Princeton University
Syracuse
Princeton Falls To Syracuse 10-8
March 26, 2005 | Men's Lacrosse
March 26, 2005
Final Stats
For the Princeton men's lacrosse team, March came in like a lion and never let up. On the bright side, the Tigers now get to start over in April.
Syracuse took control with five goals in a 6:36 span of the third and fourth quarters to defeat Princeton 10-8 in a men's lacrosse game played in front of 6,128 at the Class of 1952 Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The loss dropped 15th-ranked Princeton to 0-4 for the first time since 1986 with losses to No. 1 Johns Hopkins, No. 2 Virginia, No. 8 Syracuse and No. 13 Hofstra. Syracuse, ranked eighth, snapped a three-game losing streak of its own while improving to 2-3.
Princeton opens its Ivy League season next Saturday at Yale to start a stretch of three Ivy games in eight days. The Tigers have won 10 straight Ivy championships.
"If we turn it around and win the league and get it going, nobody will remember we were 0-4," said Princeton coach Bill Tierney. "One thing I know is that we are not a bad lacrosse team. We've lost to four of the best teams in the country. We've lost to No. 1 and No. 2 and I'd be surprised if this team [Syracuse] isn't No. 3 before long."
The game may have been a matchup of teams that have combined to win 14 of the last 17 NCAA championships, but Syracuse and Princeton came into this one a combined 1-6. Princeton led 6-5 in the third quarter before Syracuse went on its big run to take a 10-6 lead.
"They're relentless," Tierney said. "They keep coming after you. We're a young team, but starting next week, that's not an excuse any more."
Matthew Larkin, a senior, made his first career start for the Tigers, and he was brilliant at time. Larkin finished with 13 saves and kept Princeton in the game throughout the first half. "It was exciting to hear my name announced before the game," said Larkin. "In the end, though, we didn't win the game, and that's what's important."
The game was scoreless through until the final minute of the first quarter, when Brian Crockett scored for the Orange. It would be a 3-2 Syracuse lead at halftime and a 7-6 Syracuse lead at the end of three, as Princeton has now played 16 quarters on the season and not had the lead at the end of any of them.
Princeton scored twice in the first half and then twice in the first minute of the second half. Peter Trombino scored 15 seconds after intermission to tie it at 3-3, added another 45 seconds later and added a third 3:08 into the quarter as Princeton built a 5-3 lead, its biggest.
The Orange came right back, however, tying it on goals by Mike Leveille and Jake Plunkett, before Princeton regained the lead for the final time, this time on Tripp Shriner's first career goal, on an extra-man opportunity midway through the quarter.
Leveille started the big Syracuse run when he tied it with 1:24 to go. The Orange took the lead for good when Steven Brooks scord with one second remaining in the quarter, and the run continued with three quick goals to start the fourth.
"We've been hurt by goals at the end of quarters," Tierney said. "That was the biggest one of the game."
Princeton scored the final two goals, as Mike Gaudio and Whitney Hayes cut the four-goal deficit in half, but the Tigers would not get another shot after Gaudio's goal with 3:17 remaining.
Trombino finished with three goals, while five other players scored once each, including Zach Goldberg, who had his first career goal. Scott Sowanick had a goal and assist. Leveille led Syracuse with three goals.
Syracuse outshot Princeton 40-29. Princeton, who had struggled all season on face-offs, won 16 of 21, including an 8 for 10 day from Mike DeSantis and a 7 for 10 day from Ryan Schoenig.
All eight Princeton goals came from fresmen or sophomores, who have now accounted for 25 of Princeton's 29 goals on the year.
"We're young, but we have to get better quickly," said Trombino. "We have to be ready to come out and play in the league. All of those game are going to be tough."