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Princeton University Athletics
Rising Leadership: Daniel Ittycheria '26
September 08, 2023 | Men's Soccer
The men's soccer team has consistently cultivated an environment that encourages all-around leadership. Over the last couple of seasons,the loss of All-Ivy players, MLS draft picks, and others raised the question of who would step up. "The seniors have done a great job in leading the 2023 team so far by not only setting standards and expectations for each and every player on the team, but also creating a positive environment where everyone has the opportunity to be a leader,"said Ittycheria. Ittycheria credits the seniors for allowing and encouraging younger teammates, including himself, to possess a voice on the team.
Ittycheria, the forward from Warren, New Jersey, scored the Tiger's first goal of the season in the home opening win against Rutgers. When asked about what it meant to break open the scoring in the early season as only a sophomore, Ittycheria had this to say: "I wouldn't say I was shocked, but just a little surprised that the goal came earlier than I expected and that I was as open as I was. I think I was matched up against a guy that was undersized compared to me. A lot of times when I score I don't get to see it go into the net, which is weird, but once the ball went into the net, hearing the noise from the crowd, I was just happy. For some reason I knew something was going to happen on the corner kick and I knew the ball was coming to me, there's just that feeling that you have." He has since described this moment as his favorite memory as a Princeton student-athlete.
The sophomore has expressed that the team this year is not only one that respects the voice of every teammate, but also one that has allowed him to grow personally as a leader. "I'm still working on it, but I think having a whole year of experience creates opportunities for me to give advice to underclassmen, simple things like what to do before practice, how to prepare for games, and why it is important to be successful on the academic side," he said. Developing this early as a leader for Ittycheria has revolved around him providing simple advice and leading by example.
Before each game Ittycheria describes his pregame routine as one of mindfulness that helps him improve his competitiveness and athleticism. "I like to close my eyes, sit back, lie down, and imagine what I want to do in the game," said Ittycheria. "It's something that I do during the games if it's not going well too. If I mess up a couple of times or make a mistake, and I feel like I'm panicking or losing confidence, I like to take three long, deep breaths and calm myself down to get back into a positive mindset and stay confident." Another interesting pregame routine mentioned was eating the same thing before each game … two to three clementines per game.
After two home games where the Tigers beat Rutgers, an in-state rival and defending Big Ten conference champion, and held No. 3 Duke scoreless for 50 minutes, Ittycheria is excited by what the team brings to the competitive table this season. "I think defensively that our team is really good," said Ittycheria. "We've shown that we can defend really well against some of the best attackers in the country. I like how resilient we are. There were a couple times in both games where we were pinned back a bit, but we were able to stay the course and take our chances and have great countering opportunities. We've done well at finding places to take a lot of shots and getting decent looks." The sophomore is confident that the Tiger offense will be able to score more this season compared to others.
Ittycheria will be an exciting player to watch this season both on and off the field. Training hard all summer and scoring the first goal of the season has led to his chance to prove himself as a dominant role-player on the team. As the solo leader in shots, tied for the team lead in goals and an ambitious forward, fans can expect to hear Ittycheria's name often this year.
Interesting Tidbits about Daniel Ittycheria:
- Interesting class in his Fall 2023 schedule - "I am taking a class about ancient Roman and Greek sports and entertainment that I have become very invested in. It'll be interesting to see the development and definition of what sports meant back then compared to what they mean now."
- His personal hero is his father - "I'm making him proud because he's made a lot of sacrifices for me. Driving me to all the games before college, whether it was an hour or four hours. He sacrificed a lot of his time so that I could play. That's my biggest inspiration"
- Michael Jordan is his biggest athletic inspiration - "His preparation and his competitive nature. That's something that I am in awe of because I thrive in a competitive environment. Jordan's ability to balance his own competitiveness and to build winning teams is pretty inspiring."
