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No. 6 Princeton Hosts No. 9 Hofstra In Men's Lacrosse
March 16, 2006 | Men's Lacrosse
March 16, 2006
A year ago, Princeton and Hofstra combined to go 9-17 in men's lacrosse. Through the first few weeks of 2006, everything is different. This time, as the teams ready for their meeting Saturday (1, WHWH AM 1350) at Class of 1952 Stadium, they are a combined 5-2 and are both ranked in the Top 10 in Division I.
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Princeton vs. Hofstra
The site Class of 1952 Stadium • Princeton, N.J.
The date Saturday, March 18, 2006 • 1:00 p.m.
The records Princeton: 2-1; Hofstra: 3-1
The rankings Princeton: No. 6 USILA/No. 6 Inside Lacrosse; Hofstra: No. 10 USILA/No. 9 Inside Lacrosse
The coaches Princeton: Bill Tierney (19th season overall, 233-76); Hofstra: John Danowski (24th season overall, 201-140)
Radio/TV WHWH AM 1350/www.goprincetontigers.com/Patriot
The series Hofstra leads 10-9
Last year Hofstra defeated Princeton 9-8 • March 19, 2005
In case you forgot - Hofstra defeated Princeton 9-8 a year ago, ending Princeton's seven-game winning streak against Hofstra, including wins in five straight games against the Pride since the series resumed in 2000.
History lesson - Hofstra and Princeton meet for the 20th time. Hofstra holds a 10-9 edge in the series.
T for 2? - Bill Tierney has won 199 games as head coach at Princeton (233 overall, including 34 at Rochester Institute of Technology). More T - Bill Tierney has won 199 games as Princeton head coach. The next two-highest totals in Princeton history combined are 189 (Al Nies won 74 from 1921-1935; Ferris Thomsen won 115 from 1951-1970).
Save it - Alex Hewit made 20 saves in last week's 7-6 loss to Virginia. Before that, the last time a Princeton goalie made at least 20 saves in a game was in 1991, when Scott Bacigalupo made 24 against Loyola.
More save - Alex Hewit was one of four runner-ups for the Inside Lacrosse Magazine Division I Player of the Week award after his 20-save performance against UVa.
Quick strike - Princeton has scored at least one goal in the first 1:37 of each of its first three games.
D plus - Princeton held Virginia, the nation's highest scoring team, to more than 10 goals below its average. UVa had averaged 17.4 goals per game prior to the 7-6 game Sunday.
The Hopkins factor - Princeton and Hofstra defeated defending NCAA champion Johns Hopkins on consecutive Saturdays. Princeton defeated Hopkins 6-4 in Baltimore on March 4, while Hofstra defeated Hopkins 11-6 last Saturday in Hempstead.
No place like home - Princeton and Hofstra will play 29 games between them this regular season, 18 of which will be home games.
Close shave - Last year's Princeton-Hofstra game was tied at the end of the first, second and third quarters. Neither team ever led by more than two.
Polling place - Princeton dropped from fifth to sixth in both the Inside Lacrosse media poll and USILA coaches' poll after its one-goal loss to No. 2 Virginia.
More polling - Hofstra enters this weekend's game ranked ninth in the USILA coaches' poll and 10th in the Inside Lacrosse media poll.
Goal oriented - Hofstra's Athan Ianucci had 11 goals in his first three games (prior to the Pride's Wednesday night against North Carolina); Princeton's top three goal scorers combined (Peter Trombino, Mark Kovler, Tommy Davis) had 11 goals in the first three games.
Fresh face - Freshman Mark Kovler has scored at least one goal in each of his first three games.
More fresh - Two of Princeton's top three goal scorers are freshmen: Mark Kovler, Tommy Davis.
One for all - Peter Trombino has scored at least one point in every game of his career. The only Princeton player to do so for four years was Kevin Lowe '94.
* - While Kevin Lowe '94 is the only Princeton player with at least one point in every game for four years, two other players almost did so. Ryan Boyle '04 had at least one point in every game he played for four years, but he missed four career games. Jon Hess '98 had at least one point in every game except one in four years, and he only played the first 15 seconds of the game he did not score in due to injury.
The one and Trombino-nly - Peter Trombino is the only active Division I men's lacrosse player who has scored an overtime goal in an NCAA tournament game.
Injury update - Mike Gaudio, who has an active streak of 13 straight games with at least one goal scored, will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL in the win over Johns Hopkins.
For starters - Juniors Scott Sowanick and Peter Trombino and sophomore Dan Cocoziello are the only current Tigers to have started every game of their careers.
Yes, Virginia - Sophomore Bob Schneider has scored four career goals, three of which have come against Virginia. Schneider scored twice last year at UVa and then scored Princeton's sixth goal against the Cavs last week.
Strength of schedule - Princeton's schedule includes seven teams ranked in the Top 20 in this week's Inside Lacrosse media poll. Three of those opponents are in the Top 10, including Hofstra.
A league of their own - The first Ivy League game of the men's lacrosse season will be held today, as Penn is at Yale. Prior to this weekend, the seven Ivy League men's lacrosse schools were a combined 19-7, and no team in the league entered the weekend below .500 overall.
Welcome to the Jungers - Zachary Jungers will be starting on close defense this year after being the top longstick midfielder most of the last two years. Jungers did start three games at close defense in 2004 when Tim Sullivan was injured.
Long and short of it - Princeton tri-captain Ryan Schoenig started on close defense and also played shortstick defensive midfield in Princeton's win over Canisius last week.
Hot Coco - Dan Cocoziello became the first defenseman ever to be named Ivy League Rookie of the Year when he won the honor a year ago. Cocoziello was the second straight Princeton player to win the award, after Peter Trombino in 2004.
Bling, bling - Princeton's four coaches have combined for 21 NCAA championship rings. Bill Tierney has six as Princeton head coach and two as an assistant coach at Johns Hopkins; David Metzbower and Bryce Chase have six each at Princeton; Greg Raymond has one as a player from Johns Hopkins a year ago.
Princeton Lacrosse '06 ... By The Numbers
1 point in each game scored by Trip Cowin, who had a total of three points as a freshman
2 goals in first three games by Zach Goldberg, who had two all of last year as a freshman
3 Princeton players on the preseason Tewaaraton Trophy watch list: D Dan Cocoziello, A Peter Trombino, M Scott Sowanick
4 goals in three games by freshman Mark Kovler, who has at least one in all three games
5 consecutive years Princeton had defeatd Hofstra prior to the Pride's win a year ago
6 NCAA championships won by Princeton in the last 14 seasons
10 number of consecutive Ivy League championships won by Princeton before finishing second a year ago
13 consecutive games with at least one goal by Mike Gaudio, who will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL against Hopkins
14 current Princeton players who played in the 2004 NCAA semifinal game against Navy
20 saves by Alex Hewit against Virginia a week ago
24 saves by Scott Bacigalupo against Loyola in 1991, the last time a Princeton goalie had at least 20 prior to last week
30 career games for Peter Trombino, who has started and scored at least one point in each of them; only one Princeton player, Kevin Lowe '94, has ever done so for four full seasons
97 seconds it took for Princeton to score against Virginia; Princeton has scored in the first 97 seconds in all three games to date
199 wins at Princeton by head coach Bill Tierney
5,412 fans at last week's doubleheader at Princeton Stadium