Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Winner Take Half
April 30, 2009 | Men's Lacrosse
Welcome back to the second-straight Ivy League “co-championship” men's lacrosse game. Just as in 2008, the winner of this week's Princeton-Brown game will earn a share of the Ivy League title with Cornell.
That's about where the similarities with a year ago end.
Last year, Brown entered the game knowing it had no chance at the Ivy League's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, and neither team was ranked in the Top 10. Also a year ago, both teams came in knowing that they had little chance at an at-large bid. As for the game itself, the only goal of the fourth quarter was scored by the losing goalie, which doesn't figure to happen again (but hey, it didn't figure to happen last year either, right?).
This time around, Princeton has no chance at the automatic bid, which will go to Cornell with a Princeton win or Brown with a Brown win. Still, all three Ivy schools have strong NCAA tournament resumes, regardless of which one gets the automatic bid.
All three Ivy teams are also ranked in the Top 10 in both polls. Princeton is fourth by both the coaches and media, and Brown is 10th in both. Cornell is ranked sixth by the coaches and eighth by the media.
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For the record, the Ivy League considers teams that tie for the league championship to be co-champions. Any tiebreakers are strictly to determine NCAA qualification.
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Brown defeated Princeton 6-5 in Providence a year ago to knock the Tigers out of the NCAA tournament and to earn a co-championship with Cornell. The Bears did not get the automatic NCAA tournament bid or an at-large bid.
Brown led 6-4 entering the fourth quarter, but Princeton's Alex Berg won the face-off and got the ball back to goalie Alex Hewit to start a clear. Hewit ended up bringing the ball across midfield, reversing direction outside of the box and then rifling a shot past Jordan Burke to make it 6-5 less than 30 seconds into the fourth. Neither team scored again.
The loss ended a 14-game Princeton winning streak against Brown.
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Princeton went 7-6 a year ago, with losses to Johns Hopkins, Virginia, Albany, Syracuse, Dartmouth and Brown. Princeton is currently 4-0 this year against teams it lost to last year, with wins over Johns Hopkins, Albany, Syracuse and Dartmouth (Princeton did not play Virignia this year).
Princeton lost to Hopkins, Albany, Syracuse and Dartmouth by a combined 48-26, or an average of 5.5 goals per game. This year, Princeton has outscored those four by a combined 58-34, or an average of 6.0 goals per game.
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Princeton has won 15 straight games at the Class of 1952 Stadium. Princeton is 5-0 at home this year, with an average of 14.2 goals and 50.6 shots per game. Princeton has reached the 14-goal mark four times in five home games.
Princeton has averaged 13.0 goals and 41 shots per game in its two neutral site games (vs. Hopkins and Syracuse).
In away games, however, Princeton has averaged 8.96 goals and 29.8 shots per game. In its six games on another team's campus, Princeton has failed to reach double figures three times.
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Each of the last three Princeton-Brown games has been decided by one goal.
Princeton won in Providence 6-5 in 2006 and then won 8-7 at Class of 1952 Stadium in 2007 before Brown won the 2008 game 6-5.
If history matters, expect a low-scoring game. Only twice in Bill Tierney's 22 meetings against Brown as Princeton head coach have both teams reached double figures: a 12-11 overtime win for Princeton in 1990 and a 12-10 Princeton win at Brown in 2002.
Only once in the last five years has either team reached double figures. That was in 2005, when Princeton defeated Brown 13-4.
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Princeton ranks 39th in Division I in face-off winning percentage (.465). Brown ranks 52nd (.416).
For the record, Holy Cross ranks last at .301, while North Carolina is first at .623.
Cornell, whom Princeton and Brown played the last two Saturdays, ranks sixth (.573). Princeton won 5 of 19 face-offs (.208) against Cornell; Brown won 10 of 24 (.417).
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Princeton ranks ninth in Division I in scoring offense (11.7 goals per game) and eighth in scoring defense (7.8). Princeton, Syracuse, UMBC and Notre Dame are the only teams ranked in the top 10 in both.
Of the top 10 scoring offense teams, seven are ranked in the Top 10 in this week's Inside Lacrosse media poll. Of the top 10 scoring defense teams, three are ranked in the Top 10.
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Brown goalie Jordan Burke (.629) and Princeton goalie Tyler Fiorito (.590) rank 1-2 in save percentage in the Ivy League. Burke ranks fourth nationally, while Fiorito ranks 11th.
Burke has a career .667 save percentage against Princeton, while Fiorito has obviously never played against Brown.
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Jack McBride and Tommy Davis lead Princeton with 38 points each. Brown, on the other hand, has three players with at least 40 points: Andrew Feinberg (54), Kyle Hollingsworth (45) and Thomas Muldoon (40).
Princeton, on the other hand, has seven players with at least 20 points, while Brown has five with at least 20. The top three scorers in the game are Brown players; seven of the next nine are Princeton players.
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Princeton has four players who have scored at least 35 points: Jack McBride (38), Tommy Davis (38), Rich Sgalardi (36), Mark Kovler (35).
The last time Princeton had four players with at least 35 points in a season was 2001, when Princeton won its sixth NCAA title: Ryan Boyle (53), B.J. Prager (40), Sean Hartofilis (38), Matt Striebel (38).
Should Scott MacKenzie get four more points (or Chris McBride get eight), then Princeton would have five 30-point scorers in the same season for the first time ever.
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Princeton held Dartmouth scoreless for the first 39:43 last week, by which time the score was 10-0. Dartmouth scored its first goal on its 18th shot of the day.
Princeton scored 11 seconds into the game, after Paul Barnes won the face-off and got it to Tommy Davis, who fed Jack McBride
That was not Princeton's fastest goal ever to start a game, as Kyle Baugher scored nine seconds into the 2004 game against Rutgers. In that 2004 game, Princeton actually scored two goals in the first 19 seconds.
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Mark Kovler needs three goals to become the fifth midfielder in school history to reach 30 goals in a season.
Josh Sims has the most by a middie under Tierney with 36 in 2000; Sims also had 32 in 1998. The other two were Scott Reinhardt with 30 in 1994 and Lorne Smith with 31 in 1999.
Then there is Bill Chaires, who scored 42 goals in 1973. Of his 42 goals, 33 came as a middie, while the other nine were on attack.
Kovler ranks 14th all-time at Princeton with 84 career goals. He is third all-time in goals by a middie, behind Sims (103) and Smith (94).
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Tommy Davis (128 career points) and Mark Kovler (107 career points) give the Class of 2009 two players with more than 100. The only other classes with more than one career 100-point scorer were: 1977 (Wick Sollers and David Tickner), 1998 (Jesse Hubbard, Jon Hess, Chris Massey), 1994 (Kevin Lowe, Taylor Simmers).
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Chad Wiedmaier leads Princeton with 20 caused turnovers, including 11 in the last five games. John Cunningham, who missed six games with a broken jaw before returning against Cornell, had three caused turnovers and an assist in the win over Dartmouth.
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Rob Engelke has nine goals on 12 shots, a .750 shooting percentage. His last missed shot was with 9:53 remaining in the second quarter of the March 8 game against Manhattan.
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Princeton vs. Brown
The site Class of 1952 Stadium ? Princeton, N.J.
The date Saturday, May 2, 2009 ? 1 p.m.
Radio WPRB FM 103.3; www.goprincetontigers.com
The rankings Princeton: No. 4 (USILA)/No. 4 (Inside Lacrosse)/ Brown: No. 10 (USILA)/No. 10 (Inside Lacrosse)
The records Princeton: 11-2 (4-1 Ivy League)/ Brown: 12-2 (4-1 Ivy League)
The coaches Princeton: Bill Tierney (25th season overall, 270-92)/ Brown: Lars Tiffany (fourth season overall, 48-25)
The series Princeton leads 25-21
Last meeting Brown defeated Princeton 6-5 ? May 3, 2008
What Can You Say About ...
Nikhil Ashra #23
? played 49:32 against Manhattan, making four saves while allowing five goals
? played second half against Canisius, allowing three goals and making five saves
? played second half against Hofstra
? played 6:19 last year and 35:33 as a freshman as Alex Hewit's backup
Paul Barnes #31
? Ivy League Co-Player of the Week after winning 20 of 25 face-offs (80%) against UMBC and Manhattan
? won 13 of 15 face-offs against UMBC, including the first 11
? won face-off with 57 seconds remaining after UMBC had scored to make it 6-5
? scored two goals against Johns Hopkins after face-off wins
? became first Princeton face-off man to score a goal in a game since Drew Casino in 2004
? also scored a goal against Yale
? won 10 of 20 face-offs against Hopkins
? won 15 of 29 face-offs against Albany
? won 13 of 22 face-offs against Canisius
? won 7 of 10 face-offs against Manhattan
Alex Capretta #1
? attackman currently playing on second midfield
? scored first career goal in win over Rutgers
John Cunningham #3
? returned against Cornell after missing six games due to broken jaw suffered in practice March 17
? had three caused turnovers and an assist against Dartmouth in second game back
? scored a goal against Johns Hopkins
? goal against Hopkins was assisted by Chad Wiedmaier and became first longstick-to-longstick goal since Bill Tierney has been Princeton head coach
? played against Canisius as No. 1 longstick midfielder in place of Charlie Kolkin, who was out with injury
? has nine caused turnovers
? had four caused turnovers and three ground balls against
Canisius
Jimmy Davis #5
? played in every game as third shortstick defensive midfielder
? played most of Harvard game after injury to Brendan Reilly
? had first career assist against Harvard
? caused two turnovers against Hofstra
? missed most of first two years due to injury
Tommy Davis #7
? has 128 career points, 16th all-time at Princeton
? needs nine to tie Taylor Simmers '94 for 15th
? one of seven players in school history with at least 75 career goals and 50 career assists
? had three goals and an assist against Dartmouth
? Ivy League Player of the Week after a six-goal, two-assist week in wins against Penn and Harvard
? had two goals and two assists against Harvard
? scored four goals, including game-winner in overtime, on four shots against Penn
? had career-high five goals and tied career high with seven points gainst Manhattan
? had two goals and two assists against Rutgers
? had four assists against Albany
? had three goals against Canisius
? had two goals against Yale
? had two assists against Hopkins
? had a goal and assist against Syracuse
? led team in goals and assists last year, becoming first player since Justin Tortolani in 1990 to lead the team in goals and assists in same season (Peter Trombino led the team in goals and tied for team lead in assists in 2006)
? led team in assists each of the last two years
Long Ellis #14
? has played defense, longstick midfield and shortstick defensive midfield
? played longstick midfield and shortstick defensive midfield against Harvard
? four ground balls and two caused turnovers against Syracuse
? had three ground balls and a caused turnover against Yale
? had game-winning goal in one game and assisted on game-winning goal in other game against English national team during team's trip to Spain and Ireland last June
Rob Engelke #22
? has nine goals on 12 shots (.750 shooting percentage)
? last missed shot was against Manhattan on March 8
? had two goals on two shots against Dartmouth
? tied career high with three goals and set career high with five points against Manhattan
? made first career start in win over Manhattan
? scored goal against Hopkins and Syracuse
? scored two goals against Canisius
? had an assist against Albany
? plays mostly in man-up situations
? tied with Mark Kovler for team lead with four man-up goals
Tyler Fiorito #6
? has started every game
? ranks ninth in Division I in goals-against and 11th in Division I in save percentage
? made 15 saves, including one on a tough shot from 10 yards out with 38 seconds left, in 10-9 win over Harvard
? Inside Lacrosse Division I Player of the Week after his 15-save performance in 12-8 win against Syracuse in Big City Classic
? also earned Ivy Rookie of the Week honors for second time after Syracuse game
? shut Dartmouth out for 39:43 to start game
? made seven saves while allowing one goal in three quarters against Dartmouth
? named by Inside Lacrosse fourth best freshman in Division I
? helped hold Syracuse to more than six goals below average for season (14.1 prior to game); Syracuse had been ranked No. 1 in scoring offense in Division I
? Ivy Rookie of the Week after wins over UMBC and Manhattan
? made 10 saves while allowing five goals against UMBC
? made 13 saves while allowing 10 goals against Albany
? played entire game against Hopkins, making 11 saves for first career double-figure save total
? made five second quarter saves against Hopkins as Princeton built a 9-1 lead
? started and played first half against Canisius, making four saves and allowing three goals
? allowed six goals and made nine saves against Rutgers
? made 10 saves while allowing seven goals while playing all 60 minutes against Yale, including nine saves and three goals allowed in final three quarters
? started and played first eight minutes against Manhattan, allowing one goal and making two saves
? member of United States U19 team that won World Championship last summer in Vancouver
Jeremy Hirsch #37
? has eight caused turnovers
? started 25 straight games before coming off bench last week against Dartmouth
? played in 13 of 14 games as freshman as fourth defenseman
Charlie Kolkin #43
? No. 1 longstick midfielder
? started at close defense against Dartmouth
? second on the team with 13 caused turnovers
? 2009 preseason All-America
? returned to lineup after missing game against Canisius with a minor injury; it was first game missed in his career
? named Nike/Inside Lacrosse Division I Player of the Week after Princeton's win over Cornell last year
Mark Kovler #17
? mid-season second-team All-America by Inside Lacrosse
? one of 21 Tewaaraton Trophy nominees
? 14th all-time at Princeton with 84 career goals; next up are three players with 94
? became 22nd player in program history to reach 100 mark for career with two goals and two assists against Harvard
? third all-time in goals at Princeton by a midfielder, behind Josh Sims '00 (103) and Lorne Smith '99 (94)
? needs three goals to become the fifth midfielder in school history to reach 30 goals in a season (Bill Chaires in 1973, Scott Reinhardt in 1994, Josh Sims in 1998 and 2000, Lorne Smith in 1999)
? had two goals and two assists against Dartmouth
? had three goals against Cornell
? had three goals against Syracuse in Big City Classic
? tied career high of four goals in consecutive games against Rutgers and Albany
? in all has four four-goal games in career (vs. Syracuse sophomore year and Virginia a year ago)
? four goals against Rutgers all came in the second half, on four shots
? had two goals against Yale
? has 11 goals in last four games after getting shut out at Hofstra
? had two goals and an assist against UMBC
? had two goals against Hopkins
? had a goal against Canisius and a goal and assist against Manhattan
? suffered broken ankle in practice last April 10 and missed
remainder of season
? three-time All-America
? preseason third-team All-America by Inside Lacrosse
Josh Lesko #19
? has gone from starting 12 games a year ago at midfield to being first shortstick defensive middie unit with Brendan Reilly
? has more goals this year (five) as a defensive middie than a year ago (two) as an offensive middie
? second on team with 31 ground balls
? had two goals, seven ground balls and two caused turnovers against Albany
? had a goal against Cornell
? had a goal and assist against Hofstra
? scored a goal against Johns Hopkins
? had an assist against Manhattan
Scott MacKenzie #2
? has a point in all but one game (Harvard)
? has 12 goals in 13 games this season after having four his first two seasons combined
? had a goal and two assists against Syracuse, Penn and Dartmouth
? had career-high three goals and four points vs. Manhattan
? had two goals and an assist against Yale
? had Princeton's first goal against Hopkins, Hofstra and Yale
? had a goal and two assists against Rutgers
? had two assists against Albany and an assist against UMBC
? had a goal and assist against Canisius
Chris McBride #15
? had three goals and an assist against Harvard
? had an assist against Syracuse after being shut out against Yale, ending nine-game scoring streak
? had career-high four goals against Albany
? had two goals against UMBC
? started and ended Princeton's 5-0 third-quarter run against UMBC
? had a goal against Hopkins and Hofstra
? scored two goals against Canisius
? had a goal and assist against Dartmouth and Manhattan and an assist against Rutgers
? had two goals a year ago
? moved from midfield to starting on attack alongside cousin Jack McBride
Jack McBride #14
? one of 21 Tewaaraton Trophy nominees
? leads team with 32 goals and tied for team lead with 384 points despite missing game against Manhattan
? has at least one goal in all 12 games he's played
? one of four Princeton players (B.J. Prager, Sean Hartofilis,Jason Doneger) this decade with 50 goals by end of sophomore year
? has been Princeton's leading goal-scorer seven times
? scored four goals against Dartmouth, including one 11 seconds into the game
? had two goals against Harvard, including game-winner with 1:58 to play
? had two goals and game-winning assist in overtime against Penn
? had three goals against Syracuse
? tied career high with six goals against Albany
? scored four goals against Hopkins while matched against All-America defenseman Michael Evans
? led Princeton with four goals and five points against Canisius
? all four goals against Canisius came after halftime, as Princeton erased 3-2 deficit
? had one goal against UMBC after spending two nights prior in infirmary with stomach flu; did not play against Manhattan
? had two goals and an assist against Hofstra and Yale
? had a goal and assist against Rutgers
? 2008 Ivy League Rookie of the Year
? member of United States U19 team that won World Championship last summer in Vancouver
Jonathan Meyers #28
? has faced off and played on defense and on wings on face-offs
? recruited for football by schools such as Florida, Michigan and Oklahoma; plays football and lacrosse at Princeton
Tyler Moni #27
? playing on second midfield group
? scored first career goal in win over Manhattan
? also had a goal against Dartmouth
? had an assist against Albany
? had three goals during Princeton's European trip for highest goal total by any current player
Chris Peyser #38
? named co-Division I Defenseman of the Week by Christian Swezey of Inside Lacrosse along with teammate Chad Wiedmaier after Hopkins game
? preseason third-team All-America
? has started 40 straight games on defense
? third on team with 11 caused turnovers
? team tri-captain
Brendan Reilly #29
? team tri-captain
? preseason honorable mention All-America
? one of top two shortstick D-middies since freshman year
? suffered ankle injury against Harvard but did play against Cornell
? helped hold Kyle Wimer of UMBC, who had been reigning DI Player of the Week and team's leading scorer, to one goal
? had a goal against Syracuse in man-down situation
? had an assist against Canisius
? a Woodrow Wilson Schoool Scholar in the Nation's Service
? completed Marine Corps Office Candidate School over summer and will be commissioned a 2nd Lt. after graduation
? also an All-Collegiate Sprint Football League selection in varsity sport for players 174 pounds or less
Greg Seaman #42
? team tri-captain
? scored a goal against Hopkins, Rutgers and Cornell
? son of Towson coach Tony Seaman
Rich Sgalardi #18
? only player with at least one point in every game
? has twice as many points this year (36) as he had for his career prior (18)
? had a goal against Harvard to end a streak of four straight games with at least four points
? had three assists against Dartmouth
? tied career high with five points against Penn (2G, 3A)
? had two goals and two assists against Syracuse
? named to Inside Lacrosse Team of the Week after Syracuse game
? Ivy League Player of the Week after having five goals and four assists in wins over Rutgers and Yale
? had career high five points against Yale (2G, 3A), eclipsing career-high for points set four days earlier against Rutgers
? had career-high three goals and four points against Rutgers
? had two goals and an assist against Albany
? had a goal and assist against UMBC
? had a goal and two assists against Canisius
? had two assists against Johns Hopkins and Manhattan
Chad Wiedmaier #9
? ranked as No. 1 freshman in Division I by Inside Lacrosse and to IL's Team of the Week after Syracuse game
? ranked as fourth-best defenseman by Inside Lacrosse; only freshman of 28 players named as top seven at their position
? leads team with 20 caused turnovers
? had caused 11 turnovers in last five games
? stripped Harvard's Dean Gibbons in front of goal with five seconds remaining to preserve Princeton win
? Ivy League Rookie of the Week after holding Hopkins' Steven Boyle to one goal and matching Boyle's point total with an assist of his own
? assist came on goal by fellow freshman longstick John Cunningham for the first longstick-to-longstick goal since Bill Tierney has been head coach
? named co-Division I Defenseman of the Week by Christian Swezey of Inside Lacrosse along with teammate Chris Peyser after Hopkins game
? caused three turnovers against Albany