Princeton University Athletics
Fall Sports Season 1998-99 Review
September 15, 1999 | General
Aug. 1, 1999
Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
Before you go and cue the band for a rousing chorus of "Hear Comes the Bride," you have to understand the context of the first statement. It has nothing to do with one of those 'weddings of the century' you'll see on a daytime soap opera. It outlines just a few of the highlights from the 1998 fall season at Princeton University.
The old and the new refer to a pair of Ivy League stadiums. The newest of the structures stands where Palmer
Stadium had for 83 years, 82 of which held Princeton football. After its "Road Warrior" season of 1997, the Tigers came
home and were greeted by 27,800 of its most faithful fans. On Sept. 19, 1998, Princeton Stadium opened its doors to the next generation of football, Old Nassau style. Alex Sierk, a first-team Academic All-America, booted a pair of field goals to christen the stadium with a 6-0 win over Cornell.
One of the oldest structures in the league is Franklin Field, located at the University of Pennsylvania. Although it is best known for some of the football classics this century, Franklin Field became the X on the maps of field hockey teams around the nation. Only four would make it to Franklin Field ready to wage war for the 1998 national championship.
Princeton knew what it meant to play in the Final Four (it did so in 1996 and 1997) and never appeared like it would end its season anywhere but Philadelphia. The Tigers finished the regular season with a 15-2 record and hosted their first NCAA quarterfinal game, defeating Penn State 3-1 at Class of 1952 Stadium. The Tigers routed Connecticut 4-1 in a rain-soaked NCAA semifinal but fell just short in the championship game, losing 3-2 to top-ranked Old Dominion.
From the department of 'something borrowed,' that may be what it takes for a men's track program to take a Heptagonal title away from Princeton… simply come to Princeton and ask to check one out for a while. Kind of like a library book, you know. The men's cross country won its second straight Heptagonal title, which, like the one in 1997, ignited another triple crown season. The team got a combination of senior leadership from the likes of Erik Kean and Justin Niedzialek and freshman vigor from Paul Morrison, who was the top freshman finisher at the NCAA championship race.
The women's cross country team, led by Heather Onuma and Courtney Ebersole, won the 22nd annual H-Y-P meet and finished third at the ECAC championships. The Tigers finished fourth at Heptagonals and regionals, barely missing an NCAA qualification.
The soccer teams would have done well to split their seasons in half. The women's team sprinted out of the gates like a racehorse determined to go wire-to-wire. The Tigers won nine of their first 11 games and looked tremendous in a 2-1 loss at nationally ranked Virginia. The men's soccer team ran the backstretch like a different type of race horse, one which had finally found its stride. Inspired by Griff Behncke's overtime penalty kick to defeat American University, the Tigers won six of their last eight games. Both teams proved that they could be contenders in 1999.
The women's volleyball team battled out of an early-season slump to attain a third seed in the Ivy League Tournament. Princeton knocked second-seeded Dartmouth into the losers' bracket and ended up battling host Brown in a five-game classic for the title. Although the Tigers led two games to one, the Bears prevailed in the fifth.
The men's water polo team jumped out to a 13-3 record but struggled in the ECAC championships. Sophomore All-America selection Chris Gratian was the top man in the water for Princeton, scoring 80 goals. He scored a season-high six goals against Iona in a 10-4 victory.
And finally, something blue. That was the color of hundreds of lips at Frelinghuysen Field during the fourth quarter of Princeton's sprint football contest versus Navy. Without a single player on the team who had experienced the thrill of victory, Princeton battled a talented Midshipmen squad evenly for 60 minutes.
As the temperatures dipped into the single-digits and overtime began, the Tiger faithful rallied behind their heroes. A touchdown by Joe Andolina gave Princeton a 21-14 advantage, although the lead became 21-20 in the blink of an eye. With a chance to tie or take the lead, Navy attempted an extra point with a blustery and swirling wind in their faces. As the ill-fated kick left Luke Watson's foot, the Princeton sideline erupted in celebration.
Sometimes it's not about a national celebration. On one frozen Friday night, it was just about the game, the win and the fans.
It was about the winning spirit at Princeton.
Highlights