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Princeton Hosts North Carolina In Home Opener Friday Night

March 09, 2011 | Men's Lacrosse

By: Princeton Athletic Communications

Back nearly two decades, Chris Bates was a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at the same time that his collegiate lacrosse career was just beginning.

While he coached at Drexel in Philadelphia, he was also finishing his master's degree in school psychology in Chapel Hill, which meant regular commutes between the two places. In fact, it was during one of those commutes, stuck during Hurricane Fran in Raleigh-Durham Airport, that he first met his wife Ann.

These days, Bates is the second-year head coach of the Princeton men's lacrosse team, and his first loss a year ago with the Tigers came back in Chapel Hill, when Princeton fell 12-11 to UNC after a furious fourth quarter comeback fell just short.

The home opener for his second season is against grad school alma mater as the Tar Heels make their first apperance on the Princeton campus against the Tigers since 1998 and their first appearance on the Princeton campus since the 2010 NCAA quarterfinals, when UNC lost to eventual champion Duke at Princeton Stadium.

Princeton hosts North Carolina Friday night at 7 at Class of 1952 Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPNU and heard on WPRB FM 103.3.

* * *

North Carolina will be playing its second Ivy League opponent in four days after defeating 12-6 Penn Tuesay night.

Penn's schedule will have it play Princeton's next opponent twice in a week, as the Quakers take on Villanova Saturday before Princeton hosts the Wildcats Tuesday.

Princeton and Penn then play their Ivy opener against each other March 19 at Franklin Field.

* * *

North Carolina defeated Princeton 12-11 last March in Chapel Hill in the first meeting between the schools since 1999.

Princeton trailed North Carolina 7-2 late in the second quarter after a 21-minute scoreless stretch and10-5 with four minutes left in the third as UNC looked sharp on offense and overwhelming on defense.

Instead, Princeton regrouped and played a great 13-minute stretch, shutting out the Tar Heels during a 5-0 run that squared the game at 10-10 with 4:46 to go.

Billy Bitter and Cryder DiPietro then scored 50 seconds apart, and Rob Engelke scored his third of the nigiht with just two seconds to go to make it a one-goal final.

* * *

Longstick midfielder John Cunningham had a huge game against North Carolina a year ago, with a goal, 10 ground balls and a caused turnover.

Princeton's lacrosse records do not include ground balls, so there is no way to know what the record for ground balls in a game is. Cunningham's 10 against UNC a year ago have to be way up there, however.

* * *

Tyler Fiorito had a career-low single-game save percentage of .250 against North Carolina last year, with 12 goals-against and four saves. He followed that up with 10 goals-against and four saves (.286 save percentage) in the next game, an 11-10 win over Penn.

Fiorito was much sharper last week against Hopkins, with a .750 save percentage (nine saves, three goals against) in the 8-3 win over the Blue Jays.

One of the big differences between last year's game against UNC and Princeton and this year's will be the presence of Chad Wiedmaier, who hadn't returned from his knee injury prior to the game against the Tar Heels last year.

In six career games without Wiedmaier, Fiorito has a .455 save percentage and a 9.35 goals-against average.

In 28 career games with Wiedmaier, Fiorito has a .606 save percentage and a 7.64 goals-against average.

* * *

The Princeton-UNC game features two preseason first-team All-America defensemen: Princeton's Chad Wiedmaier and North Carolina's Ryan Flanagan, who spent last summer volunteering (and blogging about his experience) with Field of Growth International in Uganda.

Wiedmaier held Zach Palmer, Johns Hopkins leading scorer, without a goal or assist - or even a shot - in last week's 8-3 win over the Blue Jays.

* * *

Sophomore Rob Castelo started the first two games on close defense before tearing his ACL and PCL and fracturing his tibial plateau early in the second quarter against Johns Hopkins. Castelo will miss the rest of the season.

Hopkins had not scored before Castelo's injury. Castelo, guarding Kyle Wharton, went down outside the box. With Castelo down right in front of the Hopkins bench, Wharton went to the goal and scored the first Blue Jay goal of the day on the continuation of play.

As soon as the goal was scored, Hopkins coach Dave Pietramala and the Hopkins medical staff immediately tended to Castelo.

Mike Flanagan took over for Castelo at close defense.

* * *

Princeton defeated Johns Hopkins 8-3, building a 6-1 halftime lead and then scoring once in the third quarter and once in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers won the game despite not having Jack McBride, a preseason second-team All-America attackman.

McBride has 90 career goals; the rest of the team combined has 119 career goals, and the rest of the team combined minus Jack's cousin Chris has 83 career goals.

Jack McBride didn't play against Hopkins after reaggravating an injury against Hofstra in Week 1. He warmed up prior to the game at Homewood Field and was in uniform but did not play.

* * *

The three goals that Princeton held Johns Hopkins to were the lowest total for the Blue Jays in a game since the 1966 season.

* * *

Princeton and North Carolina had played twice in the 1970s, with a 12-11 Princeton win at Carolina in 1975 and a 12-8 UNC win in 1978 as part of a season-opening trip to Carolina that saw the Tigers play the Tar Heels and North Carolina State, which long-ago dropped its program.

It was during the 1990s, though, that the teams really were serious about getting together. Princeton and UNC played each other nine times that decade, in the 1992 NCAA tournament semifinals and every regular season from 1992 through 1999.

Princeton won six of those nine games, though six of those nine games were decided by two goals or fewer and four were decided by one goal. Princeton's undefeated 1997 NCAA championship team, which would win the national final by 12 goals over Maryland, defeated Carolina 10-9 during the regular season.

The last game in 1999 went to North Carolina by the same 10-9 score, this time in overtime on a goal by Dan Collins.

Most of those years, Princeton played North Carolina in Week 3 of the season. In fact, Princeton opened every season from 1993 to 1999 by playing Johns Hopkins, Virginia and North Carolina, going 13-8 in those 21 games.

For whatever reason, Princeton replaced North Carolina with Hofstra for the 2000 regular season, and the Tigers have played Hofstra every March since. After that 1999 game, Princeton and Carolina did not play again until last year.

* * *

Nicky Galasso of North Carolina and Tom Schreiber of Princeton were ranked 1-2 by Inside Lacrosse among incoming freshman for this season. Both currently lead their teams in points.

Galasso has 10 goals and a team-best nine assists for 19 points in five games. Schreiber has six goals and seven points in two.

Schreiber was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week after his four goals and one assist against Johns Hopkins.

* * *

Princeton has four players who were preseason All-Americas by Inside Lacrosse.

Defenseman Chad Wiedmaier was a first-team selection, while goalie Tyler Fiorito and attackman Jack McBride were second-team picks. Longstick midfielder John Cunningham was a third-team selection.

McBride was also selected by Denver in the Major League Lacrosse draft.

* * *

Jack McBride has 90 goals and 25 assists for 115 career points. He currently stands 21st all-time at Princeton in points and 15th in goals scored.

McBride has scored eight goals in three games against Hopkins, including seven in the last two years (four in 2009, three last year).

McBride scored exactly 35 goals each of the last two seasons; repeating that would leave him in fourth place all-time in goals.

He is four goals away from a four-way tie for 12th place, along with David Tickner, Bill Chaires and Lorne Smith, and 10 goals away from becoming the ninth player in school history with at least 100.

Jesse Hubbard is Princeton's career leader with 163 goals.

McBride is 12 points away from moving into the top 20, at which point he would be 13 away from the top 15.

* * *

Forest Sonnenfeldt scored four goals as a freshman a year ago and then scored four goals in his first two games this year, with three against Hofstra and one against Hopkins.

Sonnenfeldt, who stands 6-6 and weighs 250 pounds, is in his second experience playing in the Ivy League, as he did so in high school as well at the Fieldston School in New York City. As a senior, he scored 95 goals and had 46 assists, which ran his career totals on the prep level to 287 goals and 145 assists.

* * *

Princeton had one captain a year ago (Jeremy Hirsch). This time around, Princeton has four: Chris McBride, Jack McBride, Tyler Moni and John Cunningham.

Cunningham is the first Princeton junior to be a captain since Jason Doneger in 2005.

* * *

What Can You Say About ...

Luke Armour #16

• started first two games on attack

• had two assists against both Johns Hopkins and Hofstra

• played in last five games of freshman year after playing in one of the first 11

• scored first career goal in Ivy final against Cornell, giving Princeton its first goal of the day

Alex Capretta #1

• missed Hofstra and Hopkins games due to injury

• can play attack or midfield

• scored four goals a year ago, including back-to-back games against Cornell in the regular-season finale and Yale in the Ivy tournament

Rob Castelo #4

• started first two games on close defense

• suffered a torn ACL in the second quarter of the win over Johns Hopkins and will miss the rest of the season

• Hopkins did not score its first goal of the game until the continuation of the possession when Castelo was hurt

• had one caused turnover and one ground ball against Hofstra

• played longstick midfield behind John Cunningham a year ago

• had one caused turnover and one ground ball

John Cunningham #3

• preseason third-team All-America selection by Inside Lacrosse

• 2010 honorable mention All-Ivy League selection

• team captain, making him the first junior captain since Jason Doneger in 2005

• had two caused turnovers against Hopkins

• no Hopkins midfielder scored a goal in the game

• had one caused turnover and one ground ball against Hofstra

• scored five goals last season, most ever by a Tiger longstick in a season

• has six career goals, two of which have been assisted on by another longstick, making them the only two goals in the last 23 years at Princeton that were longstick-to-longstick

• started first six games a year ago on defense before moving back to natural position of longstick midfielder

• led team with 54 ground balls

• had 13 caused turnovers

• had a goal in each game against against Cornell

• had six ground balls and two caused turnovers against Hofstra in 2010

Long Ellis #41

• starting on close defense for second year

• second-team All-Ivy League selection in 2010

• held Hopkins' attackman Chris Boland to one goal, which came in the fourth quarter and the score 8-1 Princeton

• had a caused turnover and five ground balls against Hopkins

• led team with 22 caused turnovers despite missing two games due to injury in 2010

• named to the Ivy League tournament all-tournament team

Mark Feild #25

• had a goal and assist against Hofstra on the extra-man unit

• two points against Hofstra were the first of his career

• has been injured most of his first two seasons

Tyler Fiorito #6

• 2011 preseason second-team All-America

• made nine saves while allowing three goals against Johns Hopkins

• made 15 saves against Hofstra

• 2010 first-team All-Ivy League selection

• Most Valuable Player of the first Ivy League tournament

• assist against Rutgers last year on a 70-yard pass to Jack McBride was one of two by a Princeton goalie in the last 30 years (Alex Hewit, 2007)

• honorable mention All-America each of his first two years and second-team All-Ivy League last year as a freshman

• started every game of his career

Mike Flanagan #34

• moved into Rob Castelo's spot after Castelo was hurt againstJohns Hopkins and played on close defense for the rest of the game

• has played primarily on man-down defense in his career to date

Jeff Froccaro #18

• had a goal and won 5 of 11 face-offs against Hopkins

• had two goals against Hofstra

• has 18 career goals; 10 of them are against Hofstra and Hopkins

• of his 18 career goals, 14 have come in the second half or overtime

• 2010 second-team All-Ivy League selection

• had 15 goals and seven assists as a freshman

• also won 90 of 177 face-offs

• won face-off to start overtime against both Penn and Hopkins last year; Princeton won both without ever giving up possession

Mike Grossman #8

• playing on the second midfield

• had a goal against Hopkins

• had a goal against Yale in last year's Ivy semifinal

• has started on attack and midfield in his career

Cliff Larkin #19

• playing on attack

Bobby Lucas #17

• won both of his face-offs against Hopkins and also played shortstick defensive midfield

• won 1 of 2 face-offs against Hofstra and played shortstick defensive middie

• won 25 of 48 face-offs (.521) before missing second half of last season due to a back injury

Chris McBride #15

• senior captain

• missed Hofstra game due to injury

• started on attack against Hopkins and had two assists

• has started most of his career on attack, though he has played some midfield

• had 16 goals and eight assists (24 points) a year ago; had 18 goals and six assists (24 points) in 2009

• his father is Jack McBride's father's brother; his mother is Jack McBride's mother's first cousin

Jack McBride #14

• senior captain

• preseason second-team All-America

• selected by Denver with the 27th pick of the Major League Lacrosse draft

• goal against Hofstra was the 90th of his career

• reaggravated an injury late in the Hofstra game that forced him to miss the Hopkins game

• a first-team All-Ivy League selection each of the last two years

• honorable mention All-America last year; second-team All-America in 2009

• first Princeton player with back-to-back seasons of at least 30 goals since Jason Doneger in 2003 and 2004

• 15th all-time at Princeton with 90 goals; needs four goals to move into a four-way tie for 12th

• has 115 career points, 21st best all-time at Princeton; needs 12 points to tie for 20th

• had two goals and three assists against Notre Dame in NCAA tournament

• scored game-winning goal in overtime in the Ivy League final agains Cornell

• had six goals and one assist in the Ivy tournament to earn all-tournament team honors

• has three career overtime points (goal against Cornell, assists last year against Penn, this year against Hopkins)

• his father is Chris McBride's father's brother; his mother is Chris McBride's mother's first cousin

Jonathan Meyers #28

• can play close defense or longstick midfield

• had two ground balls against Hopkins

• had one caused turnover and one ground ball against Hofstra

• played as second longstick middie with John Cunningham after Chad Wiedmaier's return until starting on defense against Rutgers

• had 11 caused turnovers a year gao

• recruited for football by schools such as Florida, Michigan and Oklahoma

Tyler Moni #27

• senior captain

• playing on the first offensive midfield unit

• had the first goal of the game less than a minute into the Hopkins game

• moved from second offensive midfield to defensive shortstick for the Penn game last year

• had two goals against both Hofstra and against Hopkins as an offensive middie in 2010

• had 30 ground balls and four caused turnovers

• had a goal against Brown and Harvard as a defensive middie

• had an assist and five ground balls against Penn, including two ground balls after face-offs during Princeton's 4-0 run in the fourth quarter to tie it and then on the face-off to start OT

• had two goals in each of first two games, against Hofstra and Hopkins

Tom Schreiber #22

• earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors after his four-goal, five-point day against Johns Hopkins

• had two goals in the first five minutes against Hofstra, including first collegiate goal less than five seconds after he first touched the ball

• leads team in goals and points

• No. 2 incoming freshman according to Inside Lacrosse behind UNC's Nicky Galasso

• scored more than 200 points in high school career

• father Doug, who played at Maryland and won an NCAA title there in 1973 and then the 1974 World Championship with the U.S., is a member of the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame

Tucker Shanley #7

• has played on the second midfield

• had a goal against Dartmouth and Manhattan a year ago

Peter Smyth #26

• one of top shortstick defensive middies

• no Hopkins middie scored a goal against Princeton

• was also 57 for 114 on face-offs and had two goals and four assists a year ago

• won 11 of 21 face-offs against Cornell in Ivy final; won 8 of final 13 after winning 3 of first 8

• father Fran played lacrosse at Princeton, graduating in 1982

Forest Sonnenfeldt #2

• had team-best three goals against Hofstra in first collegiate start

• had a goal against Hopkins, his fourth of the year; had four goals his entire freshman year