SPORTS: Men's lacrosse: Around the Ivies

BY DAILY PRINCETONIAN STAFF

The men’s lacrosse Ivy League standings are quite volatile at this point in the season. With multiple ties in the standings, conference games coming up this weekend are critical in determining the final standings. Below, we fill you in on the race so far:

1. Cornell (9-1 overall, 3-0 Ivy League) The only unbeaten team in the Ivy League at this point in the season, Cornell owes much to its offensive output. The Big Red sits atop the league in goals per game (14.70) but also plays well defensively and has the fewest goals allowed on average (7.60). This weekend’s game against Harvard will be critical in Cornell’s hunt to win the Ivy League: Should the Crimson upend the Big Red, Princeton and Cornell could be locked in an intense battle for first.

2. Princeton (6-2, 2-1) Princeton saw strong performances from two players that helped extend its winning streak to two games. Senior midfielder Jeff Froccaro’s four-goal game against Brown earned him Ivy League Co-Player of the Week, while freshman attack Ryan Ambler’s role in five Tiger goals earned him Ivy League Rookie of the Week. While Princeton’s upcoming matchup against Syracuse is a non-conference game, the No. 7 Tigers’ performance against the No. 8 Orange will tell whether Princeton is up to the test to challenge league heavyweight Cornell later this season.

3. Brown (5-3, 1-1) The Bears played the most inconsistent game that the Ivy League saw this weekend. In its 15-8 loss to Princeton on Saturday, Brown led Princeton 2-1 in the first quarter before watching the Tigers make an impressive 10-0 run. But when Brown ended the onslaught of Princeton goals, it did so with a vengeance — the Bears scored two goals in 10 seconds and then three in 31 seconds, but it was too late. If Brown intends to stay in the top half of the league, it needs to work on a more concentrated and consistent offensive drive.

4. Harvard (4-5, 1-1) The Crimson are second-to-last in the league in goals per game with 8.67, a point of serious concern for Harvard considering that it plays Cornell this weekend. The Big Red, which has the fewest goals allowed per game in the Ivy League with 7.60, has the ability to slow down a Harvard offense that has already gotten off to a sluggish start.

5. Penn (5-3, 1-2) Penn was unable to keep its conference record above .500 after a tough OT loss to a struggling Yale squad last weekend. The Quakers were outshot by Yale 27-40 for the game, and if Penn wants to prevent a drop in Ivy standings, it will need to seriously increase its offensive output.

6. Yale (4-3, 1-2) After dropping its first two conference games, including a close 9-10 loss to Princeton, Yale picked up its first Ivy win over Penn. If the Bulldogs can build on the momentum of the much-needed win, as well as the offensive prowess of Ivy League Co-Player of the Week Brandon Mangan, then Yale can make a jump in the standings over the next few weeks.

7. Dartmouth (2-6, 0-2) The Big Green not only sits at the bottom of the Ivy rankings but is also last in goals per game at 8.50, almost half of Cornell’s 14.70. It doesn’t help that Dartmouth is on a four-game slide, and if it doesn’t pick up a win this weekend, its chance at making the Ivy tournament will essentially be over.