Hoppenot Makes an Impact with Princeton University Soccer

Antoine Hoppenot has spent much of his life in Princeton, but he didn’t expect to remain in Princeton during his college years.

Hoppenot went to Princeton Day School and was a four-year letterwinner in soccer. When it came time to look for a college home, Hoppenot had several options to choose from. Princeton University was not one of his options at the start of his recruiting process.

“I actually never thought I’d end up at Princeton,” said Hoppenot. “They actually came late in the recruiting.  It was just a great opportunity to play soccer and to get a great education.”

Hoppenot has made the most of his time at Princeton both in the classroom and on the soccer field.

He recently started his senior season with the Tigers and has become one of the top players on a team that won an Ivy League championship last fall.  The Tigers opened up the season with a tie and a loss in a tournament in South Carolina, but Hoppenot and his teammates are excited about what lies ahead this fall.   

“We’ve had a lot of freshman and sophomores step up and keep the program going,” Hoppenot said.  “Last year, we knew what we needed to do to win and it really helps us to have that mentality to get to where we got.”   

Hoppenot is a big reason why the Tigers have risen to the top of the Ivy League and are considered the favorites in 2011.  Hoppenot entered his senior season with 22 goals and nine assists at Princeton.

He was a first-team preseason All-America by College Soccer News and earned preseason All-America honors from Soccer America.  Last fall, Hoppenot was named the Ivy League Player of the Year.  He scored nine goals in 2010 with the last one coming in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.   

Hoppenot understands the price he must pay for his success.  He will be the focus of opposing defenses throughout the season and will likely see many of the Ivy League’s top defenders shadowing him on a regular basis.  Hoppenot believes his teammates will help alleviate much of the pressure.   

“Our team is a lot younger this year,” said Hoppenot.  “It does feel like it’s going to be a little harder, but we have a lot of talented players around me, so we should be fine.”   

Hoppenot credits his soccer experience at Princeton Day School for preparing him for the college level of competition.  He collected 44 goals, with 21 coming in his senior season.  Hoppenot was also part of the Princeton Union 90 club soccer team and led his squad to a state cup in 2007.   

“Playing at Princeton Day School was great,” Hoppenot said.  “It helped me to know what it’s like to win a tournament.  It helped me when I got to college because I knew what I had to do to be successful.”

Many freshmen are forced to wait their turn on the soccer field, but Hoppenot earned a spot in the starting lineup during his first year at Princeton and made an immediate impact with the Tigers.  

“That definitely made it easier for me,” said Hoppenot.  “There was a lot of competition, but I learned I could play at this level.  Getting a starting position and playing a lot of minutes as a freshman was really important as far as how much success I’ve had.”   

After winning the Ivy League title last year, the Tigers received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  Princeton lost to UMBC in the first round, but Hoppenot believes the Tigers are capable of a deeper NCAA run in 2011.  

“It’s always good to have experience,” Hoppenot said.  “We played well and we really should have won the game.  We knew it would still be something that would help us the next year.”