Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Snow-Crosse: Images And Quotes On A Winter Wonderland Win Over Hofstra
February 23, 2015 | Men's Lacrosse
The snow began falling Saturday afternoon during the women's lacrosse game. By the time the men were to take the field for the second game of the doubleheader, Sherrerd Field was completely covered.
The snow fell continually during Princeton's 14-12 win over Hofstra, and by the time it was over, several inches had fallen. Keep in mind, this was a game pushed back a day because of temperatures that were barely into double digits with windchills well below zero Friday afternoon.
Several of Princeton's players commented on their experiences in playing in the snowy conditions, which were by far the worst of any Princeton game in at least 25 years. Their comments:
"The snow definitely made grounds balls a little more interesting, and I did think to myself about how long the unsportsmanlike penalty would be for a post-goal celebratory snow-angel." - Austin deButts
"It was the NHL Winter Classic out there. Near the end lines it was like ice skating on the field." - Will Rotatori, who on the one hand grew up in a town with the word "Winter" in it but on the other hand that town was "Winter Park, Florida."
"Playing in the snow was tough. I had a bunch of trouble cutting and dodging. I've never seen anything like it before. The snow was up to my ankles." - Ryan Ambler
"People consider lacrosse to be a spring sport when actually a lot of our games are played in the end of the winter. The snowy conditions made the game/win that much more memorable. It's tough to prepare for weather conditions like Saturday. Overall I think we stuck to the game plan, and I'm glad we could get the W." - Brian Pickup
"The way the grounds crew maintained the field was very well done. We appreciate that. At the same time, the use of the snow blowers to clear off the X made the edges of the insignia accumulate four or so inches of snow that piled up, making scooping and even locating ground balls that much tougher." - Sam Bonafede, who faced-off and played on the wing and who had a team-best six ground balls (snow balls?)
"The biggest issue was definitely the footing as it was difficult to change direction. Falling down wasn't too much fun either because the snow would fill your gloves and socks." - Zach Currier
"I've never played in anything like that before. Usually we don't even practice outside when there is snow on the field. I think it kind of caused both teams to throw game plans out the window and focus solely on getting ground balls." - Bear Altemus
Princeton 14, Hofstra 12.
Photos by Robert Goldstein