Freshmen may have big impact for m. lacrosse

With the start of the season only four months away, The 'Prince' asked legendary men's lacrosse head coach Bill Tierney to help give a synopsis of how the class of 2008 will make an impact on this year's team.

Defense

Alex Hewit, from Chatham, N.J., was an All-American goalie at Delbarton School, and joins his brother, junior midfielder Grant Hewit, on the team.

"Alex will compete with David Law '06, our starter from last year, and Matt Larkin '05 for our goalie spot." Tierney said. "He is athletic, quick, and has a lot of confidence."

Dan Cocoziello, a defenseman from Oldwick, N.J., who was a classmate of Hewit's at Delbarton, is perhaps the most talked-about recruit in the class, and was named the defensive recruit of the year by Inside Lacrosse magazine.

"Dan is certainly all we asked for and more. He will have an immediate impact playing defense for our team," Tierney said.

Rounding out the defense among the frosh are Peter Trentman, from St. Leonard, Md., and David Baker, one of two from Gilman School.

Midfield

Zack Goldberg, a speedy defensive middie from Baltimore who is also a product of Gilman, has shown unexpected skills so far on the field which may land him some playing time.

"Zack Goldberg may have been the most pleasant surprise, proving he will be an integral player for us as a defensive midfielder, a key position in our defensive scheme," Tierney said.

Alex Berg, from Glen Ridge, N.J., is another player who looks to provide an immediate jump in Princeton's level of play.

"Alex Berg is our first pure face-off recruit at Princeton. He is strong physically and technically, and we are sure to improve our face-off statistics with Alex taking a majority of our draws, which will lead to more possessions — and hopefully more goals," Tierney said.

Peter Striebel, a midfielder from Gill, Mass., was a teammate of Berg's at Deerfield Academy, and has shown glimpses of talent that he shares with his older brother, All-American Matt Striebel '02.

"Peter Striebel had a great fall, despite being hurt, and proved he could play immediately and could be on our first or second midfield in the spring," Tierney said.

Attack

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Alex Haynie, from North Wales, Pa., is an athletic All-American who Tierney also praised for his intelligence and knowledge of the game gained under his father Ted, the coach at his alma mater, Germantown Academy.

Trip Cowin, from Ridgefield, Conn., also has the potential to become a vital asset to the offense.

"Cowin can change direction quickly and put a defender on his heels, and he can be an effective feeder," Tierney said.

Bob Schneider, from Malvern Prep in Malvern, Pa., is a physically powerful attackman who follows in the footsteps of senior attack Jason Doneger in his goalscoring ability.

"Schneider, like Zack Goldberg, was a great surprise for us. He can dodge and catch balls in traffic. Most importantly however, Bob can put the ball in the goal. Shooters are so hard to find, and Bob can shoot."

In addition to these 10, three walk-ons also made the team: Jeff Izant from Syracuse, N.Y., Jim Weiss from Houston, Texas, and Derek Yecie, from Woodside, Calif.