A season to remember
The Princeton men’s soccer team enters the 2026 season as the reigning Ivy League champions, having captured both the regular‑season title and the tournament crown in 2025. The Tigers finished the previous campaign with a 15‑2‑2 record, conceding no goals in league play, a feat that helped them finish first in the Ivy League preseason poll with 123 points and 14 first‑place votes.
Their dominance was reflected in the United Soccer Coaches preseason ranking, where Princeton sits eighth nationally, underscoring the program’s rise after a strong finish to the 2024‑25 year.
Head coach and the returning core will look to build on a squad that features Andrew Samuels, the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, along with All‑Ivy selections Bardia Hormozi, Roka Tsunehara and Liam Beckwith, while Dash Papez earned honorable‑mention accolades.
The season opens at home against Villanova on Friday, a match that will test the Tigers’ depth as they aim to translate preseason optimism into early‑season results.
Fans and analysts alike are eager to see whether the team can sustain its defensive excellence and capitalize on the momentum generated by a historic 2025 campaign.