Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Hosts Syracuse In College Lacrosse's Best Rivalry
March 24, 2004 | Men's Lacrosse
March 24, 2004
Princeton and Syracuse have combined to win 13 of the last 16 NCAA men's lacrosse championships. They have met in the regular season and the NCAA tournament each of the last five seasons. They played in the NCAA championship game three of the last four years and four times in the last 12 years, with each winning two. They have played in seven Final Four games. In short it is the best rivalry in Division I college lacrosse. It plays out for the 20th time overall and 11th time in the last six seasons when the teams face off Saturday at the Class of 1952 Stadium (3, CSTV, Moneytalk AM 1350).
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No. 5 Princeton vs. No. 3 Syracuse
The site Class of 1952 Stadium * Princeton, N.J.
The date Saturday, March 27, 2004 * 3:00 p.m.
Radio Moneytalk 1350 AM/www.goprincetontigers.com
TV College Sports Television (DirecTV channel 610)
The records Princeton: 3-1; Syracuse: 3-1
The coaches Princeton: Bill Tierney (19th season, 218-65); Syracuse: John Desko (sixth season, 68-18)
The series Syracuse leads 12-7
Last year Princeton defeated Syracuse 11-10 * March 22, 2003; Syracuse defeated Princeton 15-5 * May 17, 2003(NCAA quarterfinal)
Nice to see you again - Including this weekend's game, 11 of Princeton's last 69 games will have been against Syracuse. Princeton has not played another team more than seven times in that same stretch.
More again - Princeton and Syracuse have met in the regular season and NCAA tournament every year since 1999. May madness - Princeton and Syracuse have combined to win 13 of the last 16 NCAA championships.
More madness - Princeton and Syracuse have met in nine of the last 11 NCAA tournaments.
Still more madness - Princeton and Syracuse played in the 1992, 2000, 2001 and 2002 NCAA championship games and 1993, 1996 and 1998 NCAA semifinal games.
History lesson - This week's game will be the third time in the last 15 meetings between the teams where neither team was the defending NCAA champion.
Last madness - Since the start of the 1992 postseason, Princeton is 4-6 against Syracuse and 21-0 against all other teams in NCAA tournament games.
Something in common - Princeton and Syracuse are both 3-1, having each beaten Virginia and two other teams and lost to Johns Hopkins by a combined 31-10.
Fresh faces - Princeton used nine freshmen in last week's 10-5 win over Hofstra.
More fresh - Princeton's freshmen combined for four goals and three assists in Princeton's 10-5 win over Hofstra; another freshman, Zachary Jungers, led Princeton in ground balls.
Veterans' day - Ryan Boyle and Jason Doneger are the only current Princeton players who have ever scored against Syracuse.
Team game - Ryan Boyle and Jason Doneger combined for 38% of Princeton's points a year ago; they have combined for 39% of Princeton's points this season.
In case you forgot - Princeton lost to Syracuse 15-5 in last year's NCAA quarterfinals at the Carrier Dome. It was Princeton's second-largest margin of defeat in an NCAA game and largest since an 18-7 loss to Yale in 1990.
More forgot - Princeton defeated Syracuse 11-10 last year at the Carrier Dome during the regular season.
Barometeric reading - Jason Doneger had five goals in the regular season win at Syracuse and one goal in the NCAA tournament loss. Michael Powell had no goals and no assists for Syracuse in the regular season game against Princeton and four goals and three assists in the NCAA tournament game.
It's fan-tastic - The two largest crowds in Class of 1952 Stadium history were the 2002 Princeton-Syracuse game (5,476) and the 2000 Princeton-Syracuse game (4,743).
Extra-mania - Princeton is 0 for its last 11 extra-man opportunities.
Law school - Princeton goalie Dave Law has a save percentage the last two weeks of .703 and a goals-against the last two weeks of 5.69; he started the season with a save percentage of .450 and goals-against of 11.00 in the first two games.
Streaker - Peter Trombino has at least one goal in each of the first four games of his freshman year, the longest such streak by a Princeton player since Lorne Smith had at least one in the first 10 games of his freshman year in 1996.
More streaker - Jason Doneger has scored at least one goal in 18 straight games.
Ryan's hope - Ryan Schoenig is 16 for 25 on face-offs the last two weeks.
Face it - Princeton has won 53.8% (50 of 93 face-offs) this year after winning 45.9% of its face-offs a year ago.
Aw, shoot - Princeton has been outshot 138-129 through four games.
More shoot - Princeton has been outshot in three of its four games; the only team Princeton has outshot has been Quinnipiac.
Swish - Whitney Hayes has four goals on four shots.
Local headlines - Brothers Dixon Hayes (shortstick defense) and Whitney Hayes (four goals, two assists) are graduates of Princeton High School.
Casino royale - Drew Casino has at least one goal in each of the first four games this season; he had scored goals in seven total games his first three seasons combined.
More Casino royale - Drew Casino has seven goals this season after having nine goals his first three years combined.
Welcome back - Tim Sullivan has returned to Princeton's starting close defense after missing the three weeks with a sprained ankle.
Big Mac- Mac Bryson had his first career two-goal game in the win over Virginia; prior to that, Bryson had one goal in six different games.
Boyle-ing point - Ryan Boyle tied Princeton's single-season record with 48 assists last year.
Still more Boyle - Ryan Boyle has at least one point in every game of his career.
You never forget your first - Jim O'Brien, a sophomore who missed most of last year with a hamstring injury, scored his first career goal in the win over Hofstra last week.
All in the family - Freshman Michael Biles, who had his second career goal last week against Hofstra, is the younger brother of Princeton junior Lindsey Biles, the second-leading scorer on the two-time defending NCAA champion and current No. 1 women's lacrosse team.
Sink or swim - Peter Trombino, Scott Sowanick and Zachary Jungers became the 10th, 11th and 12th Princeton players in the last 10 years to start the first game of their freshman season.
Okay, smart guy - Jason Doneger was an Academic All-Ivy League selection a year ago.
More smart guy - Midfielder Dave Willard was recently inducted into the National Society of College Scholars.
Pomp and circumstance - Princeton's Class of 2003 combined for 204 goals and 134 assists. The class featured 13 players, seven of whom were four-year starters.
A league of their own - Princeton has won nine straight Ivy League championships.
Tournament tested - Princeton has won six NCAA championships, played in eight NCAA championship games, made nine Final Four appearances and advanced to at least the quarterfinals 12 times in the last 12 years.