Princeton (5-1-0) vs. Harvard (3-1-2)
September 27 (Sat.) | 4:00 p.m. | Cambridge, Mass.
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PRINCETON, N.J. – Heading up to Massachusetts to open Ivy League play, the Princeton men’s soccer team will travel to Cambridge to face Harvard on Saturday, September 27. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. 
 
Last Time Out
Princeton downed Seton Hall, 3-1, on Tuesday night, delivering the Pirates their first home loss of the season and just third since 2022.

Kristian Kelley, Daniel Ittycheria and Bardia Hormozi each scored in the contest. Kelley, scoring with a laser, tallied his first career goal. Hormozi’s was his second, as he rocketed the ball in from outside the box. Ittycheria, connecting with Jack Jasinski, notched his third of the season, with the two seniors now tied for a squad-high three goals.

 

With the win, Princeton improves to 5-1 on the season.

 

Samuels’ Saves

Andrew Samuels has been in goal for all six of the Tigers’ matchups this season, allowing just one goal in the last four games and just two on the season. 

 

Before Tuesday, Samuels helped the Tigers to three consecutive shutouts over UAlbany, UMass and Villanova. For his consistent performance, Samuels was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.

 

The junior Burlingame, Calif. native ranks 15th nationally in goals-against average with 0.50. His GAA also puts the Tigers 11th nationally as a team. 

 

Off To A Hot Start

Senior defender Jasinski has been hot this season, leading the Tigers with three goals and three assists for nine points. He leads the Ivy League in points per game, averaging 1.50, which also puts him at 28th nationally. Jasinski was named Ivy Defensive Player of the Week last Monday.

 

Ittycheria is behind Jasinski with three goals for six points on the season, after leading the Tigers in scoring last season with nine goals.

 

Sophomore Roka Tsunehara also has three assists on the season, and with 0.50 per game, he sits fourth in the Ivy League.

 

In The Rankings

In addition to individual rankings, the Tigers sit at 13th nationally in won-lost-tied percentage and 20th in save percentage with Samuels’s 0.833. Princeton also ranks 21st in goal differential.

Princeton leads the Ivy League  in points per game (6.17) and scoring offense (2.17).

 

The Tigers currently rank fifth in the RPI, leading the Ivy League..

 

Hungry Tigers

The defending Ivy League Tournament Champions return to Roberts this year after a successful 2024 season that saw the Tigers go 12-7 and make an NCAA Tournament appearance. 

 

Princeton was picked to finish second in the Ivy League preseason poll, receiving five first-place votes. 

 

The Tigers return 24 players this season, accounting for 70% (21 of 30) goals and 85% of assists (24 of 28). Of the 24 returners, 11 are seniors. 

 

Keeping an Eye Out

Key returning seniors Ittycheria, Giuliano Fravolini Whitchurch and Jasinski were named United Soccer Coaches Players to Watch in their respective positions this preseason.

 

Whitchurch was named to the MAC Hermann Watch List earlier this month, as the centerback was one of just seven defenders and 29 players to be selected nationally. His leadership on the back line helped Princeton to a goals-against average of 1.16 in 2024, and he was named to the First Team All-Ivy and the Ivy League All-Tournament Team.

 

Jasinski led the Tigers in assists with nine last season, putting him third in the Princeton record book for assists in a single season. With three already this season, he now holds fourth in career assists with 19.

 

Jasinski and Ittycheria were both named to the 2024 Second Team All-Ivy.

 

Called Up

Ittycheria was drafted by D.C. United in the 2025 MLS Superdraft. He was selected in the second round as the 40th overall pick after leading the Tigers in goals in both 2024 and 2023. 

 

In 2024, Ittycheria logged nine goals and one assist. Three of those goals came during the Ivy League Tournament, for which he was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. 

 

This preseason, Ittycheria was also named to the TopDrawerSoccer Second Team.

 

Captains

Whitchurch and Jack Hunt were named captains to lead the 2025 squad. Hunt, a midfielder from Coronado, Calif., was a 2024 All-Ivy Honorable Mention. Both captains hail from California, with Whitchurch coming from San Diego. 

 

About the Newcomers

Princeton welcomes seven talented newcomers in the class of 2029 this season in Tyler Vilet, Ben Manfroy, Frederik Sadjak, Jackson Martin, Tyler Austin, Ryker Joutz and Giacomo Gabrielli.

 

Martin has two goals on the season already, while Sadjak has one start.

 

About Coach Barlow

Head coach Jim Barlow is in his 29th season as the men’s soccer head coach and has accumulated 227 career wins with the Tigers, the most for any soccer coach in Princeton history, men’s or women’s. Barlow was also named the 2021 Ivy League Coach of the Year.

 

Scouting Harvard

Harvard enters Ivy play 3-1-2 on the season, most recently taking a scoreless draw with Northeastern on Tuesday to go 3-0-2 in its last five. Harvard currently sits at 42nd in the RPI rankings.

 

Andreas Savva and Dylan Tellado lead the Crimson with six points on the season from two goals and two assists apiece.

Lucian Wood has been in goal for four of the Crimson’s matches, making 17 saves for a GAA of 0.75 and a save percentage of 0.850.

 

Princeton leads 46-42-10 all-time against Harvard, with the series first dating back to 1909. The Tigers are 3-1-1 in the last five, with last year’s matchup a 2-0 Tiger victory in Princeton. The last meeting in Cambridge was a 2-1 Crimson victory.