Princeton University Athletics
Monday TigerBlog - Follow The Leader
April 20, 2026 | Tiger Blog
Colin Burns scored the first goal of Saturday's Ivy League men's lacrosse game between Princeton and Harvard in Cambridge.
Then he scored three more, including one where he hockey-sticked a shot into the goal to just beat the shot clock.
In between all of these goals, the junior Princeton men's lacrosse captain spent his time while the ball was on the other side of the field yelling to his teammates on the sideline to keep the energy going through the times where it seemed to be getting away from the Tigers — and there were plenty of times when that seemed to be the case.
All of that was in the past, though. Now the game was tied, late in the fourth quarter, the ball in Burns' stick with the shot clock and game clock his enemy.
Before TigerBlog says what happened next (plus you probably already know anyway), here are a few things you need to know about Colin Burns.
First, TigerBlog remembers the first time he met him. Burns was an incoming freshman. It was at at fall practice.
It took about 10 seconds to realize which former Princeton men's lacrosse player immediately came to mind. That would be Jon Hess, one of the trio of what might be (or, according to TB is) the greatest attack unit of all time, along with his 1998 classmates Jesse Hubbard and Chris Massey. They were the cornerstones of three straight NCAA championships, a feat that has not been matched since.
Of course, by that time, TB had never seen Burns play. It wasn't his on-field style that reminded TB of Hess. It was his obvious leadership quality.
You talk to him for five minutes and you can't miss it. There's a reason he's a junior captain.
Meanwhile, back at Saturday's game, there was a lot at stake in this one, things like "putting yourself in position to win an Ivy championship" and "stay in the hunt to host the Ivy League tournament" and "add another Top 10 win to your resume."
Wait. Wait. Here's something else to know about Burns.
He has started every game of his career to date. If he stays healthy, he's headed for around 15th or so all-time at Princeton in points.
And yet he's fairly underrated. Mostly he's been known for his years playing with his high school and club teammate Nate Kabiri, who has also started every game of his Princeton career.
Burns played his first two seasons with Coulter Mackesy, a Tewaaraton Award finalist last year and Princeton's career leader in goals scored. This year, he's joined on attack by Kabiri (as he has from Day 1 as a Tiger) and Chad Palumbo. Those other two were just named as Tewaaraton Top 25 nominees for this season.
Kabiri is the team's leading scorer. Palumbo is second. Both will be All-Americans.
Burns? He's not the most athletic. He's not the most physically imposing. All he does is lead, make big plays and win. Since he and Kabiri moved onto the attack unit together, Princeton is 34-11. Since the start of last year? Make that 23-6. This year? It's 10-2 and heading to another NCAA tournament.
He's the team's third leading scorer, with 21 goals and 14 assists. Underrated perhaps, but in the situation at game's end Saturday, you're perfectly fine with the ball in his stick.
And there it was Saturday, in his stick — briefly, since in a flash it was in the back of the net. Maybe a little more than a flash, but, with overtime looming, Burns came from behind the cage and bounced it home.
See for yourself:
There were 17 seconds left in the game and three seconds left on the shot clock.OH MY BURNSIE pic.twitter.com/XcHTVEeSlG
— Princeton Men's Lacrosse (@TigerLacrosse) April 18, 2026
Final score: Princeton 15, Harvard 14. His fifth goal of the day, which is a career high.
Princeton hosts Dartmouth Saturday in its regular season finale. A Tiger win means at least a share of the Ivy championship. A Tiger win and Harvard win at Cornell means an outright title and brings the Ivy tournament to Princeton.
No matter what, Princeton is headed to the NCAA tournament. It'll be the team's fifth straight appearance.
As for Burns, he'll keep doing what he does. He brings 76 goals and 40 assists for his career into the game against Dartmouth, but stats will never be what defines him.
He's defined by innate leadership. TigerBlog saw it the first time he talked to him.
Everyone could see it Saturday. He led with his words and with his play.
Princeton came away with a huge win because of him.
