After losing three of four non-conference games to start the season, the men's lacrosse team knew it would have to win the Ivy League title to guarantee a berth in the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately for Princeton, the across-the-board improvement in the Ancient Eight is making that task a trying one.
"What's happening in the Ivies this year is representative of what's happening across the country in Division I lacrosse," head coach Bill Tierney said. "There are more solid players out there right now and a lot of them seem to find a nice fit in our conference. The coaching in the Ivies is fabulous and that leads to great recruiting."
Top of the heap
On a national scale, the Ivy League is doing better this year than it has in a long time. With two teams in the top 10, four in the top 15, and five in the top 20, the league is possibly the deepest one in men's lacrosse.
Topping the list right now is Cornell. The Big Red (9-1 overall, 4-0 Ivy League) is the sole remaining undefeated team in conference play and is ranked fifth in the nation heading into this weekend's matchup with Princeton (5-4, 2-1). Last week, Cornell knocked off then No. 1 Syracuse 15-11.
"Cornell has it all," Tierney said. "They are extremely well coached, and they have a great goalie and excellent team defense. They know who they are as a team and have a lot of confidence."
Leading the way for the Big Red is freshman attackman Sean Greenhalgh. A native of Ontario, Canada, Greenhalgh leads the league in goals with 32. In four conference games, he already has 14 tallies.
"Very few teams have that kind of guy," Tierney said. "He's a great natural scorer."
Stopping Greenhalgh will be crucial for the Tigers when they play host to Cornell this Saturday. The other challenge this weekend for Princeton will be to try and break through the stingy Big Red defense that has allowed a league-low 6.64 goals per game.
Elis
Yale, the team responsible for tarnishing Princeton's 37-game unbeaten streak in the Ivies, has looked strong all year. The Elis (6-3, 2-2), now ranked 11th in the country, downed the Tigers 15-13 in their meeting earlier this year.
"Yale has been phenomenal this year," Tierney said. "They have a very solid team and have played well even in their conference losses [to Cornell and Brown]."
Yale is led by junior attackman Mike Scaglione. Scaglione has recorded 35 points this year to lead the Ivy League. He has 22 goals and 13 assists including two goals and an assist in the Bulldogs victory over Princeton.
Upset special
One of the major surprises this year has been the outstanding play of Penn. The Quakers (8-3, 3-3) are ranked 15th in the nation, having swept their first five non-conference games. Though Princeton trounced Penn 18-4 two weeks ago, the Quakers played well in two close losses to Yale and Cornell.
At 8-3, the team is enjoying one of its finest seasons in the program's history.
Top 20
Brown, though ranked 20th in the nation right now, has played a very high level of lacrosse this spring. With only one conference loss right now, the Bears (4-6, 2-1) could still figure into the Ivy League title race. Princeton will travel up to Providence to close out its season on May 4th.
"Brown is a solid team," Tierney said. "And they're even better at home which is not good news for us. They have great senior leadership on that team and losing to Penn was a tough loss for them."
Cellar dwellers
Sitting together in the cellar, Dartmouth (5-3, 0-2) and Harvard (4-5, 0-4) are still looking for that elusive first league win. Despite their troubles in conference, however, both squads have shown marked improvement over the last several years.
"Dartmouth has gotten much better and they seem to be on an upward trend," Tierney said. "I think they will continue to improve.
"Harvard has had some tough breaks," Tierney continued. "They haven't won a league game yet, but they are giving teams some tough games."
Princeton will finish out its regular season with three conference games against Cornell, Dartmouth and Brown. If they can win out, the Tigers will capture their eighth straight Ivy League crown. To do this, however, Princeton will have to fend off some of the most improved and dangerous teams in the country.
Looking ahead
At this point in the season there is, surprisingly, only one undefeated team left in the country — the Georgetown Hoyas (9-0 overall, 3-0 ECAC). Looking forward to a possible NCAA tournament appearance, the Tigers will certainly have a tough road as repeat championshs.
Not only would Princeton most likely have to go through a team like Syracuse or Johns Hopkins — both teams beat the Tigers this year — but the team would also have to avoid the inconsistency that has plaugued at times this year.
All of that is just speculation, however, if Princeton cannot escape from the group of hungry — and now talented — Ivy League teams chasing the title.
The task for the men's is not unlike the one that faces players in the NHL and NBA starting this week. Rather than win or go home, as is the case in the professional sports, the Tigers must win — or stay home. Not great options for a champion.
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