If it comes down to who needs it more, the men’s lacrosse team may be in trouble.
For No. 7 Princeton (9-3 overall, 4-1 Ivy League), there’s a lot riding on Saturday’s game against Cornell in Class of 1952 Stadium: the chance to be the outright Ivy League champion and the opportunity to host the Ivy League tournament in its inaugural year. But there is even more at stake for No. 10 Cornell (8-4, 3-2), known recently as the Tigers’ fiercest rival. Cornell will be fighting for the chance to keep its season alive, as a win Saturday is the Big Red’s ticket to the league tournament.
Despite a loss to Harvard last weekend, Princeton clinched at least a share of the Ancient Eight title when Cornell dropped a 13-10 contest to Brown. Now, three games on the final day of the regular season will determine whether Princeton takes the Ivy crown or shares it with Cornell and possibly Yale and Brown in a two-, three- or four-way tie. No matter what happens, the Tigers are in the tournament.
A regular-season game against Cornell is critical even without the added baggage, explained junior midfielder Tyler Moni.
“Saturday’s really important first and foremost because we’re playing Cornell, which is our biggest game of the year no matter what the implications are,” Moni said.
Head coach Chris Bates said that the match will be challenging because the Big Red boasts an extremely balanced team, with a formidable pair of attackmen in sophomore standout Rob Pannell and senior Ryan Hurley.
“They’re very well coached,” Bates said. “They’ve got talent on both ends of the field. Defensively, they have great discipline; they don’t beat themselves. Offensively, they come at you a lot of different ways. There are the two leading scorers, [Pannell and Hurley], but apart from that, they’ve got a good cast around those guys that is really effective.”
Though the fate of the league has come down to the wire, the Tigers had an opportunity to claim the outright Ivy title and hosting privileges last weekend. Unfortunately for Princeton, Harvard played with great intensity, beating the Tigers for the first time in 20 years.
While this result may strike some as cause for concern, Moni simply attributed the loss to a lackluster day for the Tigers.
“Harvard definitely played a great game, and the fact is we just came out flat,” Moni said. “We didn’t come out with enough emotion, and we didn’t play like we have been, week in and week out.”
To come out of last weekend’s slump, the team needs to stick to old standards, Bates explained.
“When our offense moves the ball, we tend to be able to end up with high-percentage shots.” Bates said. “We’re not going to do anything new and different. We just have to shore up and not give up transition offense for Cornell. Recently, we’ve faced off well and shot well, and I think it’s going to be a hell of a game on Saturday.”
As Moni pointed out, the benefits of a victory for the Big Red would go beyond the tournament spot.
“Nothing’s really set in stone, but this game is huge for them, even in terms of momentum going into the tournament — if we both make it, whoever wins the game this weekend will have the upper hand going into the next game,” Moni said.
Because Princeton needs to tune up its energy level, which flat-lined during last weekend’s performance against Harvard, practices this week have been very competitive. Sophomore defenseman Chad Wiedmaier stressed the importance of this disciplined mentality.
Read More
No. 7 women’s lacrosse season ends in NCAA quarterfinals against No. 1 UNC
Hayk YengibaryanWith the loss, the career of senior attacker Mackenzie Blake comes to an end. Blake finished her career with a program-best 231 career goals and three first-team All-Ivy selections.
With the loss, the career of senior attacker Mackenzie Blake comes to an end. Blake finished her career with a program-best 231 career goals and three first-team All-Ivy selections.
No. 3 men’s lacrosse season ends in NCAA quarterfinals after 19–18 loss to No. 5 Syracuse
Hayk YengibaryanWith the win, Syracuse advances to the final four for the first time since 2013. For the Tigers, their season ends along with the career of senior standout attacker Coulter Mackesy.
With the win, Syracuse advances to the final four for the first time since 2013. For the Tigers, their season ends along with the career of senior standout attacker Coulter Mackesy.
Preview: No. 3 men’s lacrosse plays No. 5 Syracuse in NCAA quarterfinals
Hayk YengibaryanShould the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.
Should the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.