In a highly anticipated matchup, Princeton men’s soccer (6–3–4 overall, 1–2–1 Ivy League) took on No. 19 Cornell Big Red (8–3–1, 4–0–0). This game saw the two top teams from the Ivy League pre-season rankings battle it out, with Princeton just edging out Cornell as the favorite. Despite their ranking though, it was the Big Red who came out on top, 1–0.
Last year, these teams played each other twice, with Princeton winning both matchups, once in the Ivy League Championship. The matchup featured two of the top players in the country, with the Tigers’ senior attacker Bardia Hormozi and the Big Red senior midfielder Connor Miller. Hormozi was carried off of the field against Seton Hall earlier this season with an ankle injury, but has since gotten back on track, leading the team in goals and points. On the other side, Connor Miller was Cornell’s point and assist leader going into the game, and has been incredibly dangerous on the ball this season. Princeton’s top defense had a heavy task against Cornell’s elite offense. With both teams being known for their similar vertical style of play and high-press defending, this game was set to be tight before it even started.
“We stuck it to Cornell last year a couple [of] times, and that obviously creates enemies, and they came out to play,” Hormozi told The Daily Princetonian.
The physicality from both sides was seen from the opening whistle, with a foul in the first 35 seconds. In fact, the first 10 minutes of play saw eight fouls on both teams.
The first big chance of the game for the Tigers occurred in the 12th minute, after junior midfielder Garry Zhang drew a foul right outside of the 18 yard box. Hormozi stepped up to take the shot and placed it bottom right, but the shot was saved by Cornell goalkeeper Reuben Clarson. The high-press of Princeton began to show up in the middle of the first half, with the ball moving forward from Zhang to senior forward Kevin Kelley in the 21st minute.
In the 28th minute, first-year forward Julien Lacher came into the game and instantly made an impact. Just moments later, Lacher won a corner giving the Tigers another solid chance, but it led to no shot on goal.
In the 31st minute, the Tigers looked as if they broke through. Kelley brought up the ball on the right side of the pitch near Cornell’s box and passed it to first-year forward Jonah Mwilambwe, who passed the ball behind Cornell’s keeper onto the left far post where Lacher was waiting for an easy tap-in. The crowd erupted and it seemed like the Tigers were up. However, after reviewing the play, the officials had determined that the goal was offside. For the rest of the first half, Cornell took momentum back from the Tigers, winning two corners and forcing a save from senior goalkeeper Andrew Samuels.
The second half started the way the first half did: incredibly close and physical. In the 47th minute, sophomore defender Frederik Sadjak was clearing the ball as Cornell’s forward Andrew Miles rammed into him, earning him a yellow card. The first real chance of the second half occurred in the 50th minute where first-year midfielder Noah Hammerschmidt got the ball after a cross, hitting it high over the net.
Support nonprofit student journalism. Donate to the ‘Prince.’ Donate now »
In the 57th minute, a mishit pass from the Tigers led to a Cornell interception. The Big Red led the ball down the field, and Cornell’s Miller then sent a ball from the right side into the box for a header for Miles, who sent the ball into the net. The Tigers trailed 1–0.
“I think they caught us on a counterattack,” Samuels said to the ‘Prince’ postgame. “They have a lot of good midfielders that switch the play quickly. I don’t think we took care of our guys in the box as well as we normally do. That’s soccer. One 20 second moment can lose the game. It was just a lapse of judgement.”
After the goal, the Tigers were on a hunt for an equalizer. Lacher had a couple of good chances but both were unable to convert — in the 60th minute, he shot the ball just wide, and in the 68th minute, he made contact with the ball on a header, but it was saved by Clarson.
Princeton found their best chance of the night in the 75th minute, when sophomore forward Jackson Martin sent a through ball to junior defender Roka Tsunehara, who was through on goal. However, one of Cornell’s defenders was able to get in front of Tsunehara’s shot and block it.
A few minutes later, Martin found Mwilambewe in the box, but as he got his first touch on the ball the Clarson was able to step up to the ball and collect it. The Tigers last-ditch efforts were to no avail, and the Tigers fell to the Big Red 1–0.
Although the Tigers lost this time, they are confident and determined to finish the season strong and avenge themselves in the Ivy League Tournament.
Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered to your doorstep or inbox. Subscribe now »
“[Cornell] might have beaten us once, but they won’t beat us again,” Hormozi told the ‘Prince.’
“We just got to compete and execute in all stages of the game and be really sharp and precise,” Samuels echoed. “We have to win. There’s no option. We can’t come out and let teams play through us, like, we have to take the front foot, and we have to win. If we don’t win, we won’t make the tournament.”
The Tigers will look to bounce back against Brown next weekend in Providence, R.I. for their fifth Ivy-League matchup.
Saad Akhtar is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince’. He can be reached at sa1359[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.