Inconsistent Tigers beat Hofstra, get routed by Albany

No one predicted this much inconsistency.

The performance of the men’s lacrosse team in its last two contests can be described as nothing short of erratic. After soundly defeating Hofstra 11-6 under sunny skies in Princeton on March 15, the Tigers traveled to Albany and found themselves on the wrong side of a 10-2 loss Friday afternoon.

In 60-degree weather that differed drastically from the downpour at the Virginia game a week before, Princeton (2-3) got off to an auspicious start against Hofstra (3-2). Junior attack Tommy Davis, who finished the afternoon with a hat trick and three assists, scored an unassisted goal a minute-and-a-half into the first quarter. Junior midfielder Mark Kovler followed suit five minutes later to lift the Tigers to 2-0.

Hofstra attack Jay Card soon put the Pride back within one, but the Tiger defense was able to keep the talented freshman quiet for the rest of the game. Card became known as Hofstra’s offensive weapon after he scored four goals including the game-winner, when the Pride shocked then-first-ranked Johns Hopkins 8-7 in overtime earlier this season.

Late in the first half, Hofstra managed to gain 4-3 and 5-4 advantages over the Tigers, but back-to-back goals from sophomore attack Scott MacKenzie and freshman attack Jack McBride gave Princeton a 6-5 halftime lead it would not relinquish.

Davis and Kovler added goals in the third quarter, and senior attack Alex Haynie finished off the Pride in the fourth frame, scoring three goals to tie his career high. Senior goalie Alex Hewit played especially well in the second half, making six saves without allowing any goals.

This win was important for the Tigers and for head coach Bill Tierney, though it came at the expense of his nephew Seth Tierney, Hofstra’s head coach. Princeton’s play in the second half was as good as it has been in years with the attack converting opportunities, the defense earning a two-quarter shutout, and senior midfielder Alex Berg winning 13 of 19 faceoffs.

The elation was short-lived, however, as the Tigers failed to find the same momentum six days later against Albany. In windy conditions with temperatures well below freezing, Princeton suffered a disappointing loss in Tierney’s 300th game at the Tiger helm.

Great Danes head coach Scott Marr, who played under Tierney when he was an assistant coach for the 1987 Johns Hopkins national championship team, did an excellent job preparing his disciplined team for the Tigers. Albany (1-5) was winless prior to this game, having suffered four straight one-goal losses to highly ranked opponents. The matchup was the second time the teams have faced each other — Princeton defeated Albany 16-10 in the opening round of the 2003 NCAA championships.

Though Albany only outshot Princeton 29-28, its defense stymied the Tigers. Princeton just scored two goals, both courtesy of Kovler. The first evened the game at one with four minutes, 22 seconds remaining in the first quarter after midfielder Steve Ammann had given the Danes an early lead. The second would not come until nearly 50 minutes later, when he netted a man-up goal with just under 10 seconds left in the game. Kovler’s strike extended his streak of eight straight contests with at least two points.

Two goals by attack Corey Small and one by midfielder Kyle Crotty gave the Danes a 4-1 halftime lead. A three-goal deficit is by no means impossible to overcome, but once Small and midfielder Jordan Levine struck in the third to make it 6-1, the Tigers faced a tough task in the fourth quarter.

Four different Danes would convert in the final frame to put the game entirely out of the Tigers’ reach. Hewit was much less impressive than in the Hofstra game, making only eight saves while allowing 10 goals. Danes goalie Brett Queener, on the other hand, managed to make six saves in the fourth quarter alone, destroying any hope Princeton had for a late-game comeback.

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Berg’s outstanding performance was the highlight for the struggling Tiger squad. Winning 12 of 16 faceoffs, Berg gave the Tigers plenty of chances at possession. The problem seemed to lie with shooting efficiency: The Tigers had no shots on net in the third quarter. The need for more accurate shooting to capitalize on its attack is reminiscent of last year’s offensive struggles. To resolve this issue will be a tough task, but as long at the Tigers do, they should do well Tuesday evening at Class of 1952 Stadium against Rutgers and in their upcoming Ivy League games.