There were plenty of positives from the football team’s season-opening 34-22 defeat against No. 19 Lehigh. But for head coach Bob Surace ’90, a loss is still a loss.
The football team opens its 2011 season at home under the lights of Princeton Stadium. The Tigers face a very tough foe in No. 19 Lehigh, the defending Patriot League champion and a national quarterfinalist last year. Follow our live blog for updates from the 6 p.m. game!
Coming off a devastating end to its most successful season in recent history, the men’s soccer team is trying to shrug off last November’s disappointment and refocus its efforts forward. But fulfilling the ultimate goal of repeating as Ivy League champions will not come easily for a team that, despite its very strong showing in the conference last year, is not necessarily the favorite going in.
For the second consecutive year and the fourth time in the past six seasons, the football team will open its season against Lehigh, playing Saturday at 6 p.m. at Princeton Stadium. The Tigers and Mountain Hawks (1-1) have faced off each of the past five seasons, with Princeton owning the 3-2 lead. This time around, however, the No. 19 Mountain Hawks pose a much larger threat to the Tigers.
The men’s and women’s cross country seasons promise to be equally as exciting and successful as last year’s dual-championship campaign. Both Tiger squads finished in first place during their opening competition at the Fordham Fiasco Invitational, but the runners have their eyes set on several important meets at later dates on the schedule and, of course, the title races at its conclusion.
After an impressive opening weekend of competition, including five straight wins against No. 13 Santa Clara, Fordham, Harvard, Brown and MIT, freshman center Kayj Shannon of the men’s water polo team earned honors in his first week by being named the Collegiate Water Polo Association’s Southern Division Player and Rookie of the Week. Shannon led the Tiger attack with a team-best 12 goals in five games and will be a key part of the Tigers’ season.
Last year’s season ended in disappointment for the women’s soccer team, when a scoreless tie with Penn allowed the Quakers to foil Princeton’s late bid for the Ivy League title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. This season, the Tigers (1-3) will be without four graduated seniors, instead featuring eight new freshmen on the roster as they make another attempt at the conference crown.
In football, more than in any other sport, one play can define a season. Senior linebacker Steve Cody learned that the hard way in 2010.
Amid the flurry of students returning for the start of the fall semester, the No. 17 men’s water polo team began its 2011 season by hosting the annual Princeton Invitational. By beating No. 13 Santa Clara, Fordham, Harvard, Brown and MIT, the Tigers started the year with a perfect 5-0 record.
Four hoopsters sign in EuropeFour former Princeton basketball players take to the hardwood again this winter after signing with teams in European leagues.
The women’s volleyball team has gotten off to a strong start to open the 2011 season. Princeton (5-3) earned second place in the opening weekend Hofstra Invitational by going 3-1 and has since notched tough road wins over Rutgers and St. Johns.
It is the second year of a new system for offensive coordinator James Perry, senior quarterback Tommy Wornham and the rest of Princeton’s offense. Coming off a forgettable 1-9 season, with a new coaching staff that included two new coordinators and new systems on offense and defense, the Tigers look to put last year behind them and take advantage of a third-year quarterback and a fast-paced system that has now had a full year to take root.
From the beginning of preseason in August through the first four games of the season, the field hockey team has been working hard to transition to a new season and a new roster. Though the adjustment has been rough at times, the Tigers have shown promise that they may have another strong year.
Gone are the F. Scott Fitzgerald ’17 days of caravans leading up to the stadium and national heroes being made at the Yale game. What will take the field against Lehigh on Saturday is a group of honest workers that is not expected to win but will make the most of its time on the field. All it asks of us is a little patience and a little pride.
School is out and collegiate sports are in hiatus, but all is not quiet on the Princeton sports scene. Here are some notable stories involving former and current Tigers this summer.
Rising sophomore Kelly Shon competed at the U.S. Women’s Open this weekend at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. Shon made a late charge, birdieing two of her final seven holes, but she finished one shot above the cut line at plus-eight. Her two-round score of 150 placed her tied for 73rd in the 156-player field.
Despite a furious late rally in the final two innings, the baseball team lost its NCAA Tournament opener at No. 7 Texas on Friday evening, 5-3. Sam Stafford held the Tigers (23-23) to one run in seven innings, helping regional host Longhorns (44-15) advance to the winner’s bracket of the four-team double-elimination tournament.
On Saturday morning of Reunions weekend, a group of Princeton athletes and fans past and present gathered to hear about the ideals of Princeton athletics, and about how student-athletes have learned to apply the lessons from the athletic fields to the business world.
After winning the Ivy League championship and earning a place in the NCAA Tournament, the baseball team waited for more than three weeks to learn its postseason draw. That wait came to an end on Monday afternoon. Princeton drew the fourth seed in the University of Texas regional and will play the No. 7 Longhorns in Austin, Texas on Friday.
The women’s open crew’s first varsity boat dominated its 2011 season from start to finish. It capped an undefeated season on Sunday by claiming the gold medal in the grand final at NCAA Championships on Sunday, beating the field by 1.5 seconds.
