Youngsters anchor men's lacrosse in 2004

Do the math — six NCAA titles, 11 Ivy League championships, eight NCAA championship game appearances, and nine NCAA final fours in the last 12 years. Just going by the numbers, it is clear that Princeton men's lacrosse has dominated the college lacrosse scene for over a decade.

Despite these impressive stats, the Tigers have faced some challenges over the years, namely Johns Hopkins, Syracuse and Virginia. This year, however, there will be an added internal challenge as the team adjusts to a huge player turnover within its ranks.

"We haven't had the combination of so many graduated seniors and strong entering freshmen as we do this year," head coach Bill Tierney said.

The graduation of 13 seniors after last season, including five All-Americans, left the potential for serious holes in the lineup. In anticipation of this, the coaching staff recruited 14 talented freshmen to help fill the void.

"We're a much younger team this year," Tierney said. "This is really the youngest team we've had since 1989 and we've had some young teams over the years."

Although the freshmen will undoubtedly bring energy and enthusiasm to the bench, they also bring an element of uncertainty as far as team cohesion and experience are concerned.

"The team is a lot less experienced this season," junior attack Jason Doneger explained, "and I don't think the issue is going to be a matter of talent, but how quickly they can become acclimated to the college game."

Rising stars

Already a few of the new arrivals have begun stepping up. In the season opener against Quinnipiac, three freshmen — attack Peter Trombino, midfield Scott Sowanick, and defender Zachary Jungers — all started, and five more rookies received playing time. The 19-10 Princeton win provided a good preview of what to expect for the season — skilled but occasionally unpredictable play.

"At times we were erratic and we didn't look cohesive at all, and that's when Quinnipiac was able to score some goals," Tierney said. "What we saw on Saturday is probably what we're going to see until about midseason."

In the early stages of adjustment time, however, the team will benefit from the leadership and skill of Doneger and senior attack Ryan Boyle. The two form a powerhouse that, combined, accounts for 83% of the career goals and 92% of the career assists scored by returning players.

Also returning with talent and versatility is senior defender Ricky Schultz, one of the Tigers' best man defenders and senior midfielder Drew Casino. Casino got off to a roaring start last Saturday, winning 16 of 19 face-offs and earning a career-high three goals and four points.

The man in charge

At the helm of this potentially NCAA championship-bound team is Tierney, who was elected to the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2002 after winning his sixth championship in 11 seasons, an approrpiate honor for the wonders he has worked with the program over the years. Arriving at Princeton in 1988, he turned a losing team into national champions in three short years, and his success has continued ever since.