Slow-starting Princeton falls to IVC 3-2 on soccer senior night

PRINCETON – Princeton coach David Gray and senior Chase Sims said it was as if the Tigers didn’t answer their wake-up call for Thursday’s nonconference soccer match with Chillicothe IVC.

The Tigers spotted IVC a 2-1 halftime lead, and although they played the visiting Grey Ghosts even in the second half, they came up short 3-2.

“We were a little slow, sluggish in the first half,” Gray said. “Just not playing with the sense of urgency we need to be playing with and I think we let them do more than what we should have them do in the first half. I think it was 2-1 at halftime, and then you’ve got to dig yourself out of a hole.

“Kind of an unlucky situation on their third goal. But I think most of the second half was played on our attacking half, in front of their 18-yard line. Just couldn’t convert the goal.”

The loss on senior night was especially hard on Sims, one of five seniors honored at halftime.

“I’m little upset we couldn’t win,” said Sims, who scored for the Tigers in the first half. “First half of the match we just couldn’t convert. We didn’t have our heart out there like we did second half. We need to play better as a team moving forward and come out stronger than we did.

“We need more commitment to the team and guys doing the work and being there.”

The Grey Ghosts sneaked an early second-half goal past keeper Landon Davis to go up 3-1.

The score remained there until just under 10 minutes to play.

Senior Izaiah Smallwood attacked the goal with a point-blank smash at the IVC keeper, who knocked the ball down.

PHS senior Phillip Goodale, however, followed it up by kicking the ball into the net for his first career varsity goal with 9 1/2 minutes left in the second half to draw the Tigers within 3-2. He has played as a defender for most of his career.

“I’m glad he got that,” Sims said.

“That’s how goal scorers score goals,” Gray said. “They get a lot of those kind of goals. Got to put yourself in the right spot. Phillip’s been doing that recently, and now he sees it pay off. Hopefully, that pays off.”

The Tigers (2-8-3) were not able to score again.

Seniors recognized for senior night were Sims, Goodale, Izaiah Smallwood, Aaron Cano and Asa Gartin.

Princeton claimed a 2-1 win in the JV nightcap.

The Tigers will be back in action at home at 1 p.m. Saturday against DePue-Hall.