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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
No. 2 Princeton Hosts No. 15 Harvard In Key Ivy Men's Lacrosse Game
April 09, 2009 | Men's Lacrosse
Princeton and Harvard meet for the 75th tinme in a rivalry that dates to Nov. 6, 1881.
Princeton leads the all-time series 54-19-1 and has won the last 18 meetings, information that might as well be as much ancient history as the three games that Harvard won in 1881.
Harvard, ranked 15th in the coaches' poll and 17th in the media poll, is probably still smarting from two excruciating losses: a 13-12 defeat against Cornell a week ago and a 9-8 overtime loss to Princeton a year ago in Cambridge. Harvard led by four goals (at 7-3) in both of those games.
Princeton, ranked second in both polls, enters the game 9-1 after a 10-9 overtime win over Penn Tuesday night. Tommy Davis scored four goals against the Quakers, including the game-winner on a perfect feed from Jack McBride 1:30 into OT.
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Princeton (2-0) is one of three unbeaten Ivy teams, along with Cornell (3-0) and Brown (2-0), while Harvard is 1-1. Those four are a combined 7-0 against the other three teams, Yale, Dartmouth and Penn, and they could improve to 9-0 if Cornell wins at Dartmouth and Brown wins at home against Penn.
Looking ahead, Brown is at Harvard Wednesday night, while Princeton is at Cornell next Saturday.
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Princeton trailed Harvard for 54:46 of last year's game and never had the lead until Bob Schneider scored 1:53 into overtime to give Princeton a 9-8 win. The Tigers trailed 7-3 in the third and 8-6 when Jeff Wannop scored with 4:58 to go. Princeton tied it on goals by Tommy Davis with 2:04 to go and Schneider with 1:20 to play before Schneider won it in OT. Rich Sgalardi assisted on the tying and winning goals.
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Princeton defeated Penn 10-9 Tuesday night to defeat the Quakers for the 20th straight time. Neither team led by more than one at any point in the final 27:21, and the Tigers never led by more than one at any point of the game.
Princeton scored first on Mark Kovler's 20th goal two minutes into the game, but that would be the Tigers' only shot in the first quarter. Penn, who would outshoot Princeton 12-1 in the first, led 3-1 after the quarter, 5-2 in the second half and 7-5 in the third. Princeton then scored three times in a 1:05 span to take the lead at 8-7, and then neither team would score for more than 17 minutes. After the teams traded goals, Penn tied it with 59 seconds to play and then had two shots after that to win in regulation, both of which went wide.
Paul Barnes won the OT face-off, and Jack McBride found a cutting Tommy Davis for his fourth goal of the night, 1:30 into the overtime.
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Princeton's game Tuesday night against Penn was played in front of 21,758 fewer fans that its previous game. Princeton and Syracuse played in front of 22,308 in the Big City Classic at Giants Stadium last Saturday; the announced crowd at the Princeton-Penn game was 550 (in 65,000 seat Franklin Field).
The Big City Classic crowd was the largest for a regular-season college lacrosse-only event. The only other time a regular-season college lacrosse game drew a larger crowd was last year for Denver-Ohio State, when 29,601 came to Ohio Stadium to see the game that preceded the OSU spring football game, which drew more than 80,000.
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Princeton had just 13 ground balls against Penn for the lowest single-game ground ball total ever by a Bill Tierney-coached Princeon team. Princeton came into the game averaging 29.0 ground balls.
Princeton and Penn combined for 33 ground balls, also a low for a Tierney-coached Princeton game. The reason for the low ground ball total was Penn's strategy of possessing the ball and shortening the game. As a result, the Quakers spent large portions of the game holding the ball behind the Tiger net. Penn drew five first-half stalling warnings.
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Princeton has three wins over teams ranked in this week's Top 10 (the 10 teams are the same in both polls) and four wins over teams ranked in the Top 20 (No. 5 Syracuse, No. 6 UMBC, No. 9 Hopkins, No. 19 Albany). Princeton and Virginia are the only two teams with at least three Top 10 wins (UVa has four). Harvard has one Top 10 win, over No. 8 Duke.
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Princeton is the No. 7 scoring offense team in the country, averaging 12.0 goals per game. Princeton has also been in double figures in goals eight times in 10 games, including five straight.
The last time Princeton had at least eight double figure scoring games for a season was 2004, the last time Princeton had more than eight was 2003 (10 times). The 2003 season also was the last time that Princeton had at least five straight double-figure games (Princeton actually had eight in a row at one point that year).
Harvard, on the other hand, has allowed fewer goals than any team in Division I (52) and ranks second in goals-allowed per game (6.5), behind only Villanova (6.2).
Harvard goalie Joe Pike ranks second in Division I in goals-against (6.51) but 31st in save percentage (.538). The Crimson defense features seniors Sam Slaughter and Max Gottschall, who seem like they've been around forever, and junior Billy Geist, and that group holds opponents to just 25.9 shots per game, even after Cornell put up 50 shots and scored 13 goals against Harvard a week ago.
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Harvard allows an average of 25.9 shots per game, which is a key reason why the Crimson have allowed the fewest goals in Division I. Before Cornell's 50 shot outburst last week, the Crimson had allowed just 22.4 shots per game.
Princeton averages 40.8 shots per game, but that number is very misleading. The Tigers have taken exactly 23 shots twice and have taken 50 or more five times.
Princeton's two 23 shot games have both resulted in double figures in goals with 13 against Rutgers and 10 against Penn.
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The Princeton-Harvard game will feature three of the top six freshman in the country, according to the Inside Lacrosse rankings of April 7.
Princeton defenseman Chad Wiedmaier ranks first, while Princeton goalie Tyler Fiorito ranks fourth. Harvard attackman Jeff Cohen ranks sixth. Cornell's Rob Pannell ranks second on the list, giving the Ivy League four of the top six.
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Princeton goalie Tyler Fiorito is the reigning Inside Lacrosse Division I Player of the Week for his 15-save performance against Syracuse. Fiorito was also named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the second time this season.
Teammates Chad Wiedmaier and Rich Sgalardi also made the IL Team of the Week.
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Jack McBride has 25 goals this season and 44 for his career.
McBride could become the first Princeton player since Jason Doneger in 2004 to have more than 30 goals in a season (Doneger had 36; Peter Trombino had exactly 30 in 2007). Also, McBride needs six goals to become the fourth Princeton player this decade (B.J. Prager, Sean Hartofilis, Doneger) to reach the 50-goal mark by the end of sophomore year.
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Princeton is ranked second this week in both the USILA coaches' poll and the Inside Lacrosse media poll after defeating then-No. 2 Syracuse 12-8 Saturday at the Big City Classic at Giants Stadium. Princeton went from being ranked fifth a week ago to vaulting over Notre Dame and Cornell, both of whom won their games.
Princeton began the season ranked 12th in both polls.
The last time Princeton was ranked as high as second was in the 2002 preseason. The last time Princeton was ranked as high as second during the regular season was in the final poll of the 2001 season, when the Tigers were ranked No. 1.
Princeton did receive a first-place vote in the coaches' poll.
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The Top 10 teams in the USILA coaches' poll and Inside Lacrosse media poll are the same, in a slightly different order (Hofstra is No. 5 in the coach poll and No. 6 in the media poll; Syracuse is the opposite).
Princeton and Virginia are the only teams with at least three wins over Top 10 teams. Princeton has defeated Syracuse, No. 9 Hopkins and No. 6 UMBC; Virginia has defeated Hopkins, Syracuse, No. 3 Cornell and No. 10 North Carolina. The only other team with more than one Top 10 win is Hopkins, who has defeated UMBC and Hofstra.
Princeton also has a win over No. 19/18 Albany.
Princeton still has games remaining against No. 3 Cornell, No. 11 (both polls) Brown and No. 15 (coaches)/No. 17 (media) Harvard.
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Princeton vs. Harvard
The site Class of 1952 Stadium ? Princeton, N.J.
The date Saturday, April 11, 2009 ? 3 p.m.
Radio WPRB FM 103.3; www.goprincetontigers.com
The rankings Princeton: No. 2 (USILA)/No. 2 (Inside Lacrosse); Harvard: No. 15 (USILA/No. 17 (Inside Lacrosse)
The records Princeton: 9-1 (2-0 Ivy League); Harvard: 5-3 (1-1 Ivy League)
The coaches Princeton: Bill Tierney (25th season overall, 268-91); Harvard: John Tillman (second season overall, 10-11)
The series Princeton leads 54-19-1
Last meeting Princeton defeated Harvard 9-8 (OT) ? April 10, 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
? has won99 of 198 face-offs (.500)
? 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
? broke his jaw in practice March 19 and is out indefinitely
? scored 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 midfield in place of Charlie Kolkin, who was out with injury
? has six caused turnovers
? had four caused turnovers and three ground balls against
Canisius
Jimmy Davis #5
? played in every game as third shortstick defensive midfielder
? caused two turnovers against Hofstra
? missed most of first two years due to injury
Tommy Davis #7
? has 119 career points, 19th all-time at Princeton
? needs eight to move into three-way tie for 17th with Bill Chaires '75 and Charles Stillwell '85
? 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)
? has led team in assists each of the last two years
Long Ellis #14
? is playing as fourth defenseman and second longstick midfielder in John Cunningham's absence
? 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 seven goals on 10 shots (.700 shooting percentage)
? 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
? reigning 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
? 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
? also Ivy League 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
? started 23 straight games on defense
? started every game last season on defense
? played in 13 of 14 games as freshman as fourth defenseman
Charlie Kolkin #43
? No. 1 longstick midfielder
? third on the team with eight 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
? held Cornell All-America John Glynn without a point a year ago
Mark Kovler #17
? mid-season second-team All-America by Inside Lacrosse
? Tewaaraton Trophy watchlist member
? has 13 goals in his last 30 shots (.433); had seven goals on first 44 shots of season (.159)
? 17th all-time at Princeton with 77 career goals; needs one to tie Samuel Hill '50 for 16th and six to move into 14th
? needs four points to become 22nd player in program history to reach 100 mark for career
? 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 (four) as a defensive middie than a year ago (two) as an offensive middie
? second on team with 24 ground balls
? had two goals, seven ground balls and two caused turnovers against Albany
? had a goal and assist against Hofstra
? scored a goal against Johns Hopkins
? had an assist against Manhattan
Scott MacKenzie #2
? one of two players with at least one point in every game (Rich Sgalardi)
? has 11 goals in 10 games this season after having four his first two seasons combined
? had a goal and two assists against Syracuse and Penn
? 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 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 Manhattan and an assist against Rutgers
? had two goals a year ago
? moved from midfield to starting on attack alongside cousin Jack McBride
? scored 60 goals as a high school senior two years ago at Delbarton
Jack McBride #14
? leads team with 25 goals and tied for team lead with 31 points despite missing game against Manhattan
? needs six goals to join B.J. Prager, Sean Hartofilis and Jason Doneger as Princeton players this decade to reach 50 goals as a sophomore
? has been Princeton's leading goal-scorer in six of the nine games in which he has played
? 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 to game in infirmary with stomach flu; did not play against Manhattan due to after-effects
? 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
? faced off twice with longstick against Hopkins and won both
? has played more and more in last three games
? 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
? 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 37 straight games on defense
? second on team with nine 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
? 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
? scored a goal against Rutgers
? son of Towson coach Tony Seaman
Rich Sgalardi #18
? one of two players with at least one point in every game (Scott MacKenzie)
? has 31 points in 10 games after having 18 points his first three years combined
? has at least four points in four straight games
? 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 fifth-best defenseman by Inside Lacrosse; only freshman of 28 players named as top seven at their position
? leads team with 12 caused turnovers
? had three caused turnovers in game against Syracuse
? 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
? third-ranked current freshman by Inside Lacrosse