The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/2004/04/23/laxers-prepare-for-pivotal-game-against-princeton/)
Laxers Prepare for Pivotal Game Against Princeton
By | April 23, 2004
In what may be the pivotal game in the race for the Ivy League lacrosse crown, the No. 11 men's lacrosse team will travel to Princeton (7-2, 3-0 Ivy) to take on the Tigers in Class of 1952 Stadium tomorrow at noon. Cornell (6-3, 3-1 Ivy) enters the game following its last-second defeat of Dartmouth last weekend, a win that boosted the team's chances of getting at least a share of the Ivy title.
The Tigers are riding high with four straight wins, and they also have a historical advantage against the Red, winning the last eight and 35 of 73 all-time meetings between the teams . A win for Cornell in this game and another versus Brown next weekend would clinch a share of the Ivy title and ensure an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs. A loss would lay a path for Princeton to cruise the crown.
"This game is extremely important. If we're going to have a chance to hang on to any Ivy League hopes, this game is extremely important," said head coach Jeff Tambroni. "Any time you compete with a team like Princeton, who's undefeated, a win is twofold: one it's essential in the Ivy League race, but it's also important in the playoff race as well. It's a quality win."
Last year, the Tigers beat the Red 17-9 in Schoellkopf, and the Red has gone 0-4 in its last trips to Princeton. Despite the unfavorable record and the unenviable task of prying a win out of the Tiger's den, the Red feels confident the team will rise to the task.
" I think regardless of records, when you go into Ivy League games there seems to be a bit more riding on the outcome," Tambroni said. "I think you could get wrapped up in the outcome of the game — going against Princeton with 9 Ivy League championships and all the national championships that they've one — it tends to detract from the gameplan and what you need to do to be successful. Its gonna be a matter of us focusing on what we do and concentrating on our success in the past."
So far this year, that success has included several record setting performances. Senior co-captain Andrew Collins moved into ninth place overall on the Red's all-time scoring list with 138 and took over control of the fifth-place spot on the assist board with his 86th. Junior Sean Greenhalgh also reached the century club with his 100th point, and the attack has been named to the Tewaaraton Watch List, which is comprised of the nation's top lacrosse players.
Regardless, the Red knows it will have to bring out its full arsenal to beat this powerful Princeton squad.
"We have to play hard. We don't have to play our very best game to beat Princeton, but you have to play pretty close to it," Tambroni said. "They're just so well coached, and they do have a lot of talent on their team. They've been able to kind of pull away from the rest of the Ivy League. While the rest of us kind of beat each other up, Princeton tends to be a different animal."
The Tigers will defend their turf with a dangerous attack, which has produced 97 goals, and a stout defense that has relinquished only 76. Moreover, the Tiger's roster is home to the current Ivy player of the week, Ryan Boyle, and the Ivy rookie of the week, Peter Tambroni. This game is also the team's senior day and the Tigers' last home game of the spring, giving the team extra incentive — if any were necessary — to come out fighting.
"If you're going to beat them, you have to erase your mind of any outside distractions and you have to have a clear focus on your game plan and focus on what you have to do as a team and as individuals to be successful," Tambroni said. "I think in terms of how Princeton stacks up, they have as much talent as Syracuse. They have an attack as good as Michael Powell, he's one of the best in the country. They have as much talent as any team in the country, and they're so well coached and so well disciplined, that it will be a difficult battle, but one that our guys are ready to take."
To win, Cornell must improve its ground game, control possession, and take better shots. Against the Green last weekend, the Red failed to lead in any statistical category except scoring, dropping to Dartmouth in critical areas as ground balls, clears, faceoffs and shots.
"We were fortunate pull off the win against Dartmouth with four seconds left. We only played 1:45 on offense in the third quarter of that game. We were just atrocious in the third quarter," Tambroni said. "Just maintaining possession and giving ourselves the opportunity to get some rhythm going will be key. Faceoffs will be key too. Princeton has two very capable guys at the faceoff, both big and strong. And, when we get the ball in the offensive end, we have to be smart. They're so good defensively that they force you into turnovers."
Outcome aside, the contest will showcase two of the best lacrosse programs and one of the most heated rivalries in the country with the Ivy championship at stake.
"We still have a long road to travel after this Princeton game, but we try to put all our eggs in the each basket we've traveled to," Tambroni said. "They're out to win the League as well."
One week ago, it was Sean Greenhalgh. A week before that, Brian Clayton. Saturday afternoon, Justin Redd took his turn as hero for the No. 11 men's lacrosse team, which defeated its archrival, No. 5 Princeton, 12-11, for the first time since 1995. "I felt like we were playing hard enough to win and we were very relieved to get that goal in overtime," said head coach Jeff Tambroni. "Redd's a guy that we look to produce. He makes pretty good decisions. He dodged once, and they did a pretty good job of defending it. And fortunately for us, he was very patient. We got into the corner without drawing any slides, and he put the ball right past the goalie on the right corner." The goal, Redd's second of the game, came 1:03 into the extra session on Cornell's first possession after the faceoff. "We called a time out coming out of the faceoff in overtime that JD Nelson won; we put David Pittard on the midfield, and actually the ball was supposed to go on David Pittard's stick, but they ended up putting the long stick on David Pittard," Tambroni said. "Redd picked up the ball and took the place of David Pittard behind the goal; we just thought if we could get a good short-stick matchup behind the goal, he could dodge, or he could draw the slide and beat it or turn the corner." Cornell went on a 6-2 run over the first 28 minutes over the second half to turn a 6-5 halftime deficit into an 11-8 lead. However, Princeton would not go quietly. Determined not to drop its first home game to Cornell since 1988, the Tigers awoke late in the fourth quarter. Down by three goals with under two minutes remaining, Princeton scored three consecutive goals to tie the game late in regulation. Jason Doneger and Drew Casino scored 35 seconds apart to cut the Red lead to one goal, before Whitney Hayes fed Ryan Boyle for the game-tieing goal with 24 ticks left. After winning the ensuing faceoff, the Red turned the ball over, and a long clearing attempt by Princeton goalie Dave Law eluded Boyle in front of the net as time ran out in regulation. "I thought if Ryan could have caught the ball there, we might have won it there," said Princeton head coach Bill Tierney. Boyle had a goal and four assists for the Tigers, sharing the game lead for points with senior co-captain Andrew Collins, who had two goals and three assists for the Red. Sophomore Joe Boulukos and juniors Greenhalgh and Kevin Nee also scored twice for Cornell. "I thought we were playing somewhat decent lacrosse on the offensive end," Tambroni said. "We had a good opportunity at least to create a good shot, that could find its way to the back of the net like Justin's shot." With his two goals and three assists, Collins extended his scoring streak to 15 games. On the defensive side, freshman goalie Matt McMonagle saved seven in his first start since March 17. "It was a big game for him. He had seven saves, gave up 11 goals, so I don't think it's the best effort that Matt's capable of. But he made a lot of crucial saves. We were very pleased with the effort that Matt made, especially regarding the first game against Princeton as a freshman. It was a game that we were really counting on him to step up big, and he's stepped up the whole year, really." At 4-1 in conference, Cornell now sits in the driver's seat of the Ivy League standings. When the Red plays its Ivy League finale against Brown this Saturday afternoon, Cornell will have a chance to clinch at least a share of its second consecutive Ivy League championship, as well as the league's automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. Brown, which beat Dartmouth on Saturday, is 2-2. Meanwhile, Princeton will visit Dartmouth this Saturday, hoping to maintain its chances for a split title. The Tigers have won at least a share of the Ancient Eight title every year since 1995. The Red will be in search of its first outright championship since 1987. Archived article by Owen BochnerSun Sports Editor
Softball Sweeps Penn and Princeton on the Road
Controlling its destiny in the Ivy League, the softball team took care of business last weekend, sweeping its final four Ivy games of the season with its victories against Princeton and Penn. The Red clinched its a share of the Ivy title as its much vaunted offense lived up to the hype, tallying 10 homers and 30 runs during the weekend's four games. Cornell set the tone for the weekend in game one against Princeton on Saturday, exploding for six-runs in the 12th inning of a marathon, 7-1, victory over the Tigers. The game was the longest in team history. The Red opened the scoring with a crucial two out rally in the first inning, when junior Lauren May smacked a triple to left center field and was driven in by a single from classmate Melissa Heintz. "That first inning run was huge," said head coach Dick Blood. "It was a little bit of two out thunder by May and Heintz." Princeton rallied in the second inning, knotting the game at one off of a sac fly by catcher Ty Reis. The score would stay that way for another 10 innings as two of the Ivy League's premiere pitchers — Cornell's senior Sarah Sterman and Princeton's sophomore Erin Snyder — went toe-to-toe in a brilliant pitchers' duel. "We knew it wasn't going to be easy going into the weekend, knowing we were facing the best pitcher in the league with a minuscule ERA," Blood said. Cornell had a chance to take the lead in the seventh, when with senior Melissa Cannon on first, freshman Erin Murtha dropped a single over the second baseman's head and under a diving right fielder Melissa Finley. As Cannon rounded second, Blood made the decision to send her for home, hoping to catch a break off a bad throw or bounce. However, Princeton's Finley made a perfect throw to nail Cannon at the plate with ease. "Snyder's something tough on the mound, and we had to take our chances," Blood said. "I would send the runner again in a heartbeat." Heintz broke the tie in the twelfth inning, crushing what would prove to be the game-winning homer to put the Red up 2-1. But Cornell was far from done, cushioning its lead with five more runs, capping off the scoring with a three-run homer by senior Kate Varde. Sterman pitched all 12 innings for the Red, giving up only one run on nine hits and five strikeouts. "Sterman was really up to the task," Blood said. "It was one of the biggest games of her career and one of the biggest games of program history." In game two, Cornell jumped out to the early lead as May and Heintz again teamed up for a two out rally in the first inning. This time May reached on a double to left and came in on Heintz's second homerun of the day. Cornell extended its lead by one run in the second with a homerun by Cannon, followed by another solo-shot from Varde in the third inning to put Cornell up 4-0. The four-run cushion was all sophomore Whitney Smith would need, as she gave up only one run and two hits, pitching the Red to a 4-1 victory. The win ensured that two-time defending Ivy Champs Princeton would not be competing for a third consecutive title this year. Cornell, however, still had a must win situation yesterday in its doubleheader against Penn to ensure its piece of the Ivy Crown. Although Cornell ended up winning both games in decisive fashion, the outcome was far from certain in either of the two games against the Quakers. "For the first three innings of each game there was a lot of tension there," Blood said. "That close to clinching your share in the title you don't want anything to slip away." Cornell found itself tied after four innings, 1-1, in game one with the last place Quakers, who have won only one Ivy League game all year long. Senior Erin Sweeney broke the tension in the fifth inning, when with the bases loaded she crushed a first pitch fastball for a grand slam to give the Red a 5-1 lead. Heintz followed in the same inning with her own home run, a three-run shot to make the Red's lead 8-1. "I was hitting the ball pretty well," Sweeney said. "I was going up really relaxed at the plate and it just worked." The Red added two more runs in the sixth inning to give Cornell a 10-1 win by the mercy rule. Sterman pitched for the Red earning her 16th win on the season. Sweeney continued the swing the bat well in game two, leading off the game with a single. After stealing second she was driven in by a single to center from Heintz. Sweeney was five for seven on the day with six RBIs. Cornell took a 7-0 lead in the fourth when Varde hit the second grand slam of the day for the Red. May followed with a solo shot to right field. Smith picked up her seventh shut-out on the year, giving up only seven hits while improving to 12-3 on the year. Cornell, finishing with a record of 10-4 in the Ivy League, has clinched its share of the title. Currently the only other team with four losses is Brown, which at 8-4 has a chance of grabbing a piece of the title and forcing a playoff with the Red if they can sweep a doubleheader with Yale this coming Saturday.Archived article by Paul TestaSun Staff Writer