Princeton University Athletics
Chase Williams and Princeton are at Virginia Saturday at 1.
Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast
No. 18 Princeton Heads To No. 6 Virginia
February 22, 2018 | Men's Lacrosse
PRINCETON (1-0) VS. VIRGINIA (3-0)
Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 • Klockner Stadium • Charlottesville, Va.
Series - UVa leads 14-10
Last meeting - UVa defeated Princeton 6-5 • 2012 NCAA tournament opening round
Live Video
Live Stats
Listen Live
@tigerlacrosse In-Game Twitter Updates
Virginia Website
Princeton Probable Starters
Career Highs
Career Scoring/Pronunciations
The last time we saw Princeton and Virginia on the same lacrosse field, Chris LaPierre was stepping in front of a Forest Sonnenfeldt shot as time was about to expire to preserve a 6-5 UVa win in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA tournament at Klockner Stadium. Considering the way Sonnenfeldt could shoot the ball, by the way, it's possible that LaPierre still has a mark where the shot hit him, even nearly six years later.
Princeton and Virginia are renewing their rivalry, again at Klockner Stadium, as they meet for the first time since that NCAA opening round game. It's also the first regular season meeting between the two since the 2008 season, when Virginia defeated Princeton 12-10 on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium, on a day when three inches of rain fell during the game.
This will be the 25th meeting between the teams, with UVa ahead 14-10 in the all-time series. The teams met in the regular season every year from 1992 through 2008, and, more famously, in the 1994 and 1996 NCAA championship games, both of which Princeton won in overtime.
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Obviously there are no current players on either team who have played against the other. Virginia coach Lars Tiffany, though, coached against Princeton as Brown's head coach for 10 seasons, from 2007 through 2016.
Tiffany has a career record of 4-7 against the Tigers.
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Princeton ranked second in Division I in scoring offense a year ago, averaging just under 15 goals per game. Princeton scored nine in its season-opening win over Monmouth.
Princeton scored 220 goals and had 141 assists in 2017. The goals are, in fact, the third-best single-season total in program history, behind only the NCAA championship teams of 1996 and 1997. The graduated Gavin McBride and Zach Currier had 78 goals and 51 assists between them.
Virginia has scored at least 13 goals in each of its first three games and has been in double figures in 17 of 18 games since Lars Tiffany has been head coach. Only Richmond has held UVa below 10 goals, in an 8-7 Virginia win last April 1.
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Chris Brown had two goals and three assists last week in the 9-8 win over Monmouth. Brown joined Michael Sowers (who had 2G and 5A in the season opener a year ago) as the only players in Princeton history to have at least five points in the first game of their freshman year.
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Tyler Blaisdell was the Ivy League Player of the Week after his 17-save performance against Monmouth. Blaisdell made a one-on-one save on Monmouth's Bryce Wasserman in the final 10 seconds of regulation and then another doorstop save in the first overtime to keep the game going.
Blaisdell has started 35 straight games in goal for Princeton.
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Michael Sowers had a goal and three assists in Princeton's season-opener against Monmouth.
Through 16 career games, Sowers had had multiple assists in 14 of them. He's also had at least four points in 14 games.
Sowers, with one game played in his sophomore year, leads Princeton in career assists (44) and points (86) and is second behind Austin Sims in goals (42, Sims has 51). Sowers is one of five Ivy League players, and the only one from Princeton and the only freshman from any school, to have at least 40 goals and 40 assists in a season. He also set the Ivy record for goals (41) and points (82) by a freshman a year ago.
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Phillip Robertson, had three goals last year as a freshman (two against NJIT, one against Dartmouth). He then had three last week against Monmouth.
Robertson now has six career goals on seven career shots. His brother Joe scored four goals last week for Duke against Denver.
Robertson, from Salem, is one of two Virginia natives on Princeton's team, along with Strib Walker (Richmond).
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Justin Schwenk has won 47 of 74 (.635) face-offs through three games as UVa's primary face-off specialist. Schwenk was the 2017 MAAC Rookie of the Year last year at Monmouth, the team that Princeton played a week ago.
Sam Bonafede won 10 of 20 face-offs against Monmouth a week ago while taking all the draws for Princeton. Bonafede was 8 for 18 in regulation and 2 for 2 in overtime.
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Riley Thompson is starting in the midfield this year after starting on attack last year. Thompson, Princeton's second leading active career scorer, had one goal last week against Monmouth, though it was a big one - it came in the second overtime on a feed from Michael Sowers.
Thompson now becomes the only current Princeton player to have an overtime goal in his career.
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Princeton returned seven starters from a year ago, graduating Zach Currier (24G, 34A, 130 GB, team-best 21 caused turnovers, 56 percent face-off percentage), Bear Goldstein (four-year starter on defense) and Gavin McBride (school-record 54 goals last year).
Starting in their place last week were Aran Roberts on D and Phillip Robertson and Chris Brown on offense.
Roberts made his first start since his freshman year of 2015 after missing all of 2016 and most of 2017 due to injuries.
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Princeton returns three players who started every game in 2017 - Michael Sowers, Tyler Blaisdell and defenseman Daniel Winschuh. In addition to starting all 15 games, Winschuh was one of three longsticks - along with sophomore Nick Bauer and the graduated Alistair Berven - to have played in all 15 games last season.
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Princeton returns three of its top four shortsticks, having graduated only Sam Gravitte. Senior J.T. Caputo, junior Mike Morean and sophomore Chase Williams all played regularly last year, with Williams the only one to have played in all 15 games. Williams, by the way, was a freshman All-America according to Collegecrosse.com, and is also a football player in the fall.
Those three will be joined this year by Jasper Arnold, a sophomore who has been an offensive midfielder, a longstick midfielder and now a shortstick defensive midfielder in his young career.
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Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 • Klockner Stadium • Charlottesville, Va.
Series - UVa leads 14-10
Last meeting - UVa defeated Princeton 6-5 • 2012 NCAA tournament opening round
Live Video
Live Stats
Listen Live
@tigerlacrosse In-Game Twitter Updates
Virginia Website
Princeton Probable Starters
Career Highs
Career Scoring/Pronunciations
The last time we saw Princeton and Virginia on the same lacrosse field, Chris LaPierre was stepping in front of a Forest Sonnenfeldt shot as time was about to expire to preserve a 6-5 UVa win in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA tournament at Klockner Stadium. Considering the way Sonnenfeldt could shoot the ball, by the way, it's possible that LaPierre still has a mark where the shot hit him, even nearly six years later.
Princeton and Virginia are renewing their rivalry, again at Klockner Stadium, as they meet for the first time since that NCAA opening round game. It's also the first regular season meeting between the two since the 2008 season, when Virginia defeated Princeton 12-10 on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium, on a day when three inches of rain fell during the game.
This will be the 25th meeting between the teams, with UVa ahead 14-10 in the all-time series. The teams met in the regular season every year from 1992 through 2008, and, more famously, in the 1994 and 1996 NCAA championship games, both of which Princeton won in overtime.
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *
Obviously there are no current players on either team who have played against the other. Virginia coach Lars Tiffany, though, coached against Princeton as Brown's head coach for 10 seasons, from 2007 through 2016.
Tiffany has a career record of 4-7 against the Tigers.
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *
Princeton ranked second in Division I in scoring offense a year ago, averaging just under 15 goals per game. Princeton scored nine in its season-opening win over Monmouth.
Princeton scored 220 goals and had 141 assists in 2017. The goals are, in fact, the third-best single-season total in program history, behind only the NCAA championship teams of 1996 and 1997. The graduated Gavin McBride and Zach Currier had 78 goals and 51 assists between them.
Virginia has scored at least 13 goals in each of its first three games and has been in double figures in 17 of 18 games since Lars Tiffany has been head coach. Only Richmond has held UVa below 10 goals, in an 8-7 Virginia win last April 1.
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *
Chris Brown had two goals and three assists last week in the 9-8 win over Monmouth. Brown joined Michael Sowers (who had 2G and 5A in the season opener a year ago) as the only players in Princeton history to have at least five points in the first game of their freshman year.
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Tyler Blaisdell was the Ivy League Player of the Week after his 17-save performance against Monmouth. Blaisdell made a one-on-one save on Monmouth's Bryce Wasserman in the final 10 seconds of regulation and then another doorstop save in the first overtime to keep the game going.
Blaisdell has started 35 straight games in goal for Princeton.
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *
Michael Sowers had a goal and three assists in Princeton's season-opener against Monmouth.
Through 16 career games, Sowers had had multiple assists in 14 of them. He's also had at least four points in 14 games.
Sowers, with one game played in his sophomore year, leads Princeton in career assists (44) and points (86) and is second behind Austin Sims in goals (42, Sims has 51). Sowers is one of five Ivy League players, and the only one from Princeton and the only freshman from any school, to have at least 40 goals and 40 assists in a season. He also set the Ivy record for goals (41) and points (82) by a freshman a year ago.
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *
Phillip Robertson, had three goals last year as a freshman (two against NJIT, one against Dartmouth). He then had three last week against Monmouth.
Robertson now has six career goals on seven career shots. His brother Joe scored four goals last week for Duke against Denver.
Robertson, from Salem, is one of two Virginia natives on Princeton's team, along with Strib Walker (Richmond).
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *
Justin Schwenk has won 47 of 74 (.635) face-offs through three games as UVa's primary face-off specialist. Schwenk was the 2017 MAAC Rookie of the Year last year at Monmouth, the team that Princeton played a week ago.
Sam Bonafede won 10 of 20 face-offs against Monmouth a week ago while taking all the draws for Princeton. Bonafede was 8 for 18 in regulation and 2 for 2 in overtime.
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *
Riley Thompson is starting in the midfield this year after starting on attack last year. Thompson, Princeton's second leading active career scorer, had one goal last week against Monmouth, though it was a big one - it came in the second overtime on a feed from Michael Sowers.
Thompson now becomes the only current Princeton player to have an overtime goal in his career.
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *
Princeton returned seven starters from a year ago, graduating Zach Currier (24G, 34A, 130 GB, team-best 21 caused turnovers, 56 percent face-off percentage), Bear Goldstein (four-year starter on defense) and Gavin McBride (school-record 54 goals last year).
Starting in their place last week were Aran Roberts on D and Phillip Robertson and Chris Brown on offense.
Roberts made his first start since his freshman year of 2015 after missing all of 2016 and most of 2017 due to injuries.
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *
Princeton returns three players who started every game in 2017 - Michael Sowers, Tyler Blaisdell and defenseman Daniel Winschuh. In addition to starting all 15 games, Winschuh was one of three longsticks - along with sophomore Nick Bauer and the graduated Alistair Berven - to have played in all 15 games last season.
*Â Â Â Â *Â Â Â Â *
Princeton returns three of its top four shortsticks, having graduated only Sam Gravitte. Senior J.T. Caputo, junior Mike Morean and sophomore Chase Williams all played regularly last year, with Williams the only one to have played in all 15 games. Williams, by the way, was a freshman All-America according to Collegecrosse.com, and is also a football player in the fall.
Those three will be joined this year by Jasper Arnold, a sophomore who has been an offensive midfielder, a longstick midfielder and now a shortstick defensive midfielder in his young career.
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