The Tigers will be looking to string consecutive victories together for the first time all season. After losing its first two against Johns Hopkins and Virginia, Princeton has alternated wins and losses. Head coach Bill Tierney is still trying to find a way to get the team to perform at a high level every week.
“This is one of the best groups of people I’ve ever coached here, but I still haven’t figured out how to flip the switch with them,” Tierney said. “I haven’t figured out what makes them tick.”
After falling 10-2 to a winless Albany team on March 21, the Tigers regrouped and defeated in-state rival Rutgers, 7-6. Princeton came out playing conservatively against Rutgers, fearful of making any more wrong moves and suffering another upset. The Scarlet Knights jumped out to a 5-3 first-half lead, but Princeton battled back with two goals late in the half to knot the score at five.
“We got tight in the first half,” Tierney said. “Thankfully, the two goals at the end of the half loosened us up, and we stopped playing not to lose.”
Playing not to lose against Yale definitely won’t work. While the Bulldogs are two games under .500, their four losses are by a combined five goals, and they took No. 6 Cornell to overtime before losing 8-7.
“Yale is a very well-coached team,” Tierney said. “They have played us tough in each of the last four or five years. They have some phenomenal players, and it’s a team we haven’t been able to score on a lot.”
The Bulldogs boast an experienced team, with talented players on every line. Attack Tyler Casertano led the Elis in points last season with 41 and was a first-team All-New England selection. He is an effective dodger and feeder, as evidenced by his 26 assists last year, and has given Princeton trouble in past years. Attack Mike Karwoski, who also plays varsity hockey, added 25 points and had seven multi-point games last year. Attack Brendan Gibson, with 31 goals last season, rounds out the front line.
The Yale midfield is led by six-foot, seven-inch, 235-pounder Kyle Washabaugh, whose size is complemented by a powerful shot. Washabaugh led the midfield with 21 goals last season. Face-off man Gregory DuBoff won 160 of 273 face-offs last season for a .586 face-off percentage. DuBuff will pose a great challenge for Princeton senior face-off man Alex Berg, who has been putting together quite a campaign.
Yale’s defense is led by goalie George Carafides, who registered a 9.17 goals-against average and a .530 save percentage last season. Carafides was a large factor in holding the Tigers to five goals in last year’s matchup and also contributed 27 groundballs on the season. Defensemen Pat Grimm, a second-team All-New England selection last season, and Matt Aronson have started every game the past two seasons, while Mark Schlam moves to defense this year after playing midfield last year.
The Tigers’ biggest challenge will be to get past the Yale defense. After a strong start, Princeton’s offense has been inconsistent in its last three games, having scored 13, two and seven goals. The Tigers’ young attack will certainly be at a disadvantage experience-wise, and it will be up to them to keep their composure throughout the game.
While Princeton has won most of its Ivy League games in the last few years, the rest of the league is beginning to catch up.
“Division I lacrosse is becoming a somewhat level playing field, and you cannot dare to overlook any game,” Tierney said.
It seems that the Tigers did just that, overlooking Albany after their 11-6 victory over Hofstra. With this experience behind them, it will be up to Princeton to parlay its victory over Rutgers into further intensity and determination against Yale.
Original URL: http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2008/03/28/20586/