No. 13 Princeton Falls To No. 6 Rutgers In Overtime

Saturday, March 11

Piscataway, N.J.

1:00 PM

Princeton University

Rutgers

Joe Juengerkes clears the ball against Rutgers' Ryan Splaine during the Tigers' 14-13 overtime loss.

Photo by: Tom Gilbert

No. 13 Princeton Falls To No. 6 Rutgers In Overtime

March 11, 2023 | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

The 100^th meeting between Princeton and Rutgers was as exciting as any of the 99 that preceded it. In the end, that was little consolation for the team that did not raise the Meistrell Cup.

It was sixth-ranked Rutgers who came away with a 14-13 overtime over No. 13 Prineton Saturday afternoon at SHI Stadium, getting a goal from Dante Kulas with five seconds left on the shot clock on the first possession of the OT.

The game matched two of the four teams from last year's Championship Weekend.

The final 23:26 of the game saw Rutgers lead by one three times and then have Princeton tie it three times prior to the game-winning goal, the fourth of the day from Kulas. This third tie during that stretch came on a goal from Sam English with 4:32 to go, making it a 13-13 game that stayed that way the remainder of regulation.

Princeton had two possessions in the final minute with the game tied but didn't get a shot off. Rutgers had one possession in between, but Jake Stevens caused a turnover on that chance. Rutgers won the OT face-off and called a timeout, and Shane Knoblauch skipped a pass to Kulas that came late in the possession.

Mikey G says NOPE pic.twitter.com/dcYfJMsvNC
— Princeton Men's Lacrosse (@TigerLacrosse) March 11, 2023

Rutgers would have won in regulation had it not been an outstanding 10-save second-half effort from Michael Gianforcaro, who had the best game of his career. Time and again Gianforcaro made tough saves, including four that kept it a one-goal game in the fourth quarter. Rutgers outshot Princeton 53-38.

Coulter Mackesy led Princeton with a six-point day on three goals and three assists, and Christian Ronda (3G, 1A) and Alexander Vardaro (2G, 2A) had four-points each. Alex Slusher had two goals, while English, Stevens and Weston Carpenter had one each.