No. 1 Seeded Tigers Advance to Ivy Championship Match with 3-1 Win Over Harvard

Thursday, November 13

Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium

7:00 PM

Princeton University

14-1-2, 7-0-0

No. 4 Harvard (Ivy Semifinal)

6-6-5, 2-3-2

Harvard

Princeton

Photo by: Joshua Gao

No. 1 Seeded Tigers Advance to Ivy Championship Match with 3-1 Win Over Harvard

November 13, 2025 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

PRINCETON, N.J. – After conceding an early goal, the no. 1 seeded Princeton men's soccer team rallied to a 3-1 victory over no. 4 Harvard in the Ivy League Tournament semifinal on Thursday night in Roberts Stadium.

Dash Papez scored the game-winner with his first career goal, while captain Giuliano Fravolini Whitchurch got the Tigers on the board with his first goal of the season. Daniel Ittycheria capped off the scoring with a converted penalty kick for his ninth of the year.

The Tigers will now advance to Sunday's Ivy League Championship match for the second-consecutive year, where they will face the no. 2 seed, Cornell. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. in Roberts Stadium.

"I thought it was a great reaction from the team after giving up an early goal. We haven't given up a goal in a long time, and that was the first goal conceded this year in the run of play. And this being a knockout game, the guys responded so well - putting everything into finding that next goal. We finally found a way to get one at the very end of the half, and had all the momentum coming back out," said Associate Head Coach Steve Totten. "It was great to get two goals off the corners, which hadn't happened in a while. Really happy about the way the guys responded tonight."

How It Happened
The Tigers came out with pace, pressuring Harvard from the whistle. However, it was the Crimson who got on the board first - sending a ball just past the hands of diving Andrew Samuels in the fourth minute.

Just the Tigers' fifth allowed goal of the year, Princeton immediately responded, putting all effort towards finding an equalizer as they peppered the Crimson defense with chances to deal with.

In the four minutes after Harvard's goal, three Tigers sent shots wide of the net.

In the 17th minute, Ittycheria forced a save by the Crimson keeper, Cullen MacNeil, with a low-center shot. Sending it the other way, Harvard returned the favor with an on-target shot of their own, forcing a high diving save by Samuels.

Building momentum, Sam Vigilante picked the ball off a Harvard defender and turned to launch a shot, but it was deflected by MacNeil (22'). On the resulting restart, first-year Jackson Martin sent a header in, but it went just wide.

Continuing to press, Princeton would go on to register 14 shots as they sought an equalizer.

With just 1:37 left on the clock before the half, a Tiger corner by Jack Jasinski found the far post, and with it, the foot of Whitchurch, who tapped it into the net to tie the game. And with the senior centerback captain's first goal of the season, the game was sent to halftime knotted at 1.

Picking up where they left off, the Tigers kept their momentum coming out of the break.

Taking a corner in the 48th minute, Ian Nunez found Kevin Kelley, who deflected the ball to Papez, who buried it in the net to put the Tigers up 2-1 just three minutes into the half.

Again just minutes later, a foul on an open, in-the-box Ittycheria resulted in a penalty kick for the Tigers. Stepping to the spot, Ittycheria converted his fourth of the year to make it 3-1 Tigers.

After three goals in 11 minutes of play, the then-ahead Princeton squad shifted its focus towards defense.

In the 65th minute, a shot from Harvard's Andreas Savva grazed the far post of the goal, narrowly missing. In the 70th, Samuels was there to keep the Crimson at bay, making another impressive diving save to deflect a high shot from Harvard.

Despite their efforts, the Crimson would not be able to find another goal as the Tiger defense, headed by Samuels, kept them locked out.

With one last save by MacNeil on a shot by Will Francis, the clock expired with Princeton ahead 3-1, sending the No. 1-seeded Tigers on to Championship Sunday.

Of Note

Papez's game-winner was the first goal of his career.
Whitchurch's goal was his first of the season.
Ittycheria's goal was his ninth of the season as he leads the Tigers and the league in goals.
Samuels made four saves in the contest.
Princeton outshot Harvard 22-20, dominating the first half 16-6. The Tigers had 10 shots on goal to the Crimson's five.

Up Next
The defending Ivy League Tournament Champions, the No. 1-seeded Tigers will face the No. 2 seed, Cornell, in the Ivy League Championship match on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. in Roberts Stadium.