No. 3 Princeton Hosts No. 13 Boston University Saturday At 1

Saturday, April 9

Princeton, N.J.

1:00 PM

Princeton University

Boston University

Tickets

George Baughan and the Tigers host BU Saturday at 1.

Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

No. 3 Princeton Hosts No. 13 Boston University Saturday At 1

April 08, 2022 | Men's Lacrosse

No. 3/4 PRINCETON (7-2, 2-1 Ivy League) vs. No. 13/13 BOSTON UNIVERSITY (8-2, 5-0 Patriot League)
Saturday, April 9, 2022 • 1 pm
Sherrerd Field • Princeton, N.J.
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A pair of highly ranked teams who hope to play well into May meet for the first time ever. After this, both teams will finish the regular season with three straight league games.

Princeton vs. Boston University
Five Storylines

Winning
Princeton and Boston University are a combined 15-4 on the season. Princeton is ranked third in the Inside Lacrosse media poll and fourth in the USILA coaches' poll, while BU is ranked 13^th in both.

The teams have one common opponent to date, and that is Yale, who accounts for two of the four losses between Princeton and BU. The Tigers lost in New Haven 14-12 two weeks ago; Yale defeated Boston University 22-15 Tuesday afternoon at home.

Using the Inside Lacrosse poll, Princeton has wins over No. 2 Georgetown, No. 4 Rutgers and No. 8 Penn, losses to No. 1 Maryland and No. 5 Yale and remaining games with No. 10 Harvard and No. 6 Cornell.

Let's ride
Boston University ranks third in Division I in opponent's clearing percentage (essentially riding) at .754. Princeton has been clearing at a .865 rate, which ranks second in the Ivy League.

When it comes to ground balls, these are two of the very best teams in the country. Boston University is tied with LIU for second in Division I, averaging 37.80 ground balls per game, while Princeton is not that far behind with 37.78, which ranks fourth.

Turnovers
Whichever team can most closely mirror its season success in the turnover category will have a big advantage.

No team in Division I averages more caused turnovers per game than Boston University, who is first at 12.60 per game. BU had 14 caused turnovers against Yale Tuesday night.

Princeton turns the ball over fewer times per game than any team in the Ivy League (14.78 per game). Princeton has turned the ball over 13.3 times per game in its seven wins and 20.0 times per game in its two losses.

The Tigers are also in the top 10 in Division I causing turnovers, ranking ninth, with 10.0 per game). BU ranks seventh in the Patriot League and 59^th in Division I in turnovers, averaging 18.6 per game.

20-20
There are 15 players in the Division I who have at least 20 goals and 20 assists, two of whom will be in the Princeton-BU game: Princeton's Chris Brown has 20 goals and 24 assists. BU's Vince D'Alto has 35 goals and 24 assists.

Should Brown maintain his current per-game averages, he would finish the regular season with 31 goals and 33 assists. Only three players in Princeton history have ever had a season with at least 30 goals and 30 assists: David Tickner (34G, 32A in 1976), Mike MacDonald (48G, 30A in 2015) and Michael Sowers (41G, 41A in 2017 and 37G, 53A in 2019). Had Sowers continued at his 2020 pace for a full 13 games, he would have finished the regular season with 31 goals and 81 assists.

Face-offs
Princeton as a team has won 137 face-offs and lost 138. In the five games of 2020, Princeton won 80 face-offs and lost 81.

The last time Princeton won at least 50 percent of its face-offs in a season was 2012.

Tyler Sandoval is currently leading the Ivy League at .558. The last time a Princeton player had a better percentage for a full season was back in 1999, when Matt Bailer won 95 of 161 (.590).

Boston University's Conor Calderone, a transfer from Maryland, has won .606 of his face-offs, which ranks ninth in Division I. Boston University went 18 for 41 against Yale; Princeton went 18 for 28.

Other notes

* Princeton and BU average 31.44 goals per game between them. The Tigers rank second in Division I in scoring offense (16.44) and have now been in double figures in 23 straight games, the longest such streak in program history.

* Princeton has allowed 8.8 goals per game in the four games Colin Mulshine has started (Georgetown, Rutgers, Brown, Marist) and 12.8 in the five games he has not started.

* Princeton is ranked in the top 10 in Division I in all of the following: scoring offense (second), shooting percentage (third), ground balls per game (fourth), points per game (fourth), scoring margin (fifth), caused turnovers per game (ninth), winning percentage (10^th). BU is ranked in the top 10 in all the following: caused turnovers per game (first), ground balls per game (second), opponent clearing percentage (third), assists per game (fourth), face-off winning percentage (sixth), scoring margin (seventh), winning percentage (seventh), scoring offense (eighth).

* Princeton has 73 assists on 148 goals (49.3%). The last time Princeton didn't have at least 60 percent of its goals assisted on for a season was 2011.

* Princeton is 12-2 in its last 14 games and 16-3 in its last 19 games.

* Princeton had eight players honored as Inside Lacrosse mid-season All-Americans: Jake Stevens (second team), Andrew Song (third team) and honorable mention selections George Baughan, Chris Brown, Sam Engish, Ben Finlay, Erik Peters and Alexander Vardaro.

What can you say about …

Jamie Atkinson • Sr., M, No. 25
* one of five senior captains (also George Baughan, Chris Brown, Erik Peters, Andrew Song)
* had a career-high three goals against Marist
* missed the first four games due to injury before returning to play against Rutgers

Tommy Barnds • So., A, No. 21
* has five goals and two assists
* had a goal during Princeton's 6-0 run to take control against Brown in the third quarter
* had a goal against Penn
* had a goal against Maryland
* made his first three career starts after having moved from middie to attack and has now moved back to middie

Michael Bath • Fr., LSM, No. 88
* has played LSM and on the face-off wings
* had first career goal in the Binghamton game
* has two caused turnovers and seven ground balls

George Baughan • Sr., D, No. 17
* 2020 Inside Lacrosse first-team All-American
* unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection and honorable mention All-American in 2019
* 2022 Inside Lacrosse mid-season honorable mention All-American
* Tewaaraton Award watchlist
* has eight caused turnovers
* had an assist, a caused turnover and four ground balls against Yale
* missed the Georgetown and Rutgers games due to injury
* returned to play against Penn and had two caused turnovers

Pace Billings • So., D/LSM, No. 3
* started on close defense for first seven games after being an LSM through the fall; moved back to LSM against Brown
* has six caused turnovers
* had first career assist against Georgetown
* held Georgetown's Conor Morin without a goal or assist
* missed the Rutgers game due to injury
* returned from injury with a CT against Penn
* had two caused turnovers against Marist as LSM

Chris Brown • Sr., A, No. 6
* 2022 Inside Lacrosse mid-season honorable mention All-American
* has at least one point in all 41 games in his career
* had 35-game streak with at least one goal to start his career, which was the longest streak to start a career and second longest overall in program history (next longest streak to start a career was 14 games)
* has 24 goals (second on the team) and 20 assists and 44 points (both leading the team)
* is the 38^th player in program history to have a season of at least 20 goals and 20 assists
* is ninth in Division I in shooting percentage (leading the Ivy League) and is 23^rd in Division I points per game and 15th in assists per game
* had six goals and three assists, including the game-winning goal, in a 21-20 overtime win over Penn; six goals and nine points were career highs
* named USA Lacrosse Magazine Division I Player of the Week and to the USILA Team of the Week after the Penn game
* had two goals and three assists against Brown
* had back-to-back seven-point games to start the season, with 3G, 4A against Monmouth and 4G, 3A against Binghamton
* had 3G, 1A against Rutgers
* had 2G, 1A against Maryland
* had two goals and four assists against Marist

Career points
13. David Tickner (163)
14. Gerald Ronon (153)
15. Peter Trombino (152)
16. Chris Brown (151)

Career goals
13. Kip Orban (101)
14. Peter Trombino (98)
15. Gerald Ronon/Scott Conklin (97)
17. Bill Chaires/Lorne Smith/David Tickner/Chris Brown (94)

Sean Cameron • Fr., M, No. 11
* second-line midfielder
* had a goal against Penn
* had first career two-goal game against Marist
* had his first career goal in win over Binghamton

Luke Crimmins • Sr., SSDM, No. 31
* converted to SSDM just two weeks before season started
* had his best career game with a goal, two caused turnovers and five ground balls against Georgetown
* had three ground balls against Rutgers and Brown
* had two goals on two shots against Binghamton

Sam English • Jr., M, No. 15
* 2022 Inside Lacrosse mid-season honorable mention All-American
* has 14 goals and 11 assists after moving from SSDM to a first-line midfielder
* second on the team in assists and fourth in points
* scored Princeton's first goal four straight games prior to Penn game
* had two goals and two assists against Penn
* had three goals and an assist against Georgetown
* had a career-high four goals against Maryland
* had two goals and an assist against Marist
* had five points (2G, 3A) against Binghamton

Ben Finlay • Jr., D, No. 10
* 2022 Inside Lacrosse mid-season honorable mention All-American
* has started every game of his career
* has 11 caused turnovers for team lead
* had a caused turnover and four ground balls against Maryland
* had four caused turnovers against Georgetown
* had two caused turnovers against Yale

Joseph Juengerkes • So., SSDM, No. 13
* has seen considerable time as an SSDM
* has a caused turnover and two ground balls

Coulter Mackesy • Fr., M, No. 91
* began the year as a middie and made first career start on attack against Georgetown
* had four goals and two assists in second career start, against Rutgers, to earn Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors
* has 10 goals and 11 assists
* had three assists against Marist
* is the 14^th Princeton freshman ever to reach double figures in goals and assists
* had two goals and two assists in the first four games; has eight goals and nine assists in the last five

Colin Mulshine • Fr., D, No. 43
* started in the wins wins over Georgetown, Rutgers, Brown and Marist
* team has allowed 8.8 goals per game in his three starts and 12.8 in the five he didn't start
* helped hold the Hoya attack to two goals on 13 shots
* had two caused turnovers against Rutgers and Brown
* has four caused turnovers and 10 ground balls

Beau Pederson • Jr., SSDM, No. 23
* Princeton's top shortstick D middie
* had a goal against Binghamton
* had an assist against Maryland and Penn
* had a caused turnover and three ground balls against Georgetown
* had an assist, caused turnover and two ground balls against Yale
* has five caused turnovers and 15 ground balls
* converted O middie who had 10 goals as a freshman

Erik Peters • Sr., G, No. 9
* 2022 Inside Lacrosse mid-season honorable mention All-American
* has a 11.14 goals-against average and .566 save percentage
* added to Tewaaraton Award watchlist
* has at least 15 saves in four of nine games
* is eighth in the country in save percentage and 11th in the country in saves per game
* made 57 saves in his three-game stretch against Maryland, Georgetown, Rutgers
* had a career-high 21 saves against Rutgers to earn Ivy Player of the Week award for second straight week; also named to the USILA Team of the Week after the Rutgers game
* had 17 saves while allowing eight goals against Georgetown to earn Ivy Player of the Week honors; made 10 saves in the second half and six in the fourth quarter
* made 19 saves against Maryland
* Princeton's starting goalie since midway through the 2019 season

Cathal Roberts • Jr., D, No. 26
* can play close D or LSM
* caused turnover at midfield led to key second-quarter goal against Georgetown
* has four caused turnovers and five ground balls

Christian Ronda • Jr, M, No. 12
* has 15 goals and two assists as a starting middie
* played in one career game prior to this season without taking a shot
* had two goals against Penn
* had two goals against Rutgers
* had four goals against Marist
* had five goals against Monmouth in his first start

Tyler Sandoval • So., FO, No. 35
* has won 116 of 208 face-offs (.558)
* leading the Ivy League in face-off percentage
* leads team with 48 ground balls
* won 19 of 31 face-offs against Rutgers
* was 18 for 28 with 11 ground balls against Yale
* scored a goal against Brown five seconds after a Bears' goal; it's the fastest a Princeton player has ever scored a goal following an opponent's goal
* was 17 for 36 against Penn but won the face-off to start the overtime
* had an assist against Binghamton
* missed the Maryland game in the Covid protocol

Alex Slusher • Jr., A, No. 5
* leads team with 31 goals and is second with 37 points
* is seventh in Division I goals per game (first in the Ivy League), and 29^th in Division I in shooting percentage and 32nd in Division I in points per game
* has at least two goals in eight games and at least three goals in five
* had a career-high six goals against Brown to earn Ivy League Player of the Week honors
* had five of Princeton's 10 goals against Georgetown
* had four goals and two assists against Rutgers
* had three goals against Penn
* also had five goals against Monmouth
* has moved to attack from being a starting midfielder in 2020
* member of the U.S. U-21 team for the upcoming World Championships in Ireland

Andrew Song • Sr., LSM, No. 32
* 2022 Inside Lacrosse mid-season third-team All-American
* fourth-year starting LSM
* also plays on face-off wings
* named to USILA Team of the Week after a four-caused turnover, three-ground ball performance against Georgetown
* has 10 caused turnovers, tied for team lead, and 21 ground balls
* had two caused turnovers and five ground balls against Penn, including a ground ball on the overtime face-off
* played for China in the 2018 World Championships

Jacob Stoebner • Jr., D, No. 28
* veteran defender who has been either a starter or key reserve
* started against Rutgers and had a caused turnover and three ground balls
* had three ground balls against Georgetown
* has two caused turnovers and six ground balls

Jake Stevens • Jr., M, No. 14
* 2022 Inside Lacrosse mid-season second-team All-American
* do-it-all midfielder who plays offense, defense and face-off wings
* has 16 goals and one assist
* ranks second in the Ivy League and 14th in Division I in shooting percentage (.471)
* second on team with 40 ground balls
* had two goals against Yale, the third-straight game with two goals
* had two goals, one assist and seven ground balls against Penn
* had two goals and three ground balls against Rutgers
* had two goals against Brown, with five ground balls
* had a goal and five ground balls against Georgetown
* had three goals against Monmouth and four goals against Binghamton
* had seven ground balls against Marist

Alexander Vardaro • Jr., M, No. 19
* 2022 Inside Lacrosse mid-season honorable mention All-American
* only starting midfielder from 2020 who is starting in midfield this year
* has 16 goals and 10 assists
* tied career high with four goals against Yale and also had two assists for career-high six points
* had three goals and two assists against Brown
* had three goals and two assists against Penn
* had two goals against Maryland
* had two assists against Georgetown
* team's second-leading career scorer (35-15-50)

Jack-Henry Vara • Sr., FO, No. 47
* returned from the Covid protocol to take all 29 face-offs against Maryland

Marquez White • So., SSDM, No. 24
* running as a first-line SSDM
* had caused turnover against Georgetown