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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Penn
Players Mentioned
Men's Soccer Beats Penn 3-2 to Remain Atop Ivy
November 09, 2014 | Men's Soccer
Box Score
PRINCETON, N.J. (11/8/14) -- Needing to win to keep pace atop the Ivy League, the Princeton men's soccer team did just that Saturday night in a 3-2 victory over Penn in which all five goals were scored in the first half.
Princeton and Dartmouth are tied atop the Ivy at 4-1-1, the latter after its 3-0 win over Cornell. Should both teams win next week, when Princeton is at Yale and Dartmouth is home for Brown, Dartmouth would get the Ivy's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by virtue of the Big Green's 2-1 overtime win over the Tigers on Oct. 4.
"I think there was no need for any external motivation," Princeton head coach Jim Barlow said. "It's senior day, we're trying to win the league, trying to make the tournament, last home game, playing the defending champs."
Princeton has now won four in a row and is unbeaten in its last eight games. Princeton hasn't lost in regulation in 12 games, since a 3-1 loss to then-No. 13 Georgetown on Sept. 17.
The Tigers got out to a 2-0 lead before the opening half was 16 minutes old, first using a Cameron Porter shot just inside the right post to take a lead in the seventh minute, then doubling it nine minutes later when Penn goalkeeper Max Polkinhorne couldn't hang on to Brendan McSherry's close-range shot inside the left post.
Penn halved the deficit in the 31st minute, when Princeton keeper Ben Hummel stopped but couldn't hang on to a shot by Duke Lacroix and Alec Neumann took hold of the loose ball and knocked it home to make it 2-1.
Princeton regained a two-goal lead in the 42nd minute on a Nico Hurtado goal, and that turned out to be the game-winner after Penn scored 18 seconds later when Neumann found the net again.
Though the teams combined for five goals in the opening half, the second half went scoreless despite Princeton outshooting Penn 14-4 in the period.
Princeton's game at Yale will start at 3 p.m. next Saturday and will be available on the Ivy League Digital Network.