Princeton University
Penn
No. 2 Princeton Travels to Penn
April 17, 2025 | Men's Lacrosse
No. 2 PRINCETON 9-2, 3-1 Ivy League)
vs.
PENN (4-8, 1-4 Ivy League)
Saturday, April 19 • noon
Franklin Field • Philadelphia, Pa.
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Feature Story: Coulter Mackesy and McKenzie Blake, The Reluctant Record Chasers
Probable Princeton starters
Career highs
Career scoring/pronunciations
A – Again
Princeton is 9-2 to start a season for the second time in four years, having also done so during its run to the 2022 Final Four. The last time Princeton started a season 10-2 was in 2009.
B – Burns
Colin Burns has scored three goals in each of his last four games after having nine goals in the first seven games of the season.
C – Coulter
Coulter Mackesy is second all-time in goals scored at Princeton and fourth all-time in points in a career.
Career goals at Princeton
1. Jesse Hubbard 163
2. Coulter Mackesy 156
Career points at Princeton
1. Michael Sowers 302
2. Kevin Lowe 247
3. Ryan Boyle 232
4. Coulter Mackesy 231
D – Defense
Princeton has held four of its last seven opponents to eight goals or fewer, including five on two occasions. Princeton allowed 12.25 goals per game in its first four games and has allowed 9.0 goals per game in the last seven.
E – Extra man
Princeton is 13 for 21 (.619) on extra-man opportunities, which is second in Division I. The last time Princeton was over .500 for a full season was a .514 mark in 2014.
F – Franklin Field
Princeton has lost its last two games at Franklin Field and has not won there since 2017. Princeton did win the first of its six NCAA championships at the stadium, defeating Syracuse 10-9 on Andy Moe’s goal in the second overtime in 1992.
G – Goalie
Princeton’s Ryan Croddick leads the Ivy League and is sixth in Division I in save percentage (.592). The last Princeton goalie to have a better save percentage for a full season was Tyler Fiorito (.595 in 2012, .615 in 2011). Croddick also leads Division I in saves per game (14.64) and is still the only Division I goalie with at least 22 saves in two different games this season.
H – Head Coach
Matt Madalon has as record of 71-39 (.645) at Princeton since taking over with five games to go in the 2016 season. In the last 55 years, only Bill Tierney (238-86, .735) has won more games and had a higher winning percentage as Princeton head men’s lacrosse coach than Madalon. In fact, you have to go back to Dick Colman (also a Hall of Fame football coach) from 1946-49 to find a coach who has a higher winning percentage than Madalon (minimum two years as head coach).
I – Ivy League Tournament
With two weekends left in the regular season, the four teams who will compete in the Ivy League tournament are set: Princeton, Cornell, Harvard and Yale. Cornell would clinch the top seed and host role with a win at Harvard this weekend. Princeton would be the host only if it wins its last two games (at Penn, Yale) and Cornell loses its last two (at Harvard, Dartmouth).
J – Just In Case
Princeton and Penn have gone to overtime twice in their last five meetings. Princeton has two current players with a point in overtime: Colin Burns with a goal against Penn State this year and Coulter Mackesy with an assist against Penn in 2022.
K – Kabiri
Nate Kabiri, a sophomore, is second among active Princeton players in career points with 96 (51G, 45A) in 27 career games (all starts). The only Princeton players to reach 100 career points before the end of their sophomore year are Michael Sowers, Kevin Lowe, Jesse Hubbard, Ryan Boyle and Coulter Mackesy.
L – Leaders
Princeton has two captains for the 2025 season — Michael Bath and Coulter Mackesy.
M – Mueller
Cooper Mueller has three goals, one assist, 10 caused turnovers and 26 ground balls. The only Princeton shortsticks to reach at least three goals, 10 caused turnovers and 20 ground balls without taking at least one face-off are Beau Pederson (3G, 11CT, 26GB in 2023) and Jake Stevens (5G, 11CT, 60GB in 2019) — caused turnovers weren’t an official stat until 2009.
N – NCAA
Princeton has reached the NCAA tournament each of the last three seasons.
O – Offense
Peter Buonanno has five goals and four assists in the last five games after having one goal and one assist in the first six.
P – Penalty Free
Colin Mulshine has not committed a penalty in 31 straight games, despite usually guarding the other team’s top attackman. For his career, Mulshine has played in 58 career games, with 54 career starts, and has committed only one penalty (a 30-second hold) in 2023 against Harvard.
Q – Quakers
Princeton and Penn meet for the 94th time, and Princeton holds a 71-22 edge in the series. Princeton defeated Penn twice last year: 15-10 in the regular season and 18-11 in the Ivy League tournament final.
R – RPI
Princeton is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA RPI. Going by RPI, Princeton has wins over No. 3 Penn State, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 7 Harvard, No. 10 Duke and No. 18 Rutgers, with losses to No. 2 Maryland and No. 4 Cornell.
S – Shots
Princeton averaged 39.9 shots per game for its first seven games of the season, during which time the Tigers were outshot by an average of six per game. Princeton has averaged 55 shots per game in its last four games, outshooting its last four opponents by an average of 55-36. Princeton’s highest single-game shot total for its first seven games was 46. In the last four games, Princeton has taken 60, 58, 49 and 53 shots.
T – Turnovers
Michael Bath has 58 career caused turnovers. Chad Wiedmaier holds the Princeton record with 83, followed by George Baughan with 67.
U – Underclassmen
Princeton starts two sophomores on attack (Colin Burns, Nate Kabiri), one sophomore at midfield (Tucker Wade) and one sophomore on defense (Jack Stahl), with three sophomores at shortstick defensive midfield (Cooper Mueller, Jackson Green, Owen Fischer). Princeton also has a sophomore on the second midfield (Carson Krammer) and another defenseman who is getting regular playing time (Hunter Spiess). That’s a total of nine sophomores who make major contributions from a class that was the No. 1 rated incoming class by Inside Lacrosse a year ago.
V – Very Deep
Princeton has been regularly playing six shortstick defensive midfielders (Liam Fairback, Owen Fischer, Jackson Green, Michael Kelly, Quinn Krammer, Cooper Mueller) and eight poles (Michael Bath, Nick Crowley, Finn Fox, Zach Friedman, Cooper Kistler, Colin Mulshine, Hunter Spiess, Jack Stahl)
W – Winning
Matt Madalon was 27-20 in his first 47 games as Princeton head coach. He is 44-19 in the 63 since.
X – Face-off X
Andrew McMeekin is 60 for 103 (.583) with 38 ground balls in his last four games after being 39 for 105 (.371) with 22 ground balls for the first six games.
Y – Year 6
Colin Burns and Nate Kabiri are in their sixth year playing together on attack. They’re now in Year 2 at Princeton after playing together for two years at Georgetown Prep and four years as club teammates.
Z – Zing
Princeton has committed 15 penalties this season, of which three have been committed by longsticks and 12 by shortsticks. Princeton committed 63 penalties in 2022, 62 in 2023, 26 last year and now 15 through 11 games this year.
