Third-Seeded Princeton, Sixth-Seeded Syracuse Renew Rivalry In NCAA Quarterfinals Saturday
May 15, 2025 | Men's Lacrosse
NCAA TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL
No. 3 SEED PRINCETON (13-3)
vs
No. 6 SEED SYRACUSE (12-5)
Saturday, May 17 • 2:30 pm
Shuart Stadium • Hofstra University • Hempstead, N.Y.
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Princeton all-time NCAA results
Princeton all-time NCAA tournament records
Probable Princeton starters
Career highs
Career scoring/pronunciations
A – About Princeton
Princeton is 13-3 on the season. The last time Princeton won 13 games in a season was 2009; the last time Princeton won more was in its 2001 NCAA championship season. The Tigers have beaten NCAA teams Penn State (fifth seed), Duke (seventh seed), North Carolina (eighth seed), Harvard (unseeded) twice and Towson (unseeded). Princeton’s three losses have come against top-seeded Cornell (twice) and second-seeded Maryland.
B – Between 1992-2003 ...
... Princeton was 21-0 against all other teams and 4-6 against Syracuse in the NCAA tournament. During that time Princeton won six NCAA titles and split four NCAA finals against the Orange.
C – Chad
Chad Palumbo has 39 points this season (22G, 17A) after having 37 last year (26G, 11A). The only other Princeton middies this century who have had back-to-back seasons with at least 37 points are Tom Schreiber (three times) and Josh Sims. Palumbo has 13G, 5A in six career postseason games (four Ivy tournament, two NCAA tournament).
D – Dominance
Syracuse face-off man John Mullen was 52 for 59 with 32 ground balls in two games against Harvard this season. Princeton face-off man Andrew McMeekin was 36 for 57 with 17 ground balls in two games against Harvard this season.
E – English
Syracuse features Princeton graduate Sam English, who has played the last two seasons with the Orange. The last time Princeton played an NCAA quarterfinal game (against Yale at Hofstra in 2022), English had three goals in a 14-10 win. English had 30 goals and 18 assists in 2022 and 36 goals and 31 assist, with 12 CTs and 41GBs in 29 career games with the Tigers. Because of the pandemic and a season-ending injury (against Syracuse) in 2023, English has actually played in more games with Syracuse (35) than with Princeton (29). In addition to English, Syracuse offensive coordinator Pat March was previously Princeton’s offensive coordinator.
F – For The Record
Coulter Mackesy has scored at least one goal in 34 straight games and 56 of his last 57 and is second among active Division I players in career points, behind CJ Kirst.
Career goals at Princeton
1. Coulter Mackesy (2022-present) 164
Career points at Princeton
1. Michael Sowers (2017-20) 302
2. Kevin Lowe (1991-94) 247
3. Coulter Mackesy (2022-present) 245
G – Goalie
Princeton’s Ryan Croddick was the Ivy League Goalie of the Year, a first-team All-Ivy League selection and a three-time Ivy Defensive Player of the Week. He is currently third in Division I in saves per game (14.40) and fifth in Division I in save percentage (.584). Croddick also has three assists, tying for the most points by a Princeton goalie in a season since Bill Cronin in 1973. He currently is third in saves by a Princeton goalie in a season:
1. Bill Cronin (1973) 277
2. Kevin Gray (1975) 231
3. Ryan Croddick (2025) 228
H – Head Coach
Matt Madalon is 8-5 in 13 postseason games at Princeton (seven Ivy tournament, six NCAA tournament). He has an overall record of 75-40 (.655) 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). Madalon was 27-20 in his first 47 games as Princeton head coach; he is 48-20 since.
I – Ivy League
The Ivy League has produced three of the five Tewaaraton Award finalists: Princeton’s Coulter Mackesy, Cornell’s CJ Kirst and Harvard’s Sam King (along with Army’s Jackson Eicher and Notre Dame’s Chris Kavanagh). Mackesy is Princeton’s fifth finalist, along with Trevor Tierney, Ryan Boyle, Tom Schreiber (twice) and Michael Sowers.
J – Just Saying
Sean Cameron is 7 for 10 shooting since he snapped an 0 for 19 streak in midseason ... Princeton was 22 for 42 shooting against Towson; the last time Princeton shot at least .500 for a game was opening day of 2016 (21 for 42 against NJIT) ... Princeton had two players with at least five goals in an NCAA tournament game for the first time in the win over Towson (Nate Kabiri, Tucker Wade) and three players with at least four for the first time in an NCAA game (Kabiri, Wade and Colin Burns).
K – Kabiri
Nate Kabiri has 64G and 52A in his first two seasons, joining Michael Sowers as the only Princeton players ever with at least 50 goals and 50 assists after sophomore season. He’s also the first Princeton player to have at least 30 goals and 25 assists as a freshman and sophomore.
L – Leaders
Princeton has two captains for the 2025 season — Michael Bath and Coulter Mackesy.
M – Mueller
First-team All-Ivy SSDM Cooper Mueller — a USA Lacrosse Magazine third-team All-American — has five goals, one assist, 11 caused turnovers and 34 ground balls. The only other Princeton shortsticks to reach those numbers are Zach Currier (three times) and Jake Stevens. Mueller’s father Kit was a two-time Ivy League men’s basketball Player of the Year (1990, 1991).
N – NCAA Tournament
Princeton has reached the NCAA tournament for the 24th time, including each of the last four seasons. In all, Princeton has won six NCAA championships and played in eight finals, 11 Final Fours and now 17 quarterfinals. Princeton has an all-time record of 33-17 in NCAA games.
O – Offensive Coordinator
Princeton has scored 206 goals for the year, which ranks ninth all-time for a season at Princeton. Of the nine highest scoring seasons in program history, four of them have come in the four full seasons that Jim Mitchell has been the team’s offensive coordinator.
P – PLL
Coulter Mackesy was the No. 4 pick in the recent Premier Lacrosse League draft, taken by the Boston Cannons. Colin Mulshine also signed with the Cannons as an undrafted free agent.
Q – Quite A Stat
Princeton’s offensive midfielders are a combined 46 for 113 shooting (.407) in the last five games. Princeton has gotten 111 goals from its offensive midfielders, with 65 in the first 11 games (5.9 per game) and 46 in the last five (9.3 per game). Princeton’s offensive midfielders have outscored Princeton’s attackmen 111-102.
R – Remarkable
Andrew McMeekin is the only player in Princeton men’s lacrosse history with two seasons of at least 100 ground balls.
S – Series History
Princeton and Syracuse meet for the 31st time, and the Orange hold a 21-9 lead to date. Princeton and Syracuse last played in 2023 in Princeton, a 16-13 SU win; before that the last meeting was in 2013.
T – Turnovers
Michael Bath has 65 career caused turnovers. Chad Wiedmaier holds the Princeton record with 83, followed by George Baughan with 67. Bath has seven games this season with multiple caused turnovers.
U – USA Lacrosse All-Americans
Princeton had seven players named USA Lacrosse All-Americans: Coulter Mackesy (first-team), Colin Mulshine (second-team), SSDM Cooper Mueller (third-team), offensive midfielder Chad Palumbo (third-team), goalie Ryan Croddick (HM), SSDM Jackson Green (HM), and offensive midfielder Tucker Wade (HM).
V – Very Impressive
Princeton leads Division I in extra man offense (17 for 30, .567); the last time Princeton was over .500 for a full season was a .514 mark in 2014. Princeton is second in Division I in fewest turnovers per game (13.0).
W – Wade
Tucker Wade is Princeton’s first sophomore midfielder to be first-team All-Ivy since Tom Schreiber in 2012. Wade has nine multi-goal games this season and had a streak of five straight end when he had one goal and two assists in the Ivy League final against Cornell.
X – Face-off X
Andrew McMeekin was 39 for 105 (.371) with 22 ground balls for the first six games. In the last nine, he is 131 for 230 (.570) with 80 ground balls in his last nine games. McMeekin is a three-time Ivy League all-tournament team selection and was the 2024 Ivy tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Y – Young Guns
Princeton regularly plays nine sophomores: A Nate Kabiri and Colin Burns, M Tucker Wade and Carson Krammer, SSDM Owen Fischer, Cooper Mueller and Jackson Green, LSM/D Jack Stahl, D Hunter Spiess. Princeton regularly plays four freshmen: M Peter Buonanno, Jake Vana and Beau Hokanson and LSM Finn Fox.
Z – Zinger
Princeton and Syracuse had the most Inside Lacrosse All-Americans, with eight each. Princeton's eight were: second-team Coulter Mackesy and Chad Palumbo, third-team Colin Mulshine and honorable mention Cooper Mueller, Nate Kabiri, Ryan Croddick, Michael Bath and Tucker Wade.