Trip to Final Four on the line

Princeton-Yale football game? Forget it. Homecoming? Overrated.

Such events, no matter how steeped in tradition they may be, aren't even on the radar for the men's water polo team. This weekend, only one thing commands the players' total attention — defending their Eastern Championship title and making it back to the NCAA Final Four.

"This is it. Do or die. It's for all the marbles. The fame and the fortune," senior co-captain Jamal Motlagh said. "We are mobilized and deploying our troops. Our guns are cocked, loaded and ready."

The No. 15 Tigers (19-9 overall) are the No. 2 seed out of the Southern Conference after their disappointing 8-4 loss to No. 13 Navy in the Southern Championship final two weekends ago. Princeton will take on a mediocre Harvard squad (10-12) in the first round. The Crimson defeated Iona, 11-10, in sudden-death overtime at the Northern Championships to gain the sixth seed at Easterns.

Despite Harvard's last-minute heroics at Northerns, it is unlikely that the Crimson will be able to give the Tigers a run for their money. Instead, Princeton is focused on its all-too-familiar foe, No. 12 St. Francis (18-8). The two teams will meet in the semifinal round, assuming each wins in the first round.

The Tigers and the Terriers have sustained the most heated Eastern Conference water polo rivalry over the past couple years. They squared off in last year's Eastern Conference final, where Princeton gutted out a 3-2 victory in the second sudden-death overtime period on a goal from now-junior center Nick Seaver.

The Tigers' results against St. Francis this year have been mixed, with Princeton garnering an 11-10 overtime win early in the season but then falling, 10-6, to St. Francis two weeks later.

The Terriers handily took the Northern Conference title and consequent top seed at Easterns by defeating Brown, 9-7, in the title match. However, St. Francis then had trouble finding the net against Iona in the semifinals.

One thing is for certain: there is no room for the defensive lapses, offensive slips and turnovers that have plagued Princeton on occasion this season. These miscues have hampered the Tigers' overall success this season, and they require immediate attention because they could cost Princeton games against better opponents like St. Francis.

"We don't need to differ that much from what we've been doing," senior co-captain John Stover said. "We just need to play smarter and execute better."

To be successful, the Tigers need to come together on all fronts, something they can achieve if they control the ball effectively on offense and play cohesive team defense. A bit of confidence couldn't hurt, either.

"St. Francis is going to push our envelope," Motlagh said. "but we're going to push back and destroy them."

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Navy is undoubtedly the favorite in the other bracket and is projected to make the final game, where it would face the winner of the probable Princeton-St. Francis match for the title.

For the Tigers, making the final and obtaining the NCAA tournament berth is of utmost importance. This is especially true for the seniors, who want to prolong their collegiate careers for as long as possible.

"For many of us, this could be our last weekend of water polo," Motlagh said. "But for all of us that's an unacceptable outcome."