Sims Caps Furious Rally As Princeton Tops No. 13 Rutgers In OT

Saturday, March 10

Princeton, N.J.

1:00 PM

Princeton University

3-2

Rutgers

4-2

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	Final F
Rutgers	4	5	4	1	0	14
Princeton Tigers	4	3	3	4	1	15

Princeton celebrates after Austin Sims (without the helmet) scored the game-winner to beat Rutgers 15-14 in OT.

Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

Sims Caps Furious Rally As Princeton Tops No. 13 Rutgers In OT

March 10, 2018 | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

Austin Sims can miss all the shots he wants. When the game is on the line - like, say, when you're down one in the final minute against a nationally ranked archrival or maybe even in overtime, is there anyone else you want letting it fly?

Sims, shaking out of an early-season shooting slump, put up five goals, including three in the final eight minutes as Princeton rallied from down four in the fourth quarter to defeat 13th-ranked Rutgers 15-14 in OT in the 96th meeting for the Meistrell Cup. Sims tied the game with 49.7 seconds left and then won it 1:28 into overtime, both times on rocket shots from up top, one righthanded and one lefthanded.

Austin Sims from Riley Thompson to win it 15-14 in OT! pic.twitter.com/89eLP5Kxrr
— Princeton Lacrosse (@TigerLacrosse) March 10, 2018

With the win Princeton still has not lost to Rutgers at home since 1989. It looked all the world like that streak was going to end and the Cup was going to head back up Route 1 when it was 14-10 Rutgers with nine minutes left.

Sims started the comeback with his third of the day, of all which had been from freshman Chris Brown to that point. The Tigers, who hadn't scored a goal in 15:34 to that point, then finished the game on a 5-0 run.

Connor McCarthy and Dawson McKenzie scored to make it 14-12 with five minutes to go, McKenzie's goal assisted by Michael Sowers, who had three goals and six assists and who kept Princeton in it the entire way. For Sowers that's a career high in assists and his third career nine-point game.

All of that set the stage for the frantic ending. First Sims ripped one home with 49.7 to go to tie it. Then Sam Bonafede (19 for 33) won the face-off, giving the Tigers a chance to win it in regulation.

Sowers would hit the pipe, or maybe two pipes, on a low shot, and the rebound then found Sims, whose follow up almost handcuffed RU goalie Max Edelmann, who nevertheless made his best save of the game to force overtime.

While there, Rutgers won the face-off, and Tyler Blaisdell - who had briefly been replaced by Jon Levine, who would make three third quarter saves - then robbed Christian Mazzone on the doorstep to keep the game alive. George Baughan got the ground ball. Chase Williams cleared it. Riley Thompson found Sims, and Sims then drilled it home to end it.

NOTES

* Princeton went 3-0 this season against New Jersey teams, including OT wins over Rutgers and Monmouth.

* The five goals were one off of Sims' career high, which he has done twice. Sowers had three five-assist games prior to his six against Rutgers.

* Chris Brown had a goal and three assists. He has at least one goal and one assist in each of his first five games.

* Riley Thompson had three assists. Emmet Cordrey had a goal, giving him at least one in four straight games.

* Phillip Robertson had two goals. He also had two caused turnovers in the clearing game and six ground balls, tying him with Bonafede and Andrew Song for the team lead in the game.

* Rutgers was led by Kieran Mullins (5G, 1A) and Jules Heningburg (2G, 4A).

* Princeton opens its Ivy League season next Saturday against Penn (4 pm, Sherrerd Field).