 mark. The 2008 Big West Champion, UC-Irvine had a 15-2-6 mark and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament after earning a bye in the first round as the No. 14 seed.
The Ivy League slate begins at Dartmouth on Saturday, Nov. 3. The Big Green reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament last season, as the No. 16 seed, eventually bowing out to Wake Forest. Princeton owns a 36-18-7 record in the all-time series with Dartmouth, but the Big Green have had the upper hand in the last two outings, 1-0-1.
Returning home, Princeton will host Adelphi in a mid-week game on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. The Tigers are 8-2 against the Panthers and have split the last two meetings, with Adelphi winning a one-goal game in 2008.
Princeton will attempt to end a three-game losing streak at Brown on Oct. 10. The Bears boast a 32-19-6 record in the series with the Tigers' last win coming in 2004.
A three-game homestand follows, starting with St. John's on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. St. John's reached the College Cup last season with a 19-3-3 record falling to eventual champion Maryland in the semifinals. The teams have met just three times, ending in a 1-1-1 record. St. John's won the last meeting, a 1-0 decision in 2006.
On Saturday, Oct. 17 Columbia and Princeton will square off at 4 p.m. The Tigers are looking to extend a six-game unbeaten streak over the Lions that dates back to 2003.
In the final non-conference game of the season, Princeton will host Colgate on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. The 2008 Patriot League champions, Colgate went 12-5-3 last year. The teams have met just once, in 2007, which resulted in a 1-0 Raider win.
The Tigers travel to Harvard on Saturday, Oct. 24 and host Cornell the following Saturday at 7 p.m. Princeton holds a 41-38-8 edge in the series, but Harvard is unbeaten in the last six games.
On Saturday, Nov. 7 Princeton will battle it out with Penn in the City of Brotherly Love. The co-Ivy League champion, Penn owns a 47-40-1 advantage in the series. The teams played to a scoreless tie last year, and Princeton took a 1-0 game in 2007.
The final game of the regular season is Saturday, Nov. 14 with Princeton hosting Yale at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs lead the series, which began in 1910, 42-34-22, and are unbeaten in the last six games.
The first round of the NCAA Tournament will be Nov. 20-21 and the tournament will conclude at the College Cup in Cary, N.C., Dec. 11 & 13.