Tigers seek revenge on '07 champs for 2OT loss

Last year, the Tigers played the Blue Jays in the same tournament, which is held at the Baltimore Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium. Despite its resilience, Princeton couldn’t get the job done, and it was Hopkins that refused to lose, triumphing 7-6 over the Tigers midway through the second overtime period.

Both teams enter this weekend’s game with a tally in the win column. No. 5 Princeton defeated Canisius 13-6 at home last Saturday despite an unexpectedly slow start. The Tigers and the Golden Griffins traded goals through the first three quarters until Princeton managed to find an offensive rhythm and shut out Canisius for the final 21 minutes of the contest. Johns Hopkins exacted revenge on No. 13 Albany with a 10-5 win after having lost to the Great Danes in its opening game last season.

To say that Johns Hopkins will be dangerous this spring is an understatement. The No. 1-ranked Blue Jays return eight of 10 starters from last year’s championship squad. More than anything, confidence is what Hopkins will be riding into this weekend’s game.

“From a psychological standpoint, [Hopkins is] very confident,” head coach Bill Tierney said. “They’re the defending National Champions, and after their win [last Saturday], they’ve won 10 games in a row. I’m sure they’re feeling pretty confident about this game, and when you get that confidence you tend to play a little bit better. Weaknesses? I don’t see any.”

Replenished yearly with high school All-Americans, the Blue Jays have every right to be sure of themselves. Paul Rabil and Stephen Peyser are two standouts who are looking to get one final victory to cap off their careers against Princeton. Peyser assisted Rabil on his game-winning snipe against Princeton last season. The two senior midfielders will be accompanied by sophomore Michael Kimmel to form a trio that is expected to be the one of the most lethal midfield combinations ever to play under head coach Dave Pietramala. Kevin Hunley, who scored four goals in Hopkins’ season opener last Saturday, will also be an offensive threat against the Tigers.

Though the Blue Jays lost their best long-stick midfielder, Brendan Skakandi, to graduation, they return their three starting close defensemen and top three short sticks. Jesse Schwartzman will be missed between the pipes, as he was MVP of the NCAA Final Four in his sophomore and senior seasons, but Pietramala has confidence in Michael Gvozden as his new first-string goalie. The sophomore had 11 saves against Albany in his first career start, but the Tigers will look to exploit his inexperience in the cage and challenge him early and often.

To have a successful day against the Blue Jays, the Tigers will need to be running on all cylinders from the first whistle in contrast to last weekend’s slow start. Tierney was disappointed in his players, especially because of the large number of turnovers they committed, but trusts they will be ready for Hopkins.

“I hope they didn’t feel very good [after the game], to be honest with you. You don’t play enough games to not enjoy the win. But if they take it and learn some lessons from it, then they should feel good about it — it’s a win. But if we take a step backwards from it and don’t learn from the things we did wrong, then we’re in for a tough game on Saturday,” Tierney said.

Junior midfielder Mark Kovler and junior attack Tommy Davis will lead the charge against the Blue Jays’ formidable defense. Kovler, who has a knack for finding the back of the net and arguably the best left-handed shot in Division I, forced the game against Hopkins into overtime last year with his fourth-quarter goal. Davis had four goals and an assist against Canisius on Saturday. Though he’s not a flashy player, Davis is incredibly consistent — last season he tallied points in 20 consecutive games.

Saturday’s game is expected to be a battle between defenses, as has become typical of Princeton-Hopkins matchups. Senior co-captains and preseason first-team All-America selections defenseman Dan Cocoziello and goalie Alex Hewit will lead the Tiger defense. Recognized as the top goalie in the nation, Hewit will be depended upon to fill his role as the Tigers’ last line of defense and first line of attack as Princeton tries to hit its first big bull’s eye of the season.