Men's Lacrosse: Bound for Baltimore

For the men’s lacrosse team and its head coach, Chris Bates, the season is moving at the speed of sound.

Last Saturday, Princeton (1-0) took to Class of 1952 Stadium to open its season against then-No. 11 Hofstra (0-1). It was a tough test for the young team and fresh-faced head coach, but one that pales in comparison to the difficulty of this weekend’s matchup against No. 5 Johns Hopkins (3-0) at M&T Bank Stadium in the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic.

“[The game will be] a big test in a big setting,” Bates said. “It’s one thing to play at ’52 Stadium against Hofstra, but it’s something completely different to step on the field where the [Baltimore] Ravens play and take on a truly storied program. It’s pretty easy to get excited for something like this.”

This will be the Tigers’ fourth year playing in the Classic. Princeton is 1-2 against the Blue Jays at M&T Bank Stadium.

“We’re talking about Hopkins,” Bates said. “They’re never not good.”

The Tigers turned in a dominating performance against Hopkins last year, holding a 9-1 lead midway through the second quarter before finally taking the game, 14-8.

Princeton’s recent history against the Blue Jays may appear to make this year’s game a foregone conclusion, especially after Hopkins barely pulled out a victory in its most recent game against unranked Siena. Bates, however, said he is taking nothing for granted.

“They’re a very strong team offensively,” he noted. “They push the ball well in transition and are extremely disciplined. [Midfielder] Michael Kimmel and [attackman] Steven Boyle have been really strong for their squad, too, and you can’t overlook those guys.”

Kimmel and Boyle have been two of the Blue Jays’ most potent scorers in the last few years, and the Tigers will almost certainly have to effectively stifle both players if they want a victory. Kimmel is only the third midfielder in Hopkins history to have earned 30 points or more as a freshman, sophomore and junior. Boyle was an All-America honorable mention and had 38 points last season.

Hopkins attackman Kyle Wharton will also play a pivotal role in the game. He has had five goals in three games, and the Tigers will need to shut him down early and often.

Saturday’s match will likely be a more high-scoring one for Princeton than was seen during former head coach Bill Tierney’s reign at the Classic — a product of Bates’ more fluid approach to Princeton’s offensive unit.

“We like to try to give our guys the opportunity to create,” said Bates. “There’s a little more freedom, and we aim to be pretty dynamic.”

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Senior attackman Rob Engelke — who registered five points in last week’s game against Hofstra — will be crucial for the Tigers’ ability to be more creative offensively.

If Engelke can effectively facilitate ball movement between the attack and the midfield, expect the Tigers to notch a lot of goals.

The young Tigers — many of whom will be playing in their first Face-Off Classic — will need to maintain their poise, composure and discipline, as mistakes on the field will be extremely costly against the experienced Hopkins squad.

“It’s our second game with a team that is learning by fire,” Bates said. “We have a lot of guys who are good players but don’t have a lot of game experience.”

“Our returners — guys like [junior attackmen] Jack and Chris [McBride] and [sophomore goalie] Tyler Fiorito — are going to have to step up and be leaders. Our younger guys are going to have to react well to what for them will be a challenging, new environment. It’s a setting that we’ve never been in before,” he added.

Unlike in Princeton’s game against Hofstra, Bates will be entering this weekend’s matchup with little experience: It will be his first time coaching against Hopkins and his first appearance at the Classic.

“I’m very excited,” Bates said. “I’ve never coached in a big football stadium, so for the first few minutes I’ll probably be looking around and thinking, ‘Yeah, this is pretty cool.’”

It’s good to have those kinds of big moments, both for our coaching staff and for our players. It’s a big setting against a big opponent. More than anything, it’s a great opportunity to improve and hopefully come home with a solid win,” he added.