Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Princeton Heads To San Francisco To Take On Virginia
October 09, 2013 | Men's Lacrosse
San Francisco Fall Lacrosse Classic website
It wasn't that many years ago that the sight of lacrosse sticks and goals in Northern California would have raised more than a few eyebrows. These days, it's one of the top areas in the country for youth lacrosse participation - and perhaps the premiere destination of the fall college lacrosse season.
Princeton's men's lacrosse team will be flying across the country to take on Virginia in the San Francisco Fall Lacrosse Classic, an annual event to benefit the Bay Area Youth Sports Foundation.
"We're very much looking forward to the event," says Princeton coach Chris Bates. "It's great for us, and it's great for the large Princeton alumni community out there. We're looking forward to spending time with them while also getting a chance to play a high caliber opponent."
Princeton and UVa will play Saturday at 2 pm Pacific time. In addition to the game, the trip also includes a half-day mentoring session with local alumni and friends, focusing on various career paths. There is also a youth clinic and a day of sightseeing.
Youth lacrosse participation in California has seen a 200% growth since 2001, and two Princeton players - Andrew McCall and Alistair Berven - will be making homecoming trips to the Bay Area for the weekend.
Princeton and Virginia were annual opponents from 1992-2008, and they also played in the 1994 and 1996 NCAA championship games, both of which Princeton won in overtime.
The last meeting between the teams was in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA tournament, and UVA won that game 6-5.