Princeton Renews Historic Rivalry With Syracuse On Sherrerd Field

Saturday, April 8

Princeton, N.J.

12:00 PM

Princeton University

Syracuse

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Princeton Renews Historic Rivalry With Syracuse On Sherrerd Field

April 06, 2023 | Men's Lacrosse

PRINCETON (4-4, 2-1 Ivy League) vs. SYRACUSE (6-5, 0-3 ACC)
Saturday, April 8 • noon
Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium • Princeton, N.J.
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For two teams who have met a total of 29 times, they've certainly made their time together count. Despite the relatively few number of meetings between them, Princeton and Syracuse have one of the greatest rivalries in the history of college lacrosse.

They meet for the 30^th time Saturday afternoon at noon on Sherrerd Field in the opening game of a doubleheader that will conclude with the Princeton women against Columbia. For its final non-league game of the regular season and its weekend away from Ivy League games, the Princeton men take on the Orange for the first time in 10 years.

Princeton vs. Syracuse
Five Storylines

History lesson
Princeton and Syracuse have played 29 times, and the Orange lead the series 20-9. So what makes this rivalry so special?

Well, consider that from 1992 through 2004, either Princeton or Syracuse won the NCAA championship every year except for two (1999, 2003). From 1992 through 2003, every single Princeton season, without exception, ended with either an NCAA title or an NCAA tournament loss to Syracuse. During that time, Princeton went 4-6 against Syracuse and 21-0 against every other opponent in NCAA tournament games.

Princeton and Syracuse have met four times on Memorial Day, including three straight times between 2000-02, and each team won two of those NCAA finals. It was Princeton in 1992, on Andy Moe's goal off the face-off of the second overtime and again in 2001, on B.J. Prager's overtime goal, off an assist from Ryan Boyle. Both of those games finished 10-9. Syracuse won in 2000 (13-7) and 2002 (13-12).

Beyond the postseason games, Princeton also defeated Syracuse in one of the best regular-season games either team has ever seen, a 15-14 four-overtime win at the Dome in 1999. Josh Sims scored the game-winner in that one.

Close
Princeton and Syracuse met twice in the 1920s, once shortly before World War II and then again once in the 1970s. The 1992 final was the fifth meeting in the series.

Since then, the teams have played 25 games, and 15 of them have been decided by either one goal (nine) or two goals (six).

Though the teams haven't played since 2013, the last four games in the series have been decided by two goals or less, including three straight one-goal games. The most recent meeting was a 13-12 Syracuse win on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium 10 years and one day prior to the 2023 meeting.

Connections
When Matt Madalon became Princeton's full-time head coach after the 2016 season, his first hire was Pat March as his offensive coordinator. March is now the offensive coordinate for Syracuse.

Gary Gait, the Syracuse head coach, is the father of former Princeton player Braedon Gait.

There are also eight players in the game who graduated from Culver Military Academy (Princeton's Jake Stevens, Sam English, Michael Gianforcaro, Luc Anderson and Braedon Saris; Syracuse's Owen Hiltz, John Cohen and Alex Simmons).

Ivy update
This is Princeton's week away from the Ivy League schedule. In recent years, Princeton has played Stony Brook and Boston University during this week.

Princeton finishes the regular season with games at Dartmouth, home against Harvard and at Cornell on the remaining Saturdays of April. The Ivy League tournament will be held the first weekend of May at Columbia.

Princeton is 2-1 in the league, with consecutive wins over Yale and Brown by a combined 39-22 after losing 9-8 in overtime to Penn. Cornell is 3-0, followed by 2-1 Princeton and Penn and 1-1 Dartmouth and Harvard. Brown is 0-2 and Yale is 0-3.

This week's three league games are Penn at Brown, Cornell at Harvard and Dartmouth at Yale.

He's honored
Coulter Mackesy has won back-to-back Ivy League Player of the Week awards, first with an eight-goal, 10-point game against Yale and then a three-goal, six-point game against Brown.

Mackesy now had 30 goals and 11 assists in eight games this season after having a 28-goal, 15-assist freshman year (the 28 goals are the second-best ever by a Tiger freshman; the 43 points are fourth). He ranks fifth in Division I in goals per game and 10^th in Division I in points per game, and his six man-up goals rank third in the country. The leader, by the way, is Syracuse's Joey Spallina with nine.

Due to injuries, Princeton has had six different players start on attack — Mackesy, Alex Slusher, Braedon Saris, Alexander Vardaro, Lukas Stanat, Jack Ringhofer. Mackesy is the only Princeton player to start all eight games on attack.

Mackesy has a 15-game streak of at least one goal, and he has twice as many games with three or more during that stretch (10) than fewer than three (five).

Other notes
Princeton ranks eighth in Division I in fewest turnovers per game (14.38). Syracuse is ranked No. 1 (11.73) … Princeton has averaged 18.75 goals per game in its three wins and 9.0 goals per game in its four losses. Princeton is 4-0 when scoring 14 or more and 0-4 when scoring 13 or fewer … Princeton's two leaders in caused turnovers are longstick midfielders Cathal Roberts and Michael Bath, who have nine each. Only once since caused turnovers became an official stat in 2010 has Princeton had an LSM lead the team in caused turnovers for a full season (Derek Raabe in 2013). Princeton has had two shortsticks lead the team in caused turnovers. Zach Currier did it twice, and Austin deButts did it once … Jack Ringhofer and Lukas Stanat have started the last two games on attack and have combined for seven goals and two assists in those two games … Princeton is 0-2 in overtime games this season, having lost back-to-back OT decisions to Rutgers and Penn … This is the first time since opening day, a span of seven games, that Princeton will be playing a team that was not in the 2022 NCAA tournament. Syracuse was in the 2021 tournament … Michael Gianforcaro has played all of Princeton's last three games after he and Griffen Rakower split the first five. Between them, they rank seventh in the country in saves per game. Gianforcaro has made at least 13 saves in all three of his starts … Alexander Vardaro became the 39^th player in program history to reach 100 career points with his three assists against Brown last weekend. Vardaro has 15 assists in eight games, a team-best that ties for the most he's had in a full season …

What can you say about? …

No. 0 Griffen Rakower (Sr., G)
* made his first five career starts and played the first half in all four games
* made 11 saves while allowing three goals in first half against Maryland
* also made 11 saves while allowing seven goals against Georgetown
* has a .586 save percentage
* had six saves while allowing three goals against Monmouth
* had eight saves while allowing five goals against Manhattan

No. 2 Chad Palumbo (Fr., M)
* had two goals in his first game, against Monmouth
* became the seventh player to play for Matt Madalon who had two goals in the first game of his freshman year, along with: Michael Sowers, Phillip Robertson and Chris Brown and current players Alexander Vardaro, Alex Slusher and Coulter Mackesy

No. 3 Pace Billings (Jr, D)
* Tewaaraton Award watchlist
* started the first three games on close defense
* missed three games due to injury before returning against Brown
* has four caused turnovers and eight ground balls
* played mostly LSM last year, when he was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament team

No. 5 Alex Slusher (Sr., A)
* had a streak of at least one goal in 21 straight games snapped against Maryland; streak is eighth longest in program history
* has 58 career goals, second on the team, two behind Alexander Vardaro
* had started every game of his career before missing the last two due to injury
* one of Princeton's captains

No. 6 Cathal Roberts (Sr., LSM)
* full-time LSM while also playing on face-off wings
* tied for team lead with nine caused turnovers
* also has 14 ground balls
* had three caused turnovers and three ground balls against Penn
* had two caused turnovers against Brown

No. 7 Luca Lazzaretto (Sr., LSM)
* has been a consistent LSM throughout his career
* plays mostly man-down D this season

No. 10 Ben Finlay (Sr., D)
* has started every game of his career on defense
* has three caused turnovers and 13 ground balls
* named to USILA Team of the Week after holding Yale's Matt Brandau without a goal, ending Brandau's 45-game goal scoring streak
* one of Princeton's captains

No. 11 Sean Cameron (So., M)
* second-line midfielder
* had two goals and an assist against Yale
* had a goal against Georgetown
* had a goal against Manhattan
* older brother Brian plays for Rutgers

No. 12 Christian Ronda (Sr., M)
* has 12 goals and six assists this season
* had four goals against Yale, for his third career game with at least four goals
* had three goals and an assist against Rutgers after having two goals and four assists the first four games combined
* had two goals and an assist against Brown
* scored the tying game goal with three minutes left against Penn
* had 23 goals a year ago, including six in the NCAA tournament

No. 13 Joe Juengerkes (Jr., SSDM)
* has three caused turnovers and three ground balls

No. 14 Jake Stevens (Sr., M)
* preseason second-team All-American
* plays midfield and face-off wings
* second on the team team in ground balls with 19
* has 11 goals and four caused turnovers
* had three goals, five ground balls and three caused turnovers against Georgetown; no other Princeton player has ever achieved at least all three of those in a game
* had two goals against Penn and Brown
* 2022 honorable mention All-American

No. 15 Sam English (Sr., M)
* Tewaaaraton Award watchlist
* second on the team with 13 assists
* had three goals and an assist against Brown
* scored the first goal of a game for the eighth time in his career when he scored Princeton's first goal against Brown
* had two goals and an assist against Penn
* tied the Rutgers game late in the fourth quarter to force overtime
* had 30 goals and 18 assists a year ago
* 2022 honorable mention All-American

No. 17 Michael Bath (So., LSM)
* plays LSM and on the face-off wings
* has nine caused turnovers, tied for team lead, and 14 ground balls
* had three caused turnovers and five ground balls against Yale
* had two caused turnovers and three ground balls against Brown

No. 18 Luc Anderson (Sr., SSDM)
* one of the Tiger captains
* has two caused turnovers
* has been slowed by injuries most of his career

No. 19 Alexander Vardaro (Sr., A/M)
* second on the team with 14 goals and with 29 points
* leads team with 15 assists
* became the 39^th player in program history to reach 100 career points with his three assists against Brown
* had a goal and four assists against Yale
* had two goals and two assists against Rutgers in second start on attack
* had two goals and two assists against Penn as well
* had five goals against Monmouth and four against Manhattan
* first Princeton player in 29 years to have at least nine goals in the first two games of a season (Scott Reinhardt in 1993)
* Princeton's leading career scorer with 63 goals and 100 points

No. 21 Tommy Barnds (Jr., M)
* had a goal and two assists against Yale
* had a goal and two assists against Brown
* started as a midfielder against Georgetown and had a goal
* had a goal against Monmouth

No. 23 Beau Pederson (Sr., SSDM)
* preseason first-team All-American
* one of Princeton's captains
* had two goals against Yale, with a caused turnover and three ground balls
* had two caused turnovers against Maryland
* had two caused turnovers and three ground balls against Penn
* third-team All-American a year ago

No. 24 Marquez White (Jr., SSDM)
* first line defensive midfielder
* has five caused turnovers and six ground balls
* had one caused turnover in the first four games and now has one in each of the last four

No. 27 Michael Gianforcaro (Jr., G)
* has .568 save percentage, which ranks sixth in Division I
* made first career start against Penn and made a career-high 17 saves
* made 14 saves in second start, against Yale
* made 13 saves against Brown
* started the second half of the first five games
* made 10 saves while allowing five goals against Rutgers
* had six saves against Georgetown
* made three of his five saves against Manhattan in the first four minutes of the third quarter, when Princeton went from down a goal to start an 8-2 run that led to a 14-9 win

No. 28 Jacob Stoebner (Sr., D)
* veteran defenseman who is part of the regular rotation
* held Yale's Leo Johnson to no goals and one assist while having three caused turnovers and three ground balls
* also started against Rutgers, Penn and Brown
* had five caused turnovers and six ground balls

No. 32 Andrew McMeekin (Fr., FO)
* has won 10 of 19 face-offs on the season
* won 3 of 5 against Yale
* won 5 of 9 face-offs against Monmouth

No. 35 Tyler Sandoval (Jr., FO)
* has won 48 of 107 face-offs
* has 16 ground balls
* had an assist against Manhattan five seconds after another Princeton goal (it was the shortest elapsed time between goals in Princeton history)
* will miss the rest of the season after suffereing knee injury against Yale

No. 36 Braedon Saris (So., A)
* starter on attack after playing in two games a year ago, with one assist
* had three goals and three assists against Monmouth
* had a goal and two assists against Manhattan
* had an assist against Maryland
* missed the last five games due to injury

No. 39 Weston Carpenter (Sr., M)
* has five goals this year, with one against Yale, Rutgers, Maryland, Manhattan and Monmouth
* had an assist against Penn
* did not have a goal in his career prior to this season

No. 43 Colin Mulshine (So., D)
* starter on defense
* has five caused turnovers and eight ground balls
* had two caused turnovers against Georgetown
* started 11 games as a freshman, including the final nine

No. 50 Liam Fairback (So., SSDM)
* converted offensive midfielder who is in the regular defensive midfield rotation
* had first career caused turnover in the game against Rutgers

No. 91 Coulter Mackesy (So., A)
* leads team with 30 goals and 41 points
* has won back-to-back Ivy League Player of the Week awards
* has at least three goals in seven of eight games
* ranks fifth in Division I in goals per game and 10^th in points per game
* became the first Princeton player with at least three goals in five or more games since Gavin McBride did it twice (2016, 2017)
* was the first Princeton player since Gerry Ronon in 1982 to have at least 15 goals in the first four games
* has more games with at least three goals (10) than fewer than three (five) in his last 15 games
* had career highs of eight goals and 10 points in win over Yale, earning Ivy Player of the Week and USA Lacrosse National Player of the Week honors
* had three goals and three assists against Brown for his second straight Ivy Player of the Week award
* had five goals and six points against Georgetown
* had three goals and three assists against Rutgers
* had three of Princeton's five goals against Maryland
* had four goals and two assists against Monmouth
* had three goals against Manhattan
* had 28 goals and 15 assists a year ago; his 43 points were the fourth-most ever by a Princeton freshman, behind only Michael Sowers, Kevin Lowe and Ryan Boyle

No. 99 Koby Ginder (So., FO)
* is 46 for 98 on face-offs for the season
* won 15 of 29 with a goal and six ground balls against Yale
* had an assist aganst Brown
* won 9 of 17 against Maryland, Georgetown, Rutgers and Penn
* won 8 of 12 face-offs against Manhattan with five ground balls