On the verge of a new era for Princeton lax

The last time I spoke with Jason Doneger '05 — the former standout attackman and All-American for the Tigers — he was on campus for a banking information session, talking with me and others about the life of a Wall Street equities trader. Quite a contrast to the previous conversation we had, right after his five goal performance against Harvard last season.

The meeting only underscored the fact that Doneger and his immense talent have departed from the Princeton lacrosse program. But Doneger took more than his abilities with him. As he left, so did the last remaining player on the roster to have won a National Championship with the Tigers.

For the first time since the start of the 1992 season, the Princeton roster is void of players who know both what it feels like to hoist that championship trophy, and also what it takes to reach that level of success. What is left is a new team unlike any Tiger lacrosse has seen in over a decade, primed to usher in a new era for the illustrious program.

Certainly, the players that compose the 2006 roster understand the remarkable tradition of excellence that characterizes the Princeton program. But not one player on the roster has actually been a part of any of the six national titles to which the Tigers lay claim to. The sole remaining link between the present squad and the past is the coaching staff, led by Hall of Fame head coach Bill Tierney.

Since Tierney's teams first began winning national titles in the early '90s, the coach has not been presented with such a blank canvas heading into the season. Not blank in the sense that there are no talented players on the rosters; there are plenty. Rather, he is presented with a new type of team. With this team, there is no proven blueprint for winning a national championship, and no individual player that can take the team to that level.

The lack of a dominant force among the team's recent veterans is indicative of a break in the story of the program. Going all the way back to the Class of 1998 — which included the phenomenal trio of Jess Hubbard, Jon Hess and Chris Massey — each graduating class featured a dominant player, ranging from Trevor Tierney '01 to Ryan Boyle '04.

As talented as its members were, the Class of 2005 that was headlined by Doneger and Oliver Barry '05, lacked anyone at the same level as players such as Boyle or Tierney. The class of 2006 is another which — though it features many key contributors — doesn't feature a single player that will be forever etched in the lore of Princeton lacrosse, at least not yet.

What this contributes to is a split in the storied timeline of Tiger lacrosse. The long chain of national caliber players has been broken, opening up the chance for a new stream of legendary athletes to make their way through the program. Furthermore, if the tale of Tiger lacrosse is written through national championships, no current player has a part in the saga. Speaking in metaphor, the curtain has come down on Act I of Princeton lacrosse, and is just being raised on Act II.

But the new set of actors ready to take the stage — or, more accurately, the turf — is a talented bunch. The Tigers boast the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation according to Inside Lacrosse magazine. The capable group of freshmen backed up that accolade this past Saturday against Canisius, as six of the team's 16 goals were scored by the newcomers. Furthermore, the class of 2009 didn't wait until garbage time to make an impact — six freshmen saw the field in the just the first quarter.

Nevertheless, the core of this team remains the class of 2007, which has done its best in bridging the gap between the old guard and the rising young stars. Juniors Peter Trombino — who has at least one point in each game of his collegiate career — and Scott Sowanick entered the program during the last season of Boyle's distinguished career. Now, the deep and talented group of juniors are veterans on a team relying heavily on an impressive crop of underclassmen.

Looking ahead, if this team is to be remembered for anything, it may be its depth. The Tigers are bursting with able players at every position, seen most notably last weekend when 12 different players scored goals.

But with depth comes a glaring drawback: for the first time in many years, the team lacks a single dominant player. Neither Sean Hartofilis '03 nor Lorne Smith '99 are around to rip shots from anywhere on the field, and there is no specimen such as Hubbard that can have his way with any defenseman.

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Rather than a team with peaks and valleys of ability from position to position, the talent of the 2006 squad is more like a plateau, with skill across the board but no player who can take over any game.

Unfortunately, teams of this mold have not had success bringing home national titles. Rather, teams such as the Syracuse squads led by the Powell brothers or last season's John Hopkins crew driven by Kyle Harrison — teams with superstars — have achieved much more on the national stage.

Luckily, if there is any coach in the country capable of finding a new way to win, it's Tierney. In the nineties, he pioneered a slowdown style of play that, though it infuriated opponents, Princeton rode to a bevy of championships. If last week was an indication, that style of play may be ushered out.

Who knows, maybe I am speaking too soon. Maybe one of the freshmen is the next Hubbard or Hess. Maybe Tierney's blueprint for success over the past decade will continue to work like a charm, but maybe not, especially if last season was any indication.

As Tierney, however, told his players before they dismantled Canisius Princeton isn't 5-7 anymore. The intermission that was the 2005 season is over and the Tigers are a new team about to raise the curtain on what could be a new era of Princeton lacrosse.