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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Ivy League Champion Men's Soccer Opens 2011 at Charleston Tournament
August 31, 2011 | Men's Soccer
Princeton at College of Charleston
Gametime: Friday, September 2 at 7:30 p.m.
2011 Records: Princeton (0-0), C of C (1-0)
Series Began: First Meeting
LINKS: Live Video l Live Stats
Princeton vs. Furman
Gametime: Sunday, September 4 at 12 p.m.
2011 Records: Princeton (0-0), Furman (0-1-1)
Series Began: 2004
Series Record: Furman leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Furman won 2-1 (9/24/04)
LINKS: Live Stats
PRINCETON, N.J. (8/31/11) - The Princeton men's soccer team opens the 2011 season this weekend at the College of Charleston in the Nike/Aaron Olitsky Memorial Classic. The Tigers will play the host on Friday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m., and Furman on Sunday, Sept. 4 at noon.
Princeton's game with Charleston on Friday will be webstreamed. Those subscribed to GoPrincetonTigers.tv will be able to watch the game without paying an additional fee, as the provider is the same. Live stats will also be available for all four matches.
This will be Princeton's first meeting with the College of Charleston, while it has met Furman one time before. In 2004, Furman won a 2-1 game at home.
Princeton returns 19 letterwinners from a 2010 team that went 13-4-1 with a 12-game winning streak. The defending Ivy League champion is receiving votes in the NSCAA, Soccer America and College Soccer News preseason polls, and is ranked 25th by Top Drawer Soccer. Although the Tigers lost 47 percent of its point production with the loss of 12 letterwinners, the 2010 Ivy League Player of the Year Antoine Hoppenot is back for his senior season. Hoppenot led the team and the league in scoring with 23 points. Also returning is junior second-team All-Ivy pick Matt Sanner and senior middie Manny Sardinha who had 13 and nine points, respectively in 2010. In the back Princeton returns two of its four starters in junior captain and first-team All-Ivy selection Mark Linnville and sophomore Chris Benedict. Junior Max Gallin and sophomore Seth MacMillan will be vying for the vacated position in goal.Charleston is 1-0 on the season after knocking off No. 15 South Carolina 3-2 at home. Like the Tigers, the Cougars are receiving votes in the national poll. In their lone game, sophomore Andy Craven scored twice with junior Francis Twohig picked up a goal and an assist. Sophomore Kees Heemskerk played all 90 minutes and made five saves on seven shots for a 2.00 GAA and a .714 save percentage. Charleston has lost 25 percent of its point production from last year with the graduation of Sean De Silva. Twohig is the top returner after picking up 13 points last year when the Cougars posted an 11-5-3 overall record. Craven added nine points and junior Ralphie Lundy had eight. Heemskerk started and played in every game last year making 82 saves on 102 shots for a 1.02 GAA and an .804 save percentage.
Furman is 0-1-1 on the season, tying Campbell 0-0 on the road and falling to Duke 1-0 at home. The Paladins will face Rutgers in the first game of the weekend's tournament. Furman has averaged 18.5 shots per game, and notably 10 corner kicks per game. The team lost its top four goal scorers from a year ago when it posted a 10-7-4 record. Last year's squad scored just 19 goals, but has a strong defense allowing just 19 goals as well. Sophomores Josh Fusan and Michael Gandier are the top returning scorers. Redshirt junior Coleton Henning and freshman Nikolai Hammer have taken the most shots in the first two games, with 10 and nine respectively. Senior Alec Kann mans the goal. He has played every minute this season and has made four saves on five shots for a 0.45 goals against average and an .800 save percentage.