If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.
For No. 3 men’s lacrosse (5–2 overall, 1–1 Ivy League), the path to the top still runs through Ithaca. Princeton has yet to defeat its perennial rival, dropping its seventh straight in the rivalry after a home loss to No. 10 Cornell (5–2, 2–0).
Cornell goalkeeper Matthew Tully was the difference maker, finishing with 15 saves, one shy of his career best. The Big Red took a 9–6 lead into the locker room and never looked back, en route to a 13–11 road win.
“Looking back on it, the team that made the fewest amount of mistakes was able to capitalize,” head coach Matt Madalon told The Daily Princetonian. “I don’t think Cornell will even look back on that as their best game. They had a handful of turnovers; more than characteristic.”
After junior midfielder Tucker Wade got the scoring started for the Tigers, the game was dominated by the Big Red. Up 3–2, Cornell attacker Matthew Perfetto and midfielder Luke Gilmartin scored two goals in a span of eight seconds to go up 5–2, taking advantage of a Princeton defense that looked a step behind and prone to over-sliding.
The Orange and Black were able to force multiple turnovers and cut the deficit to one at the end of the first quarter courtesy of goals from senior midfielder Chad Palumbo and junior attacker Colin Burns.
Palumbo’s assist to Wade for Princeton’s second goal marked his 100th point in the Orange and Black, making him the 99th player in program history to reach the triple-digit mark. Burns sits at 99 points following Saturday’s contest, and will have a chance to eclipse 100 next weekend. However, Saturday's game did not get him to this historic mark.
The majority of the second quarter was all Cornell, taking an 8–4 lead and holding the Tigers scoreless for over 13 minutes. The run included an incredible solo behind-the-back goal from Cornell attacker Willem Firth.
Arguably the biggest play of the game came at the end of the second quarter. Senior midfielder John Dunphey and Wade scored back-to-back goals, cutting the deficit to two. After a face-off violation, the Tigers had the ball — and with the shot clock off, a chance to cut the Cornell lead to one.
Instead, a turnover by junior attacker Nate Kabiri allowed Cornell star attacker Ryan Goldstein to beat the buzzer on the other end of the field and give his team a 9–6 halftime lead.
“It’s tough to swallow as a coach, but those are the gray areas,” Madalon said. “Those are the parts of the game you hope to execute and capitalize on. They just did a better job.”
After halftime, it looked like the hosts were poised for a comeback after Dunphey and Palumbo each beat Tully to cut the deficit to one, 9–8.
However, Cornell responded yet again. The visitors scored three straight goals and once again held the Tigers scoreless for an extended period of time, taking a 12–8 lead after Firth’s 21st goal of the season.
With just over a minute remaining in the third period, senior goalkeeper Ryan Croddick denied Firth, allowing the momentum to shift. With 38 seconds left, Kabiri scored his 11th of the season off an assist from Wade. After winning the ensuing face-off, the Tigers cut the deficit to two after a goal from first-year midfielder Parker Reynolds.
The theme of the game was timely plays. Every time it looked like the Tigers were mounting a comeback, the Big Red answered. That pattern held at the end of the third quarter, when senior face-off specialist Andrew McMeekin won the draw with ten seconds remaining and raced downfield, only to be denied by Tully.
“I think we ran into a very good goalie,” Madalon said. “[Tully] played a great game, and I think that you just got to hit some of those shots and keep working for good opportunities.”
The fourth quarter was a defensive showdown, with neither side finding the back of the net for the first 11 minutes. Once again, the Big Red delivered in the game’s defining moment. After Kabiri was denied by Tully, a scramble in the midfield broke Cornell’s way, allowing Firth to find Goldstein for an easy finish that stretched the lead to 13–10 and effectively sealed the game.
A consolation goal from Burns wasn’t enough as the Big Red held on for a 13–11 win, ending the Tigers’ five-game winning streak and extending their winning streak over Madalon’s squad.
Wade, Kabiri, and Palumbo each had four points to pace the Tiger offense. Wade currently leads the Tigers with 14 goals on the season. Croddick had just nine saves after averaging over 15 in the last four games. On the defensive end, junior defender Jack Stahl had the Goldstein assignment and finished with five caused turnovers, one shy of the single-game record.
Princeton will hit the road next weekend and play Brown (5–3, 0–1). After facing ranked opponents in six of their first seven contests, the Tigers will finally have some room to breathe, with their next ranked opponent being No. 19 Penn (4–4, 1–1) on April 11.
“Our sole focus is just on Brown and getting better as a program,” Madalon said.
Hayk Yengibaryan is a head News editor emeritus and senior Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Glendale, Calif. and typically covers breaking news and profiles. He can be reached at hy5161[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Read More
This Week in History: When a Segregationist Advocacy Group Voted for A Black Vice President
MC McCoyIn 1964, the University found itself home to a new student group on campus: the “Committee for Racial Reconciliation.” The group, originally committed to advocating for racial segregation, during its short-lived, eight-month existence, was usurped by integrationists, ending under the leadership of a Black vice president.
‘You have to change if you’re going to remain the same’: on the Art Museum’s Willem de Kooning exhibit
Gavin McLoughlin and Amy JeonHead editor Gavin McLoughlin and Associate editor Amy Jeon for The Prospect review Princeton University Art Museum's new exhibit “Willem de Kooning: The Breakthrough Years, 1945–50.”
Head Editor Gavin McLoughlin and Associate Editor Amy Jeon for The Prospect review Princeton University Art Museum's new exhibit “Willem de Kooning: The Breakthrough Years, 1945–50.”
Princeton falls 2–1 in ECAC championship in tight overtime battle
Cadigan PerrielloDespite a hard-fought battle, men’s hockey fell in overtime to Dartmouth in the ECAC Championship.
Despite a hard-fought battle, men’s hockey fell in overtime to Dartmouth in the ECAC Championship.