No. 17 men’s lacrosse (7–4 overall, 2–2 Ivy League) will face a moment of reckoning in their season when they face the No. 13 Penn Quakers (8–4, 4–1) this Saturday at 5 p.m. on Sherrerd Field. The Tigers, reeling after an upset loss to the Brown Bears (2–9 overall, 1–3 Ivy League) last Saturday, need to get back on track to secure a spot in the four-team Ivy League Tournament, set to kick off on May 3.
They currently sit at fourth place in the conference standings, but the Tigers have yet to play the league’s two leading squads: the Quakers and the Yale Bulldogs. In order to keep their postseason destiny in their own hands, the Tigers will look to make the most of the raucous Sherrerd crowd to take down a Quaker team that has three ranked wins this season — including a road win in Durham over the then-No. 1 ranked Duke Blue Devils. The Tigers season could very well be defined by just 60 minutes this Saturday.
Princeton 12, Penn 11 – Hayk Yengibaryan, Associate Sports Editor
You never know what you're gonna get with head coach Matt Madalon's squad. They beat North Carolina by six goals earlier this season but lost a shocker to Brown just last weekend. However, come Saturday night, this is a must-win game for Princeton. Should they lose this game, the path to making the Ivy League tournament will be difficult.
The best player on the field is Coulter Mackesy. The Quaker defense will be focused on Mackesy, opening up space for first year standouts Nate Kabiri and Colin Burns. I expect the trio of Mackesy, Kabiri, and Burns to combine for at least eight of the 14 Tiger goals.
Last year, the Tigers lost to Penn 9–8 in overtime in the regular season before beating them 9–8 in the Ivy League tournament semifinals. The games between both sides are always close, and I expect this one to come down to the final five minutes. A key for the Tigers will be preventing runs and staying focused for the full 60 minutes.
This one won't be easy, but the Tigers will bounce back and get a huge home win.
Princeton 9, Penn 8 – Suthi Navaratnam-Tomayko, Sports Contributor
Last year, Princeton won the Ivy League Men’s Lacrosse tournament as a No. 3 seed, beating No. 4 seed Yale in the finals. They will be seeking to replicate those results this season as well. With Yale and Penn having already clinched guaranteed spots in the Ivy League tournament, Princeton will be looking to punch their ticket as well. Princeton currently stands fourth in the Ivy League, with only one game remaining after Penn — against Yale, another team with a guaranteed spot. This game could make or break Princeton’s position in the Ivy League tournament, depending on other teams’ performance over the next few weeks.
Princeton is currently 2–2 in the Ivy League, whereas Penn is 4–1. Despite Penn’s better Ivy League record, the two teams are closely matched.
This season, Princeton has made more shots per game, but a slightly higher percentage of Penn’s shots found the back of the net. Thus, the game’s result will come down to defense. Penn defenseman Brendan Lavelle will be tough competition for Coulter Mackesy. Given Penn’s guaranteed spot in the tournament, they may lack the drive to win that Princeton will be bringing.
It will be a close game, but given Princeton’s stronger offense, they will pull through for a Tiger win.
Princeton 15, Penn 13 – Lily Pampolina, Sports Contributor
Coming off of a difficult in-conference loss last weekend, the Tigers will be hungry. In last year’s matchup against Penn, the Tigers narrowly secured a victory over the Quakers, 9–8. With the help of their young talent, this season they will do the same. First-year offensive attacker Nate Kabiri has been crucial to the Tiger offense all season, scoring 27 goals in his 11 games. After being held scoreless in Princeton’s last game against Brown, he, along with his fellow attackers, will come up with the necessary adjustments and fuel their offensive fire. Junior attacker Coulter Mackesy will also play a crucial role in propelling the Tigers in the final third, relying on players like sophomore midfielders John Dunphey and Quinn Krammer to get the ball in his stick.
Penn’s two main offensive threats, attackers Cam Rubin and Tynan Walsh, each hold very high shot percentages, averaging .394 and .488, respectively. This threat must be combated by a strong defensive front and major stops from senior goalie Michael Gianforcaro. Gianforcaro averages 10.2 saves per game this season, a statistic he must uphold in order to push back on Penn. The Tiger defense must remain disciplined, forcing turnovers without committing detrimental fouls.
Ultimately, the Tigers will likely put another game in the win column this weekend and rise in the Ivy League standings. Maintaining a strong momentum will be key for Princeton, but finding a way to get this momentum will be the real test.
Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Suthi Navaratnam-Tomayko is head Data editor and Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Lily Pampolina is a Sports contributor and contributing Audience creator for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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