Weak second half dooms Tigers versus Syracuse

Up a man with the clock winding down, the potent Princeton attack stood at midfield looking back toward its own goal, watching the Syracuse Orangemen (4-1) deftly evade the trapping Tiger defense. The brilliant Princeton offense, which in the first half had methodically dismantled Syracuse's defensive package on the way to a five-goal second-quarter advantage, never had an opportunity to stage a final rally.

When the final horn sounded, the Tigers had fallen two goals short, suffering their second loss of the season, 14-12, to the No. 3 Orangemen.

With three minutes left, senior attackman Ryan Boyle drove to the cage and slipped through two Orangemen and ripped a shot past Pfeifer, drawing a slashing penalty along the way. With the margin cut to two and an extra-man opportunity seeming to guarantee another offensive opportunity, the game seemed far from over. Keough won the subsequent face-off, however, and the Tigers' frenzied attempts to double the ball and force a turnover were repelled, allowing Syracuse to hold on for the victory.

Princeton saw a 7-2 lead evaporate all too quickly. "I don't think there was anything that changed about how we played," junior midfielder Mac Bryson said, "but I think individually we got a little tentative, especially on the defensive end. [We knew] that no lead was safe against Syracuse, but we may have forgotten a little in that second quarter."

The breakdown was surprising considering Princeton's stalwart defense had been the key to its victories in the past two weeks. Powell's shifty presence behind the net seemed to rattle the Princeton defense. His ball-handling drew such attention from the Tiger defenders that they were often slow to slide when the Orangemen attacked from the midfield. Following two quick Powell assists, Syracuse's last five goals were unassisted, suggesting that the Princeton defense was not recovering to help beaten teammates.

Typically renowned for their well-coordinated team defense, the second-half lapse was unexpected, even against Syracuse's high-octane sets.

"For whatever reason, in the second half, we could have done better in our defense as a whole. It wasn't individual breakdowns, but just a lack of team defense," junior defenseman Olive Barry said. "I don't think that's something that is typical. It wasn't something we had struggled with before and I don't think it'll be something that happens again."

After Bryson gave Princeton an 11-10 lead on an unassisted goal with just over twelve minutes left in the fourth quarter, Syracuse burned the Tiger defenders for four straight goals, taking a commanding 14-11 lead late in the game. The Tiger defense never had an opportunity to catch its breath — during that stretch Princeton rarely found the ball on its side of the field, with Syracuse snatching up every ground ball and avoiding the ball-handling efforts that had scattered its offensive efforts in the first half. The Orangemen were able to hold on for the win, despite Boyle's heroics.

The hype and expectations that surround every Princeton-Syracuse matchup were fulfilled — but in the end it was neither team's vaunted offensive stars nor reliable defenses that made the difference. It simply came down to which team had the ball in its sticks as the game wound down.

Contrast has always made this rivalry intriguing — the two national powers have managed to dominate using entirely different strategies. Syracuse exemplifies up-tempo lacrosse, with a deep bench and dangerous shooters that have been lighting up scoreboards for years. Princeton has always been a model of ball control, patient execution of offensive sets and suffocating defense. As a record crowd packed Class of 1952 Stadium and many of the 6,186 in attendance perched on railings or pressed against the walls and fences surrounding the field in an attempt to gain a clearer view of the action, all eyes were on what the two teams had in common — dominant senior attackmen who were finalists for the Tewaarton Trophy, given annually to the nation's top collegiate player. Princeton's Ryan Boyle and Syracuse's Michael Powell are no strangers. Both started immediately as freshmen, and after Boyle outshone Powell as the Tigers topped the Orangemen in the 2001 national championship game, Powell returned the favor a year later as the Orange knocked off Princeton to claim the 2002 crown.

Saturday afternoon, however, the two stars dueled to draw. Each finished with six points, Boyle's coming on three goals and three assists, while Powell notched two goals in addition to his four assists. Both sides also featured potent goal scorers finishing in front of the cage. Syracuse's Brian Dougherty scored a career-high four goals and Princeton's junior attackman Jason Doneger netted three goals of his own. Even in the goal, Princeton sophomore Dave Law and Syracuse's Jay Pfeifer showed similar resiliance, with 10 and 11 saves, respectively.

With the two teams so evenly matched, the difference emerged in the teams' ability to earn and retain possession of the ball, a battle that begins with the rarely praised face-off midfielders. Orangeman Geoff Keough won 15 of 22 face-offs, including a half dozen during a key second-half run, and Syracuse's ability to keep the ball out of the hands of Princeton's offense in the fourth quarter eliminated any hope of a Princeton comeback.

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The two teams had met six times in the last three years, following each season's regular-season contest with a playoff showdown. Syracuse had eliminated Princeton from the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, and had won three of the last four games between the two teams.

Before Saturday, however, the two teams seemed to be headed in opposite directions. Princeton was coming off well-executed wins over Virginia and Hofstra, while Syracuse was trying to shake off their biggest loss in 15 years after Johns Hopkins punished them 17-5 in Baltimore.

The loss to Syracuse was Princeton's second of the season. However, unlike its first loss, a 14-5 drubbing at Johns Hopkins which the team called "demoralizing," Saturday's loss was cause for optimism. The Tigers played their best lacrosse of the season in the game's first quarter and a half.

"I think we played particularly well," Barry said. "I think we showed everybody, ourselves included, that we deserve to be considered among the top teams in the country."

"Everyone really played their hearts out," Bryson agreed. "As a team, we played one of the best games from a heart and agression standpoint, that we have played in a long time. We need to just work on our execution."

The Tigers were also quick to praise the team's efforts during the days leading up to the Syracuse showdown.

"We were really well prepared for the week," Barry said, "and the guys that didn't get on the field [Saturday] did a tremendous job of helping us be ready for what we would face against Syracuse."

This week Princeton prepares for a month of Ivy League play, beginning with a run-in with Yale at home this Saturday. The Tigers are looking for their tenth consecutive league championship.