Princeton Travels To Take On No. 2 Virginia

Saturday, February 22

Charlottesville, Va.

12:00

Princeton University

Virginia

Phillip Robertson and the TIgers are at No. 2 Virginia Saturday (noon)

Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

February 20, 2020 | Men's Lacrosse

Princeton (2-0) vs. Virginia (2-0)
Klockner Stadium • Charlottesville, Va.
Feb. 22, 2020 • noon • ACC Network

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Princeton vs. Virginia

The 2018 Princeton-Virginia men's lacrosse game was tied at end of the first half. The 2019 Princeton-Virginia men's lacrosse game was tied at the end of the second half.

Obviously, there hasn't been much that has separated these two in February the last two years.

Princeton, though, doesn't want to be where Virginia has been at this time of year. The Tigers are looking to do what Virginia has done in May the last two years, which means reaching the NCAA tournament (a 2018 first-round loss) and seeing what can happen once you're there (the 2019 NCAA championship).

Princeton and Virginia renew a rivalry that has seen them play in two NCAA championship games in the 1990s and of course in the regular season the last two years. Both teams come into this game with 2-0 records on the young season, and Princeton comes in off a 20-11 win over Colgate Tuesday night that saw Michael Sowers break school and Ivy League records.

Princeton vs. Virginia
Five storylines

Series history
Princeton and Virginia meet for the third-straight year and 27^th time overall. The Cavs hold a 16-10 lead in the series and have won the last seven games between the teams, including 6-5 in the 2012 NCAA tournament.

The two most recent meetings have been much higher scoring events. UVa defeated the Tigers 18-15 in Charlottesville two years ago and then 12-11 in overtime last year in Princeton.

The teams have played four times in the NCAA tournament, and all four of those games were one-goal games. Princeton defeated UVa in overtime in the 1994 and 1996 NCAA finals and in the 2000 NCAA semifinals and then lost in that first round game in 2012.

Princeton and Virginia met every year from 1992 through 2008.

A year ago
Princeton and Virginia went overtime last year before Ian Laviano won the game for the Cavs on a shot that was deflected and then trickled into the Tiger net.

Neither team ever led by more than two, and both teams had the lead in the fourth quarter. Patrick Burkinshaw made a Sherrerd Field-record 24 saves for Virginia in his first collegiate start; Princeton will see Burkinshaw again in two weeks when he is at Sherrerd Field with his new team, Penn.

Michael Sowers had four goals and two assists for Princeton. Virginia's starting attack, last year and this year, of Laviano, Matt Moore and Michael Kraus combined for eight goals and five assists.

Speaking of Sowers
Michael Sowers had four goals and two assists for Princeton against Virginia a year ago. His two-year totals against UVa are now five goals and six assists.

Sowers comes into this game as the Division I leader in assists (18) and points (25) after opening the season with 11 points against Monmouth (4G, 7A) and then following that with 14 points against Colgate (3G, 11A). Sowers set the Ivy League record for points in a game (two off the NCAA record) and the Princeton record for assists in a game (one off the Ivy and NCAA records) despite not having played the final 9:23 of the game.

Princeton led the game 8-7 early in the third quarter before going on a 10-0 run that saw Sowers score one goal and assist on seven others. For the night Sowers had assists on goals by seven different teammates.

Face-offs
Jack-Henry Vara has taken 55 of Princeton's 66 face-offs and won 30 of them, a percentage of .545. Petey Lasalla has taken the overwhelming majority of Virginia's face-offs and won 53 percent.

Between the two of them they have won 50 face-offs and have 14 ground balls. Both teams benefit from face-off wing units that are among the best in the country.

UVa features senior Jared Connors (an LSM with 22 career points), who has a team-best 13 ground balls through two games, on the wing. Princeton has Jake Stevens, a sophomore with a team-best eight ground balls through two games, and Andrew Song, who has six GBs. Stevens was second-team a year ago, when he led the team in ground balls with 60 and was second in Division I (behind Virginia's Ryan Conrad) in wing ground balls per game.

Coming attractions
Princeton is entering the toughest stretch of its schedule. Beginning with the game against No. 2 Virginia, Princeton plays four teams in the top 15 in five weeks.

Up next is No. 15 Johns Hopkins, followed by unranked Rutgers (who was ranked earlier this season) and then No. 8 Penn and No. 3 Yale in its first to Ivy League games.

Princeton individual player notes

Attack
22 Michael Sowers (Sr., Dresher, Pa.)
Princeton's all-time leading scorer with 280 career points (112G, 168A) ... ranks 1-2-3 on Princeton's single-season scoring list ... has the highest career points per game average of any player in Division I in the last 38 years and the fifth-best ever ... ranks 23rd all-time in Division I history in career points and 11th in career assists ... also second all-time in assists at Princeton with 168, six away from Kevin Lowe's record of 174 ... third Ivy player with at least 100 career goals and 150 career assists (Rob Pannell of Cornell, Darren Lowe of Brown) ... has two of Princeton's four seasons of at least 30 goals and 30 assists ... is sixth all-time in points scored in Ivy League history … broke the Ivy League record for points in a game with 14 against Colgate (3G, 11A) ... broke Princeton's single-game record for assists with 11 ... became the seventh player to have at least 14 points in a game and the second in the last 23 years, along with Albany's Miles Thompson in 2013 ... became the fifth player in Division I history with at least 11 assists in a game, and the first to reach that number since 1992 ...began season with 11 points against Monmouth (4G, 7A) … 2019 first-team All-American and Tewaaraton Award finalist … three-time first-team All-Ivy League selection … writing senior thesis on the relationship between Eisenhower and Montgomery in World War II ... team captain

11 Phillip Robertson (Sr., Salem, Va.)
Third-year starter on attack … has team-best eight goals through two games … has 62 career goals, of which 30 have been assisted by Michael Sowers … has six goals on 12 shots … led Division I in shooting percentage two years ago … Graduate of St. Ann's Belfield, located next to the UVa campus ... team captain

6 Chris Brown (Jr., Fairfield, Conn.)
Has at least one goal in every game of his career (29) … has the second-longest such active streak in Division I … is the only Division I player to have played at least 20 games with at least one goal in every game of his career … has 95 career points, leaving him five away from becoming the 38^th player in program history to reach 100 for his career

Midfield
5 Alex Slusher (Fr., Portland, Ore.)
Had three goals in his first game … also had an assist … became the first Princeton player since Mike MacDonald in 2012 to score three in first game of freshman year and fourth Princeton player in the last 25 years to do so … one of 24 players on the U.S. roster for the U19 World Championships … had 222 goals and 123 assists in high school

8 Connor McCarthy (Sr., Sudbury, Mass.)
Has three goals and an assist in two games … has started 17 games in his career … slowed most of last year by injury … had a 14-goal, five-assist sophomore year while starting 13 games

19 Alexander Vardaro (So., Woodmere, N.Y.)
Leads Princeton's midfielders with four goals and an assist through two games … has two goals in each game … had 12 goals and five assists as a freshman

Second Midfield
24 Will Kusnierek (So., Manhasset, N.Y.)
Has one goal in each game this season after having two goals as a freshman … also plays on the man-up unit

14 Jake Stevens (So., Puslinch, Ont.)
Playing on second midfield and face-off wings after being primarily a shortstick defensive middie a year ago … has three goals and an assist … leads team with eight ground balls … also has two caused turnovers … had three goals, six ground balls and both caused turnovers against Colgate … had five goals, three assists and a team-best 60 ground balls while earning second-team All-Ivy honors as a freshman

25 Jamie Atkinson (Jr., Garden City, N.Y.)
Has three goals … has taken five shots, for a shooting percentage of .600

Shortstick Defensive Midfield
18 Luc Anderson (So., Littleton, Colo.)
Has an assist, two caused turnovers and four ground balls … played SSDM a year ago as well … can also play wings on face-offs … a Culver Military grad, along with Jake Stevens and Sam English

15 Sam English (Fr., Burlington, Ont.)
Had his first career goal against Colgate … had two caused turnovers and five ground balls against Monmouth … member of the Canadian U19 roster

23 Beau Pederson (So., Park City, Utah)
Moved from offensive to shortstick defensive midfield after a 10-goal, three-assist freshman year … has two caused turnovers and five ground balls through two games

Longstick midfield
32 Andrew Song (Jr., Canton, Mass.)
In his third year as the top LSM … has five career goals, the first Princeton longstick with five since John Cunningham, who graduated in 2012 with six … no Princeton longstick has ever had 10 career goals … has six ground balls this season … also plays on the face-off wings

7 Luca Lazzaretto (So., Lake Forest, Ill.)
Has been the No. 2 LSM through two games … has two caused turnovers and five ground balls

Defense
17 George Baughan (Jr., Wyndmoor, Pa.)
Had three caused turnovers and three ground balls against Colgate … missed Monmouth game with injury … preseason second-team All-American … unanimous first-team All-Ivy League and honorable mention All-American last year … second-team All-Ivy as a freshman ... team captain

27 Arman Medghalchi (Sr., Baltimore Md.)
Veteran defenseman who has started 37 career games … has two ground balls this season … has 26 career caused turnovers

10 Ben Finlay (Fr., Oakton, Va.)
Started first two games as a freshman … has four ground balls

28 Jacob Stoebener (So., Austin, Texas)
Started against Monmouth and played considerably in the Colgate game … has two caused turnvoers and a ground ball

26 Cathal Roberts (So., Dublin, Ireland)
Returned from injury in the Colgate game … had a caused turnover and ground ball … started the final five games a year ago … grew up in Ireland but played high school lacrosse in California

33 Nick Bauer (Sr., Newport Beach, Calif.)
Can play LSM or close defense … has two ground balls and two caused turnovers ... team captain

Goalie
9 Erik Peters (Jr., Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
Has started both games this season … Started the final nine games a year ago … career .519 save percentage

30 Jon Levine (Sr., Ridgefield, N.J.)
Has started five career games ... team captain

Face-off
47 Jack-Henry Vara (Jr., Medfield, Mass.)
Has won 30 of 55 face-offs (.545) through two games … was 120 for 252 a year ago (.476)

35 Tyler Sandoval (Fr., Garden City, N.Y.)
Won two of four against Colgate … just returning from injury after missing the fall and most of the start of practice