Publication: A Princeton Companion
Soccer became an organized sport at Princeton on the evening of November 2, 1905, when several dozen undergraduates crowded into 2 Middle Dod in response to a call in that morning's Prince for a meeting of ``all men interested in forming an association football team.'' Less than a month later Princeton played its first game, defeating a Merion Cricket Club team, 3 to 0.
In the early years, the teams received only such coaching as they could procure themselves. For a while they were fortunate in having the services of Jack Taylor, a former All-England soccer player, who gave them what time he could spare from his major occupation -- bartender at the old Princeton Inn.
The Intercollegiate Association Football League was formed in 1905 by Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Haverford, and Penn, and joined by Yale in 1908 and by Princeton in 1911. Princeton competed in this league until 1926, in the larger Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association until 1932, in the Middle Atlantic League until 1955, and after 1955 in the Ivy League.
Princeton's best season in the early years came in 1916 when it tied for first place but lost the postseason playoff to Penn, 3 to 2, on a snow-covered field a week before Christmas. Center forward Arthur Preyer '19, who had learned to play soccer in Holland, scored both of Princeton's goals. Two of Penn's three goals were scored by its inside right, an All-American whose name was William Nassau. ``Just how we let this man get away from us,'' the Alumni Weekly commented, ``is a matter worthy of consideration.''
Al Nies, the first full-time coach, who served from 1919 to 1934, saw Princeton soccer through one of its most successful eras. Five of Nies's sixteen teams were league champions: 1921, 1922, 1925, 1926 (tied), and 1927; and five finished second: 1919, 1920, 1923, 1924, and 1932 (tied).
Two brothers played leading roles on the 1922 team. Defending Princeton's goal, Captain Crossan Cooper '23 held league rivals to three goals, while, up front at center forward, Joe Cooper '25 scored a third of Princeton's twenty-three points. The 1925 team was undefeated but suffered one tie. The 1927 team's record was unmarred by either defeat or tie. Center forward Jack Packard '28 accounted for more than half the goals scored by Princeton in the championship seasons of 1925, 1926, and 1927.
Bill Logan was coach from 1935 through 1937 and in his last two years guided Princeton to league championships.
Jimmie Reed was coach for almost three decades, from 1938 through 1966. His teams won 188 games, lost 103, and tied 33. Six were league champions: 1939, 1940, 1942, 1946 (tied), 1957, and 1960, and three finished second: 1938, 1941, and 1959.
A spirited member of the forward line in the late 1930s was Bob Goheen '40 later freshman soccer coach, and still later sixteenth president of the University.
The 1940 team, which won eight games and tied Yale 3 to 3 in the ninth, shared with Penn State the title of Eastern Collegiate champion.
The 1942 team, whose record was marred only by a scoreless tie with Yale, was one of Princeton's strongest. In nine games it scored 42 points and allowed only 2, holding all of its opponents scoreless, except Penn. Leading a well-balanced team were Captain Ward Chamberlain '43 at outside left, Bud Palmer '44 at center halfback, and Chan Brewer '45 at goal.
Princeton won the Ivy championship in 1957 and again in 1960. The captain of the 1964 team, Dave Hackett '65, was killed in action in Vietnam; in his memory, his teammates provided a soccer trophy, which is awarded annually. Jack Volz was coach from 1967 through 1972. Bill Muse, an All-American soccer player at Springfield College in Massachusetts in 1968, became coach in 1973. His 1976 team finished 10-4 overall and 5-2 in the Ivy League, tying with Cornell for second place.
From Alexander Leitch, A Princeton Companion, copyright Princeton University Press (1978).