For this Communiversity Issue, the Prince Sports Department decided to run a brief summary of the Princeton spring sports teams' seasons to date. Men's lacrosse, crew, women's water polo and baseball have separate articles elsewhere in the paper, but the remainder are printed here.
Softball
With just one week of play remaining in its season, the softball team may very well finish above .500 but is out of contention for the Ivy League championship. The team has dominated its out-of-conference opponents but in Ivy League play, it has fallen short.
After winning three of their first five games, the Tigers dropped four straight games at the Buzz Classic in Atlanta. Since that losing streak, however, Princeton has gone 7-2 in out of conference games, with five of these seven wins being shutouts. Ivy League play, on the other hand, has been marked by inconsistency and, at times, a lack of intensity. The team has managed to sweep only one in-conference doubleheader — against second-to-last-place Columbia. Princeton split four of its six doubleheaders, giving the Tigers a .500 record, 6-6, in the Ivies, good for just fourth place and four games behind league-leader Cornell. With just one doubleheader against Penn remaining in its Ivy League schedule, the team must wait until next year to once again contest for the championship. Princeton has won the title 12 out of the 20 years of the league's existence, the last being in 1997 when its head coach, Maureen Davies '97, was the team's star pitcher. Davies took over at the helm this season, replacing longtime coach Cindy Cohen.
The Tigers have been led, both offensively and defensively, by junior pitcher Brie Galicinao. The left-hander leads Tiger pitchers with an ERA of 0.79. On top of that, she is the top slugger, batting .410 with 34 hits in 83 at-bats.
Women's lacrosse
Hoping to improve on last year's loss in the national championship game, this season has been plagued with inconsistent play and some bad luck for women's lacrosse, but the Tigers are still tied for first place in the Ivy League and the team will certainly have a strong chance at a national championship.
The season began slowly for Princeton as the team lost its second game of the year to Loyola on March 11, but after that game the team went on a tear.
Playing flawless lacrosse through spring break and into early April, the Tigers beat several of the ACC's best teams, including highly ranked Duke and Virginia. Princeton had a 10-game win streak and was in first place in the Ivy League before a heartbreaking 13-5 loss to Dartmouth on April 21.
In the Tigers' toughest eight-day span in their season, Princeton played the No. 1 ranked Maryland Terrapins on Wednesday night, in College Park, Md. With a win, the Tigers could have jumped back into the driver's seat, but a last minute goal by Maryland's two-time, and soon to be three-time, National Player of the Year Jen Adams gave the Terrapins a 7-6 win.
Princeton will face Brown on Saturday to complete its Ivy slate.
Men's Golf
The spring season has proven that Princeton men's golf is used to fighting it out among the best. The Tigers have held their own amidst tough competition throughout their past three tournaments.
Princeton set the right tone by placing second at the Navy Spring Invitational on April 8-9 with a score of 600. The Tigers remained fairly consistent with a third place title at the Princeton Invitational, carding a 585 over the April 13-14 weekend.
The Ivy League Championships this past weekend finally put Princeton at a number one finish, earning a team total of 901. The team victory marks its second consecutive Ivy League title.
For the year's first two tournaments, sophomore Nat Hoopes shot the Tigers' lowest scores. He won won the Navy tournament individually, carding a 68-77—145, At the Ivy tourney, however, junior captain James Milam tied for first place with senior teammate Peter McWhorter, as both shot three-round totals of 220.
Before Princeton squares off for the NCAAs in May, the team plays in the upcoming Rutherford Intercollegiate Tournament starting Saturday.
Women's golf
Princeton women's golf has marched through a steady spring season thus far. A team win at the Jacksonville State Classic running from March 16-20 propelled the team forward to a momentous start.
The Tigers' steam dwindled slightly during the next two tournaments. Princeton placed seventh at the William and Mary Invitational March 30-April 1. The following week found Tigers in tenth place at the end of the James Madison Invita-tional.
Princeton regained momentum, however, winning the Ivy League Championships last weekend with flying colors.
Each player has contributed to the team throughout the season, though play was particularly highlighted by freshman Esty Dweck. She won the individual title at the Jacksonville State Classic, carding a 76 before the tournament was rained out. At the Ivy championships, senior Julia Allison picked up the reins. The captain carded a 78-76—154 to capture her second individual Ivy championship.
Men's track
The men's track team's season will not get underway in earnest until Heptagonals, May 4-6, when the Tigers meet all the Ivy teams and Navy at Weaver Stadium. One week later, the team hosts the massive Princeton Invitational, which will feature a number of international track stars.
Though the entire team has not focused on one meet so far this year, a number of Tigers have turned in impressive performances thus far. At the Mt. SAC Invitational last weekend, junior Paul Morrison returned from injury to run 13:53 in the 5000 meters, just four seconds off his own school record.
With Morrison's return, a powerful middle-distance contingent, and an overwhelming corps of field athletes, the Tigers are the heavy favorites at the upcoming Heptagonals.
Women's track
The women's track team focus, like the men's team, is Heptagonals in one week. They do not figure to be a threat to win a 'Heps' championship, but several Tigers are heavily favored to win their individual events.
Junior Lauren Simmons was the only Tiger to win an event at indoor Heps, and her Princeton record-breaking time of 2:07.83 in the 800-meter dash, set April 7 at Duke, is three seconds faster than any other athlete slated to run at Heptagonals has yet run.
Simmons will likely be joined by two seniors — high jumper Rebecca Desman and triple jumper Becky Haarlow as the Tigers' top point-scorers at Heps.
Men's volleyball
Unfortunately for men's volleyball, it turned out the third time wasn't the charm.
In the quarterfinals of the EIVA playoffs, the Tigers were matched up against rival George Mason, the team that has already defeated Princeton twice during the regular season.
As it turned out, the regular-season 3-0 and 3-1 victories were no flukes. The Patriots, who were riding a five-match winning streak coming into the matchup, took the quarterfinal match in three games, 30-27, 30-24, 30-23. Princeton ended its season with a seven-match losing streak.
The Tigers' season was plagued by inconsistency. Princeton had the No. 12 team in the nation, Penn State, on the ropes before finally losing in five games only four days after losing to EIVA cellar-dweller New Jersey Institute of Technology in three straight games.
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