Last season, the men’s lacrosse team fell to Cornell 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. When the schedule came out for this upcoming season, No. 8 Princeton immediately looked to see when it could earn revenge against the Big Red. The Tigers will play Cornell in a home showdown on Saturday, May 1, the last day of their regular season.
But before Princeton gets to play all of its Ivy League rivals, the Tigers will play a full slate of games against tough non-conference foes. On Saturday, Princeton opens its season with a matchup at noon against Hofstra at Class of 1952 Stadium.
Here is a breakdown of Princeton’s schedule this season:
No. 11 Hofstra: Feb. 27
Last season, Princeton lost 9-7 to Hofstra. The Pride qualified for the NCAA tournament last season, but fell to Cornell in the opening round. Last season, Hofstra was led by a potent offensive attack, as six different players finished the year with double-digit goal totals. Attackman Jay Card spearheaded the entire offense, finishing the season with 35 goals and nine assists. He was also the Colonial Athletic Association’s Player of the Year.
Princeton head coach Chris Bates is preparing his team for this tough opening matchup.
“We are doing our best to focus ourselves in order to improve on a daily basis,” Bates said. “Hofstra is obviously a quality opponent. Since they beat our team last year, we will certainly be motivated [to play them].”
No. 4 Johns Hopkins: March 6
After battling Hofstra, the Tigers will travel to Baltimore, Md., to face the Blue Jays in the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic, played at M&T Bank Stadium.
This season, Johns Hopkins is off to a 2-0 start, having defeated Manhattan 14-3 last Friday and Delaware 15-7 on Tuesday. Attackman Steven Boyle notched a career-high eight points in the first of those games. Last season, the Orange and Black defeated the Blue Jays by a 14-8 margin at the same venue.
Bates says that the Tigers are looking forward to the game against the Blue Jays.
“It is a big game, given the histories of both programs,” Bates said. “It’s a highly promoted game in a big football stadium.”
Manhattan: March 9
Princeton will then travel to New York City for a midweek game against the Jaspers. Last season, the Tigers beat Manhattan 15-6. This year, attackman James Synowiez leads the Jaspers’ charge. He netted 43 goals and 12 assists last season, good enough for second place on the list of all-time single-season scorers. He was also named the MAAC Player of the Year.
No. 19 University of Maryland, Baltimore County: March 13
Following their two away games against Johns Hopkins and Manhattan, the Tigers will return home to face UMBC. The Retrievers lost their opening game of the season, falling to Delaware in a triple-overtime heartbreaker. Midfielder Kyle Wilmer scored three goals and three assists in the loss. Midfielder Bobby Stockton also added a hat trick and one assist.
No. 3 North Carolina: March 16
Princeton will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., for a much-anticipated matchup against North Carolina. The Tar Heels are off to a hot 3-0 start to their season. Most recently, UNC defeated Lehigh by a convincing 17-5 margin. So far this season, the Tar Heels have outscored opponents 33-14. Last season, UNC fell to rival Duke in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament.
Penn: March 20
The Tigers open their Ivy League season against the Quakers at Class of 1952 Stadium. Last year, Princeton eked out a 10-9 overtime win in Philadelphia, Pa. Eight different Quakers finished last season with double digits in scoring totals. Despite its offensive prowess, Penn went 2-4 in the Ancient Eight last season.
Yale: March 27
After kicking off their Ivy League slate with the game against Penn, the Tigers will travel to New Haven, Conn., for a matchup against the Bulldogs. Princeton defeated Yale 11-7 last year. Midfielder Greg Mahony was a preseason All-New England selection, after finishing his freshman season with 17 goals and two assists.
No. 16 Brown: April 3
The Tigers will hit the road again the next week, facing Brown at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., for the New England Lacrosse Classic. The Bears are one of four Ancient Eight teams to be ranked in the polls, joining Princeton, Cornell and Harvard. Last season, Princeton defeated Brown 11-7.
Attackman Thomas Muldoon has been nominated for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Muldoon has been named first team All-Ivy twice in his career.
No. 1 Syracuse: April 10
Princeton will take a break from its Ivy League season when it faces Syracuse at the Konica Minolta Big City Classic at Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Last season, the Tigers defeated the Orangemen 12-8 at the Inside Lacrosse Big City Classic. Syracuse rebounded, however, and went on to win the NCAA tournament. The Orangemen start the new season with a 1-0 record, after defeating Denver by a 15-9 margin.
Rutgers: April 13
After its important matchup against Syracuse, Princeton returns to Class of 1952 Stadium to face Rutgers. Last season, the Tigers beat the Scarlet Knights 13-6.
Rutgers begins the 2010 season with a 1-0 record, after defeating Wagner by a 24-4 margin. In the game, 14 different Rutgers players found the back of the net.
Dartmouth: April 17
The Tigers will resume their Ivy League schedule against Dartmouth at Class of 1952 Stadium. Princeton defeated the Big Green 14-7 last season.
This year, Dartmouth will miss the presence of attackman Brian Koch, who finished last season with a team-leading 26 goals and nine assists.
No. 12 Harvard: April 24
In their second-to-last game of the season, the Tigers will travel to Cambridge, Mass., to take on Harvard. Last year, Princeton narrowly defeated the Crimson 10-9.
Last season, Harvard finished 3-3 in the Ivy League. Midfielder Jason Duboe leads the Crimson on offense, after finishing last season with 12 goals and eight assists. In goal, Harvard will be lacking the presence of Joe Pike ’09, who anchored the Crimson’s defense for three seasons.
No. 6 Cornell: May 1
Princeton finishes its season with its most anticipated matchup against Cornell at Class of 1952 Stadium. Last year, the Tigers fell twice to the Big Red, and Princeton will certainly be looking to avenge the two losses.
Attackman Rob Pannell returns for his sophomore season after leading the Big Red with 25 goals and 42 assists last season. He had three assists in Cornell’s 6-4 win over the Tigers in the NCAA tournament.
Bates recognizes the importance of the Ancient Eight matchups.
“The early pre-conference games are important, but the bread and butter of our schedule is the Ivies,” Bates said. “This is the time when we need to peak.”
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