KICKOFF: Princeton University men’s soccer goalkeeper Andrew Samuels launches a goal kick during a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, junior Samuels made five saves, including turning away a penalty and a dangerous direct kick in the second half as Princeton beat Harvard 1-0 in its Ivy League opener. The Tigers, who improved to 6-1 overall and 1-0 with Ivy with the win, were scheduled to play at Army West Point on September 30 before returning to Ivy action by hosting Brown on October 4. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Justin Feil
Andrew Samuels has established himself in a huge position for the Princeton University men’s soccer team.
Again.
The junior goalkeeper made five saves, including canceling out a penalty and a dangerous direct kick in the second half, to help Daniel Ittycheria’s first-half header earn a 1-0 victory at Harvard last Saturday in the Ivy League opener for both teams. It was Princeton’s fifth straight victory, improving to 6-1 overall and 1-0 in Ivy play and ending Harvard’s five-game unbeaten streak.
“It’s a huge confidence boost,” Samuels said. “Whatever team we play, we have a lot of expectations, but to get a really good 1-0 away result, they’re a really good team. I think it kind of doubles what we know we can accomplish as a team. And we’re going to have a lot more games and a lot more challenges similar to Harvard. So to have that under our belt is huge, and we’re looking forward to the next one.”
Samuels has been a revelation for the Tigers since proving himself when forced into action last year. The Burlingame, Calif. resident trained with a nationally ranked San Jose Earthquakes academy and later started for the No. 1 ranked De Anza Force U19 team in the country, but did not see a game as a freshman at Princeton. He didn’t see a game in August and September of his sophomore year while sitting behind two seniors, but 24 minutes into last year’s game with 20th-ranked Cornell, an injury brought Samuels into the game 0-0.
“It was actually the first game in my entire career where I had to step in in the middle of the game, surprisingly,” Samuels said. “So, I had never experienced that. And it was kind of a whirlwind. He goes down and I have to go in. But I approached it like any other game, looking to make the most of my time there and work my way into the game as much as possible, mostly through communication. There was definitely some nervousness in that game just because it was a big game; Cornell was a good opponent and they still are. But especially as a goalie, as soon as you make that first save or that first good pass, you easily get into the game and become comfortable.
Samuels started the next eight games, including helping the Tigers win the Ivy League tournament with victories over Cornell and Penn. His 0.91 goals-against average was second lowest in the Ivy and he led all goaltenders in the league with 35 saves.
“It was definitely very rewarding, because even in high school I didn’t get a chance to play a lot,” Samuels said. “I was playing for a San Jose Academy team. I was playing behind the best goalie, the national team goalie, so I didn’t play much in high school and as a freshman I didn’t touch the court at all. And I knew myself what I had and what I could bring to the table. But it was definitely the culmination of all my hard work and I finally got to put myself out there. It felt really nice.”
He returned as a starter for his junior season and picked up where he left off last year, supporting a defense that allowed just three goals in seven games.
Princeton head coach Jim Barlow likes what he sees from Samuels.
“He’s having a great year,” said Barlow, whose team was scheduled to play at Army West Point on Sept. 30 before returning to Ivy action by hosting Brown on Oct. 4. “He’s very confident and he’s having a great year and he really seems totally focused in the moment and able to make big saves when called upon. I think we’ve only conceded three all year, one on a penalty, one on a corner and one on a throw-in. So he’s been huge, including saving a penalty against Villanova as well. So that was his second penalty save out of three tries. He’s really, really confident right now and he’s playing really well.
Confidence is a big difference Samuels brought back from last year. The Tigers believe in him and he has proven to himself how much he can help in big moments. He saves the shots he’s supposed to make and also makes some incredible momentum-changing saves.
“With him and a lot of guys, the experience in the Ivy League tournament last year — having played so many tough games with so much on the line — I think it helped everyone understand what it takes to win college football games and have confidence that they can do it,” Barlow said. “And especially beating both teams, Cornell and Penn, in last year’s tournament, both teams that had already beaten us, and Andrew was huge in those games. I think he’s just one of many guys who benefit so much from last year’s experience and wanted to come in this year and build on that and take the next step. And so far he’s been able to do that.”
Samuels can feel a difference this season. His return after starting the second half of last year has definitely helped him grow and become a leader out of his spot.
“I learned that communication is really key because at the end of the day I see everything and I trust my defenders a lot, but being able to communicate where everyone needs to go makes my job a lot easier,” Samuels said. “And then I think also understanding how to prepare for games and go into them with confidence, I think last year I played well, but not every game I was the most confident I could be. This year I think I found a new form of confidence which has been really great and it’s helped me play better. And I think football in general is such a mental game and you just have to believe in yourself. I’ve really felt that transformation.”
After the game at Army, Princeton will face a tough Brown team that is off to a good start going 5-2-1 overall and 1-0 Ivy. This is another chance for Princeton to grow as a group and not just get off to a good start.
“When we’re at our best, we’re a really good defensive team and the defense starts the field,” Barlow said. “And when we’re at our best, we play a lot in the other team’s half, partly because our defense on the pitch – our counter-pressing, our pressing, our transition defense is really good. And there are some days where it’s much better than others. And the days when it’s not so good and the other team is able to get into our half, we just have to find a way to stay connected defensively, not stretch ourselves, not commit fouls. stupid mistakes.
The Tiger defense was bailed out twice on shots on goal saved by Samuels. PKs are supposed to be almost an automatic goal, but he’s stopped two of three this season.
“We’re not supposed to save them, but it’s more of a mental battle than anything else,” Samuels said. “I just try to show how confident I am, try to get into the kicker’s head as much as possible because the pressure is really on them. So I kind of talk to them, try to get into their head as much as possible, and then just trust myself to make the save. At the end of the day, I guess and I guessed twice.”
It was even more distressing for Samuels because the Tigers only had a 1-0 lead. The victory against Harvard was the first of the season by a single goal. Princeton won its other five games by at least two goals. The hard-fought victory on the road is what Samuels expects most often.
“That happens a lot in college football,” Samuels said. “You take a 1-0 lead and it’s kind of you’re defending for your life and it’s tough as a goalkeeper because you have to stay really focused and concentrated 100 percent of the time. But I feel like we’ve had a lot of games like that where we’re up 1-0 and we’re fighting, we’re stopping any counter-attack. It would have been nice to score a goal to take some of that pressure off, but I had to stay alert and be ready I shot and had confidence in myself and we got the shutout, which was huge.
It was the fourth shutout of the season for the Tigers. Princeton had a chance to extend its lead, but it was Harvard that was desperate for the equalizer in the second half. Princeton hopes to take more opportunities in the future to start taking pressure off its defense to be perfect again.
“When we’re at our best, the ball is moving, we’re looking to go forward, we look connected and we’re really paying attention to our transition game,” Barlow said. “That’s what we try to promote every day.”
The combination of an offense that has been brilliant at times and a stingy defense all year has gotten the Tigers off to a fast start to the season. Princeton entered the year with high expectations after winning the Ivy League Tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament. They focused on not going too high or too low based on any given outcome, and they are on track to achieve their big goals.
“We still have most of the season left, so we’re really motivated and we have the confidence that we know we can compete against anyone and get a result,” Samuels said. “So I think that’s kind of where the team’s head is, that’s where mine is. And it’s a really healthy place because I think everyone has really bought in. And we felt that at the end of last year. I really felt that through the seven games that we’ve played, everyone wants to win, everyone wants to win for each other, and it’s a great experience.”
