Men's Lacrosse: Tough turnaround awaits squad

The Tigers will take on No. 6 University of Maryland, Baltimore County (3-1) on Friday night before returning home for a Sunday afternoon contest with Manhattan College (1-2).

UMBC is a very dangerous team offensively and should prove to be a tough test for Princeton’s young defense. The Retrievers average 13.75 goals per game and have not scored fewer than 11 in any of their four games this season.

“They’re very talented offensively,” head coach Bill Tierney said. “Their first six or seven guys offensively are as good as anybody’s.”

The UMBC offense is anchored by an extremely effective midfield. The Retrievers lost second-team All-American Terry Kimener to graduation last season, but they replaced him with Ohio State transfer Peet Poillon.

Poillon has been an excellent fit so far in the UMBC offense, leading the Retrievers with 18 points behind eight goals and 10 assists. Midfielders Kyle Wimer and Alex Hopmann will also be key performers for UMBC, as they have each scored 11 goals and posted shooting percentages above 40 percent on the season.

Princeton’s seniors have bad memories of Hopmann, who scored three goals against the Tigers in a 2006 NCAA tournament game which Princeton won 11-8.

The Tigers have a tough decision to make in where to put their long pole. The Retrievers’ starting attack unit is composed of senior Ryan Smith, junior Matt Latham and junior Chris Jones. Smith is the unit’s primary distributor, often lining up behind the goal. Latham is a great finisher, apt at finding space in front of the goal, while Jones is an experienced player who cannot be overlooked. And freshman Rob Grimm, who has also seen time on the UMBC attack, actually leads the unit with nine points on two goals and seven assists.

The Retrievers play with poise. Their offense is characterized by patient ball movement, which often tires out the opposing defense, and an ability to take advantage of that defense’s minor mishaps. UMBC also has a penchant for winning close games, having won games in overtime, double overtime and triple overtime last season. The Retrievers have won their last six overtime games.

UMBC brought back from last season all three of its starters on defense in addition to starting goalie Jeremy Blevins. An underrated player, Blevins currently has a .547 save percentage. His goals-against average is an unimpressive 9.98, but this is neither his fault nor is it the defense’s. It is due to the Retrievers’ inability to win faceoffs, as the team has come away with the ball just 39 times in 110 draws so far this season.

Princeton had an interesting game to scout when UMBC and Johns Hopkins played on Tuesday night. The Retrievers were obliterated in faceoffs during the first half, winning only one of 13. Still, Hopkins only led 8-5 at the half. The Blue Jays widened the gap to 13-6 early in the fourth quarter, but the Retrievers roared back with five consecutive goals. Hopkins was able to hold on to the ball for the last two minutes, and it scored on an empty-net goal to push the score to 14-11.

The biggest story from that game was Wimer’s performance in faceoffs in the last few minutes. Hopkins starting midfielder Matt Dolente, who won 50 percent of his faceoffs against Princeton last weekend, was injured earlier in the game, and his replacement was no match for Wimer. Wimer won six of nine, and his success in faceoffs was key to the Retrievers’ comeback attempt.

Following the game, UMBC coach Don Zimmerman said that Wimer will practice faceoffs from now on. The matchup on the faceoff will be especially important in the match between the Tigers and the Retrievers. Princeton’s offense this season has focused on dominating time of possession and shooting relentlessly. If the Tigers can keep the ball away from the Retrievers’ dynamic offense and still allow their own offense to execute its strategy, Princeton will be well-positioned to win the game.

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Sunday’s contest against Manhattan will be a good test of Princeton’s endurance. It will be the only time Princeton will play two games in a span of less than 48 hours during the regular season.

Manhattan is coming off a 6-9 season in 2008. The Jaspers return midfielder Salvatore Spatarella, who tallied 17 goals and one assist last season, and defenseman Steve Sternberg, one of the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference’s best. Goalie John Geagan finished last season with a 7.23 goals-against average and a .583 save percentage, both respectable numbers to post.

Manhattan will be no slouch. The Jaspers won two double-overtime games last year and are known for their blue-collar style of play.

“There’s so much to improve on,” Tierney said. “We still have yet to get to a point that I’m satisfied with our off-ball movement. I still think we’re standing around a bit.”

Unlike last season, Princeton has started out the season with a bang. It is now important the Tigers don’t lose their mojo. A strong weekend performance would put Princeton in a great position heading into spring break.