One game away from the end of the regular season, Princeton men's lacrosse has no Ivy League Championship and no hope for an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
Yet in the words of Paul Newman in the 1967 classic Cool Hand Luke:
"Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand."
Despite the lack of an automatic qualifier, the Tigers' solid record (8-3 overall, 4-1 Ivy League) and consistently high performance make them serious contenders for an at-large bid to the NCAAs.
"If we win on Saturday, I think we have a pretty definite shot at being in the tournament," head coach Bill Tierney said.
Although Cornell has already clinched the automatic bid for the Ivy League, the Tigers may still obtain one of the 10 at-large bids doled out by the men's lacrosse committee on May 10. However, a sound victory over the Bears (9-4, 2-3) this weekend will be necessary in order to keep that possibility afloat.
A victory over Brown would also give Princeton a piece of the Ivy League title, a title already guaranteed to the Big Red. Another conference crown would extend the Black-and-Orange domination to 10 consecutive seasons.
But right now, No. 8 Princeton has no assurances and absolutely needs Saturday's victory if it hopes to earn a chance at that 10th straight title and improve its chances for the provisional NCAA berth.
The last matchup between the Tigers and the Bears resulted in an 11-3 trouncing by Princeton. However, Cornell's close 10-9 win recently over Brown is a sure sign not to dismiss the Bears this season. The close match between the Big Red and the Bears was eerily reminiscent of Cornell's similarly narrow victory over Princeton two weeks ago. Down 10-5 in the fourth quarter, Brown made an impressive scramble in an attempt to steal the game. The Bears' produced a quick, four-goal rally thanks to the offensive combination of Britton Derkac, Chazz Woodson, and Kyle Wailes. The offensive trio will undoubtedly be primed to go again this Saturday. Also enhancing Brown's offensive arsenal is freshman David Madeira, who has chalked up 14 goals and three assists so far this season.
With senior Mike Levin in the cage, Brown will be a tough team to penetrate defensively. Levin has had a standout season, posting a 7.52 goals against average.
"We're going to have to play a smart game on the field, and we're going to have to score on maybe the best goalie in the league," Tierney explained.
But the Tigers have notable aces of their own. Senior attack Ryan Boyle, who is just two points away from tying John Hess '98 for second place all-time in Princeton scoring, will undoubtedly pull out all the stops for what will be his last regular season game as a Tiger.
Junior attack Jason Doneger will also be an offensive powerhouse. Doneger currently leads the team in goals with 30.
As a counterpart to Brown's Madeira, freshman attack Peter Trombino's 16 goals and 11 assists have already made Princeton's record books for most consecutive games with a goal in a freshman season. The diaper dandy's exploits have also earned him this week's Ivy Rookie of the Week honor, his third this season.
With such strong offensive potential, the Tigers should not have any trouble meeting and exceeding Brown's play.
A Princeton victory would complete a decade of domination among the Ancient Eight and send the Tigers, now the National Champ underdogs, well on their way to another national tourney.
Even though Princeton has nothing in the bag right now, the team is still in very good position to sneak into the postseason under the radar. And when it comes to the postseason, everyone loves an underdog.
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