Men's Soccer Takes First Game Of 2023 Season Against Rutgers, 2-1

Friday, September 1

Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium

7:00 PM

Princeton University

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Rutgers

0-2-1, 0-0-0

Rutgers

Princeton

Men's Soccer Takes First Game Of 2023 Season Against Rutgers, 2-1

September 01, 2023 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

PRINCETON, N.J. - The Princeton men's soccer team came out on top in its season debut against defending Big Ten champion Rutgers in a 2-1 victory. With the win in the Garden State matchup, the Tigers claimed their first win over the Scarlet Knights since 2016.

The Tigers got off to a strong start and possessed the ball well in the early minutes of the game with two missed shots on goal before breaking through and opening up the scoring with a perfectly placed corner kick from Nico Nee and a heading finish from Daniel Ittycheria ten minutes in.

Freshmen Ian Nunez, Liam Beckwith and Kevin Kelley made their collegiate debuts in the 25th minute and Tigers led Rutgers 1-0 going into the half. Bardia Hormozi, playing his first game in a Princeton uniform, quickly displayed his talent with two big shots on goal in the second half but was unable to solve the Rutgers keeper.

At the other end, a huge tackle from Sam Vigilante in the penalty box at the beginning of the second half kept the Tigers in the lead. Several minutes later, Rutgers committed a costly foul in its penalty box and the Tigers were awarded a penalty kick. Capitalizing on this opportunity, Nico Nee drove the ball into the back of the net in the 67th minute to extend the lead to two.

A feisty affair that saw the teams combine for 46 fouls and seven yellow cards also saw one straight red card issued to Rutgers in the 82nd minute. Moments later, the Tigers were stunned when Matthew Acosta of the Scarlet Knights scored unassisted with a quick change of direction and shot back across the grain the snuck inside the far post to make it a one-goal game. Besides letting up that one goal, Khamari Hadaway played all 90 minutes and recorded 6 saves on the night. The Tiger defense was able to hold it down in the homestretch and sealed the first win of the season.

Important Stats

Nico Nee
- Assist (10')
- Goal (67') PK
Daniel Ittycheria
- Goal (10')
Khamari Hadaway
- 6 saves
- Played 90 minutes
Will Francis
- 3 shots
Bardia Hormozi
- 2 shots

Barlow's Postgame Statement

"We were happy to grind out a good result against a strong Rutgers team. We were under a lot of pressure at times and the guys in the back and Khamari played great. And we had some special moments up the field led by Nico that helped turn the game in our favor."

Next On The Schedule

Men's soccer will take on No. 3 Duke at home on Monday, September 4 and kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.