On a sunny Saturday in Connecticut, the No. 13 men's lacrosse team (9-4 overall, 4-2 Ivy League) defeated the No. 9 Yale Bulldogs (11-3 overall, 4-2 Ivy League) 15-8. , won. To the Ivy League tournament.
The Tigers edged the Bulldogs in the 110th meeting in history between these two historic programs dating back to the 1880s. This year's matchup pitted the Bulldogs' best offense in the Ivy League against a stalwart Tiger defense that also ranks among the best in the Ivy.
Emotions were running high going into the game as the Tigers (8-5 overall, 4-2 Ivy League) had their postseason aspirations coming off a season-changing home victory over the Penn Quakers. Junior star attacker Coulter McKeesey was once again a headache for the Bulldogs, scoring five goals in the game. He has a total of 15 goals in his last three games against Yale.
Even in a game of such significance, the Tigers stayed true to their roots.
“There wasn't a huge change in my preparation or mindset heading into this game,” Mackesy told the Daily Princetonian.
Early saves from senior goaltender Michael Gianforcaro, who is currently named National Defensive Player of the Week, kept the scoreboard clean for the first five minutes. Sophomore midfielder John Dunphy then dodged to his left and hit the crossbar, breaking the 0-0 tie. And the Tigers never looked back.
The Bulldogs roared when midfielder Carson Kuhl broke through the Tiger defense and took an open shot from near the crease. Both teams traded goals until the score was tied at 2-2 with less than three minutes left in the first quarter, with sophomore midfielder Chad Palumbo making a big contribution for the Tigers.
The Tigers' first-year recruit ranking is first-year midfielder Tucker Wade, who received a pass from first-year offensive lineman Nate Cabili in a two-man screen action and fired a shot to the left side of the goal. I bared my fangs. The Tigers never relinquished the lead after going up 3-2 on the board.
The second quarter was the turning point of the game. The Tigers led 4-3 with 10 minutes left in the quarter before the floodgates let up.
Sophomore FOGO (faceoff get off) Andrew McMeekin won the faceoffs, winning 20 of the game's 26 faceoffs and giving the Tigers offensive possession. Junior midfielder Sean Cameron took advantage of the opportunity, taking a nasty juke that swung past defenders and found the back of the net.
Over the next five minutes of game play, the Tigers increased their lead to five points, with everyone on the team contributing to the team's total points, including senior long-stick defender Pace Billings' third of the season. The score was 8–3 before the Bulldogs blinked.
Palumbo scored the final two goals off an assist from Wade, giving the Tigers a 9-4 lead going into halftime. The home team, the Bulldogs, was ranked No. 1 in RPI, a statistical ranking system, but returned to the locker room stunned after the first 30 minutes.
Much of Princeton's first-half success was due to McMeekin's faceoff ability, winning 11 of 14 games. He attributes his faceoff performance to preparation. “Our faceoff coach, Casey Dowd, has done a great job preparing our wings for three-on-three battles that require more strategy, so I give him credit for that,” he said. He told “Prince.''
A rare error by McMeekin gave the Bulldogs the ball to start the second half, but the conference's top offense still couldn't overcome a stifling Tiger defense and Gianforcaro made a nifty save with his knee. Ta.
The Tiger offense took just 115 seconds to add to its tally when Cameron scored his second unassisted goal of the night. Five minutes later, McKeesey scored from the less preferred left side of the field. The Princeton star scored his third and fourth goals of the day, making it a recurring nightmare in Yale's dreams.
Leading 12-4 midway through the third quarter, the Tigers were able to cruise through the rest of the game without letting their lead get closer than six points.
Bulldog star attacker Matt Brandau, who leads the nation in scoring with 99 points, had a quiet day with only two goals and one assist. The Tigers' defense showed once again why they strike fear into the hearts of Ivy League offenses.
Dunphy and Wade scored their second goals of the game, and Mackesy added a fifth with two minutes remaining. The Tigers won 15-8, gaining momentum heading into this weekend's Ivy League tournament.
There was a noticeable change in the Tigers' performance leading up to this big win.
“Practice became very match-like with the urgency and play of people, aiming to be at their best the moment the first whistle blew on game day,” McMeekin told 'The Prince'.
Princeton, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, will have to face the Bulldogs again on Friday night. This time in Ithaca, top-seeded Cornell Big Red will have home-field advantage.
McKeesey doesn't plan on changing his preparation for Friday's game even if the Tigers beat the Bulldogs. “Despite our past success against Yale, they've dominated the Ivy League for years and always make it to the postseason. We feel like we're always chasing them. '' he told Prince. “Friday is a playoff game and a whole new challenge for us. We still have all the goals in front of us and can't wait to attack the postseason starting Friday night.”
Harrison Blank is a sports editorial assistant at The Prince.
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