Sprint football finally scores, but still loses

Midway through the third quarter of the sprint football team's game against Cornell on Friday night in Ithaca, N.Y., Princeton had already scored its first points of the season and seemed poised to claim its first lead.

After scoring a touchdown on their first possession of the second half to cut the deficit to three points, the Tigers gained possession at the Cornell 14-yard line.

But the Big Red defense stood tall and prevented Princeton from capitalizing on the excellent position, and senior kicker Neil Swami missed a field goal from the 16-yard line that would have tied the game.

It would prove to be the Tigers' best — and last — opportunity of the night, as Cornell (2-3 overall, 1-1 College Sprint Football League) pulled away for a 31-13 victory. With the loss, Princeton (0-4, 0-2) saw its losing streak hit 39 games.

Still, despite the disappointment, the Tigers took several positives from the game.

"We know we can seriously move the ball and put points on the board, and this game was in our hands throughout," freshman defensive back Kadir Annimali said. "When we get good field position, we can prevent a score."

Princeton had made the trip to Ithaca optimistic that this game would be the Friday night matchup that could bring an end to the team's historic losing streak. The Big Red is not quite the indomitable machine that Army is, and last year's relatively close 32-19 loss gave the Tigers reason to hope. Coming off of last week's difficult loss, the team was refocused and eager to prove itself.

Princeton soon, however, found itself outmatched by Cornell, which asserted itself early through a powerful running game. On its first possession, the Big Red drove forcefully and efficiently deep into Tiger territory. A sudden 44-yard strike by running back Michael Fullowman brought Cornell within scoring range, but the Princeton defense dug in and was able to stop the bleeding. The Big Red settled for a 33-yard field goal by Jason Zittell.

The remaining minutes of the first quarter were largely a stalemate, as neither team was successful in generating much offense. At the onset of the second quarter, though, the Cornell offense picked up its game once again, marching 87 yards in 11 plays behind Fullowman's powerful running. The Big Red's 10-0 lead held up through halftime.

Still, Princeton had reason to be hopeful heading into the locker room: the 10-point halftime deficit was the smallest it had faced so far this year, and, with a little offensive spark, the Tigers could easily pull back into the game.

A spark was precisely what Princeton received as it took the field in the second half. On the first play, sophomore quarterback Alex Kandabarow connected with sophomore receiver Lon Johnson on an ambitious 80-yard pass to tally the Tigers' first points on the year. Disappointingly for Princeton, though, the extra point was blocked by an outstretched Cornell defender.

Still, the Tigers seemed to have the momentum. On the Big Red's next position, the Princeton defense stifled Cornell and forced a punt — but the Big Red punter's knee inadvertently touched the ground following the snap, giving the Tigers possession at the Cornell 14-yard line. Perhaps the pressure of history proved to be too much, as Princeton was overwhelmed by the stringent Big Red defense and was left empty-handed after the missed field goal.

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It proved to be the last opportunity for the Tigers to take the lead, as Cornell responded quickly and forcefully. The Big Red defense blocked a Princeton kick to give Cornell solid field position and an opportunity to break open the lead. The Big Red capitalized on the chance, as it set up a steady drive ending in a touchdown by senior running back Chris Mascaro.

The Tigers' offense tried to respond to the now 17-6 lead, but a sloppy pass led to an interception and another Mascaro touchdown on the Big Red's subsequent drive. Cornell's converted opportunity proved to be a devastating blow for Princeton, as the now 24-6 cushion seemed insurmountable.

The remaining minutes of the fourth quarter ended in a pair of traded touchdowns. First Big Red back Glen Palmer scored from 47 yards out, and the Tigers' Johnson responded with a 36-yard score to reach the final 31-13 margin.

Though Princeton didn't come out with a win this weekend, it did come home with new perspective on its potential as a team. Had it not been for a couple key turnovers, the Tigers could have enjoyed their first win in years.

Princeton will try to end the drought again next week, when the Tigers face a strong Navy team in Annapolis, Md.