Men’s Soccer Hosts Princeton Saturday for Alumni Day

Saturday, October 19

New York, N.Y.

4:00 p.m.

Columbia University

Princeton

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Stockton Photo, Inc.

Men’s Soccer Hosts Princeton Saturday for Alumni Day

10/18/2024 1:05:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Watch on ESPN+Live Stats Follow @CULionsMSOC

Lions to honor Hall of Fame 1983 team pregame

NEW YORK — The Columbia men's soccer team (1-8-1, 1-1-1 Ivy) will host Princeton (5-5-0, 2-1-0 Ivy) for Alumni Day at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium on Saturday. First kick is scheduled for 4 p.m.

ALUMNI DAY
As part of Alumni Day, the Lions will honor members in attendance of the 1983 team that advanced to that year's NCAA Tournament Championship Game. Ranked first in the nation throughout the NCAA Tournament, the 1983 Columbia men's soccer team advanced further toward the title than any Ivy League soccer team in history. They rolled over UConn, 4-0, in the Final Four, setting up a National Championship match against Indiana. Although the Lions fell, 1-0, in double overtime to the Hoosiers, Columbia will be linked forever to greatness with an 18-1 record. It was the Lions' best season during an eight-year run from 1978-85 that saw them win eight consecutive Ivy League titles and make two Final Four appearances.

GAME COVERAGE
Fans unable to attend Saturday's game can watch live on ESPN+. A subscription is required to access the live video. Fans can also track live stats courtesy of GoColumbiaLions.com. In-game updates will also be provided on the @CULionsMSOC social media accounts.

THE IVY TABLE
Columbia enters Saturday tied for the all-important fourth place in the league table with Dartmouth, each with four points and a 1-1-1 league record. The Lions and Big Green are one point ahead of Harvard and Yale (1-2-0) and just two points behind Cornell and Princeton (2-1-0) for second place. Four league matches remain to decide the regular season champion and the Ivy League Tournament field. The top four teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the Ivy League Tournament, which will be held at the site of the No. 1 seed.

LAST TIME OUT
In what was arguably the wildest game of the season, Columbia traveled to Dartmouth and walked away with a 2-2 draw. The Lions went up a man in the 32nd minute when Dartmouth's Andrew Ellis was issued a straight red card for a foul against Jack McDaid. However, five minutes later, the Big Green took advantage of an errant back pass to take the lead. They doubled that advantage from the penalty spot with 30 minutes remaining in the second half.

Down two goals but still with the one-man advantage, Columbia kept fighting, created some chances and eventually was rewarded in the 75th minute. Andres Garcia sent a free kick into the box that met the foot of Jackson ten Oever for his second goal of the Ivy League season. Inside the final 10 minutes, Garcia netted his first collegiate goal with a left-footed shot from the left side of the area that nicked the post and went into the back of the net. Columbia and Dartmouth each had chances to win down the stretch but ultimately split the points.

BREAKING THROUGH
After scoring just one goal over their first seven matches and posting a 0-7 record, the Lions have now scored five times over their past three matches and are 1-1-1 in those contests. It began with a 1-0 victory on October 5 at Commisso Soccer Stadium against Yale. Jackson ten Oever scored the winner in the 81st minute and went on to be named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career. The win also gave the Lions their first Ivy League victory since 2019.

Although they fell in their next match, 3-2, at Villanova, Columbia scored twice, including a game-tying goal from Jack McDaid in the 87th minute to level things, 2-2. They rode that goal-scoring momentum into last Saturday's match at Dartmouth, scoring twice with a man-up advantage to take a point and head into this weekend tied for fourth in the league table.

Over their first seven matches of the season, Columbia took a total of 53 shots and 18 shots on goal, averaging 7.6 shots per match and just 2.6 shots on goal per match. Since then, the Lions have totaled 35 shots and 17 shots on goal over their past three matches, averaging 11.7 shots per match and 5.7 shots on goal.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Princeton is tied with Cornell for second in the league table at 2-1-0. The Tigers fell to the nationally-ranked Big Red, 1-0, in their most recent Ivy League contest last Saturday. Cornell's Giorgos Diakos netted the game-winner in the 77th minute. After a 1-0 non-conference loss on Tuesday against Army West Point, the Tigers head to New York on a two-match losing streak. Their two Ivy wins came at home against Harvard, 2-0, and on the road to Brown, 2-1.

Daniel Ittycheria leads the Princeton attack with five goals this season, scoring in the victories against Harvard and Brown. His five goals, 35 shots and 16 shots on goal each rank top five in the Ivy League. Will Francis (3) and Kevin Kelley (2) have also netted multiple goals this season. In total, six Tigers have found the back of the net. They are dead even with their opponents in goal count, 13-13. Khamari Hadaway has started eight of the 10 matches in goal, including all three league matches, and carries a 1.51 GAA.

THE SERIES
The Lions hope to end Princeton's six-match unbeaten streak in the series. The Tigers are 4-0-2 against the Lions over that time, including a 4-0 victory last year in New Jersey. The last time the two sides met in New York resulted in a 1-1 draw. Will DeNight's free-kick goal in the 86th minute leveled the scoreline. Overall, the Lions lead the all-time tilt, 33-26-12.

FOLLOW THE LIONS:
For the latest on Columbia men's soccer, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@CULionsMSOC), on Facebook (ColumbiaMensSoccer), or by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com.