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Princeton Falls In OT To Georgetown In NCAA Men's Lacrosse Opener
May 13, 2007 | Men's Lacrosse
Maybe next time the NCAA offers Princeton Stadium the chance to host the NCAA men's lacrosse quarterfinals, the answer should be a polite no. Princeton Stadium will host the quarterfinals for the third time when four teams come to town next Saturday, and just like the two that preceded this year, Princeton will not be one of the teams participating.
Princeton fell short of playing at Princeton Stadium again, falling to sixth-seeded Georgetown 9-8 on Brendan Cannon's goal 31 seconds into overtime in front of 2,156 at the Hoyas' Multi-Purpose Field. Princeton will miss the quarterfinals for the third time in the last 18 years - all coming in years that Princeton Stadium has served as the predetermined host site, along with 1999 and 2005.
Georgetown will make its second appearance at Princeton Stadium for the quarterfinals after falling in OT to Maryland in 2005. Georgetown will take on Johns Hopkins in one game of the doubleheader, while Cornell will take on the winner of Albany-Loyola in the other. Gametimes are noon and 3.
"It was a great lacrosse game," said Princeton coach Bill Tierney. "It was a good, clean game where both teams played hard and tough. Brendan recognized an individual opportunity in overtime, and you don't get a second chance after that."
Cannon's goal came after Georgetown won the face-off to start the OT but brought the ball back into its end of the field. After clearing the ball, the Hoyas got the ball behind the net to Cannnon, the ECAC Offensive Player of the Year who had been without a goal in regulation. Cannon, choosing not to wait for Georgetown to get its offensive midfielders on the field, went straight to the goal and scored the game-winner.
"They were getting settled, and we were getting settled," said Princeton goalie Alex Hewit. "He decided not to wait. He made a great play."
The loss ended a six-game, 16-year streak of overtime wins in the NCAA tournament for Princeton, who lost in triple OT to Towson in the 1991 quarterfinals and then won six straight NCAA overtime games, including four championship games.
The game reached overtime when Princeton could not score on the final chance of regulation. Georgetown had the ball for nearly three minutes of the late fourth quarter before turning it over to Princeton with two minutes left, but Princeton would not get a shot off in those two minutes.
The game was a back-and-forth contest throughout. Princeton led 3-1 after one before Georgetown tied it at 4-4 at halftime and then scored three times in the first five minutes of the third quarter. Just when it looked like Princeton was finished, the Tigers scored three of their own in a four-minute stretch to tie it at 7-7.
Craig Dowd put the Hoyas back on top with a goal with 7.6 seconds left in the third, but Princeton tied it on Scott Sowanick's goal with 13:08 left in the fourth. Neither team would score the rest of regulation, as Georgetown goalie Miles Kass made four fourth-quarter saves, including tough ones against Bob Schneider and Whitney Hayes.
"I thought the goal late in the third was big," said Tierney, who is 29-11 all-time in NCAA tournament games. "We had the momentum, and I thought we might be off and running at that point. That goal turned things around again."
Peter Trombino scored two goals and added two assists in his final game as a Princeton Tiger. Trombino finished his career with 98 goals and 54 assists, in eighth place all-time in goals scored and 11th all-time in points scored at Princeton. He is also one of five players with four seasons of at least 20 goals, one of two players with at least 95 career goals and at least 50 career assists and the only player in Princeton history with four seasons of at least 20 goals and at least 10 assists.
Mark Kovler had two goals for Princeton to finish with 23 on the season. Hayes, who had five goals and no assists for the regular season, had a goal and three assists, giving him 13 points in six career NCAA games. Rob Engleke also scored twice for Princeton.
Dowd led Georgetown with three.
Hewit made nine saves for Princeton, who was outshot 29-25.