Writing this after the NCAA bracket announcement makes Saturday's loss a little less painful from the standpoint that the Bears still get another shot! For the Bears, I think this loss was yet another wake up call and my projections for the battle against Hopkins is a positive one. I have no doubt in my mind that the Bears will bounce back and remind themselves and the rest of the nation that there is always room to bounce back and that given the opportunity, these guys can surely hang with the best. To beat Hopkins would make history and to do it on their home turf in the seniors' last season would make it all the more sweet. But, we'll look to that later. For now, it's my duty to give a rundown of the events that ensued Saturday afternoon in Princeton, NJ.
I'd like to note also that never will I ever again agree to go behind the camera in a game that is packed with so much emotion from all angles. As an unpaid intern, I think I have more than fulfilled my duties and to have to look through the screen and zoom in on Princeton's goal celebrations seven times in a row was enough to make me wanna break the tapes and never post the video on line. Nonetheless, I did it and as we speak the "highlights" are being editted for laxunited. But now for the game...
It was a dreary day in Princeton as the Bears sought for a repeat of last year's victory over the Tigers that led to their share of the Ivy trophy. Instead, the scene was much different and for the Tigers, their perfect performances at home have remained so as they took their own turn at the title after a perfect quarter that proved to be too perfect for the Bears to rebound from.
The opened up with two teams battling it out to make something happen. Instead, nothing did. With one shot apiece from both ends, the mood calmed as the first 15 minutes wound down. Then, the Tigers came out with a vengeance.
Throughout the second quarter, shot after shot, the Tigers ran past the Bears eventually leading 7-0 to go into the half. Six different Princeton players got on the beard with the seven goals including their leading scorer, Tommy Davis with one, Mark Kovler also with one and sophomore Jack McBride with two back-to-back goals.
The second half opened up with a face-off win by Brown's Joel Tracy who go the ball out to senior Jack Walsh for the pick up. Despite Brown's possession, a shot by Walsh was saved by first-year Princeton goalie Tyler Fiorito for the possession that led to another Davis goal just 1:18 into play.
Trailing 8-1, the teams rallied for four minutes before junior Thomas Muldoon took his chance on a man-up opportunity for his 30th goal of the season at 9:47 to close the gap by one. Muldoon got on the board again three minutes later off of an assist by Walsh for a 8-2 score. After the Tigers answered again with another tally by Greg Seaman, who also offered the first goal of the day, the Bears scored three unanswered goals and things were looking up again.
Feinberg and Williams got on the board in the streak that ended with another man-up goal by Muldoon to put the score at 9-5. With 10:28 to go, Brown needed to hold off the Tigers from any more goals and get five more on the board. It was still reachable. But before they knew it, the McBride cousins of Princeton collaborated in a pretty play when Jack assisted Chris in his first and only goal of the game. Nic Bell would get on the board to make it 10-6 with 7:54 to play but with four missed shots including a hit pipe by Reade Seligman, who tallied three assists on the day, the time ticked away as the Tigers managed to squeeze in another goal with just under five minutes left to play.
In the final quarter, the Bears took 21 shots but as the day wore on it became more and more obvious that the Tiger defense would do whatever it took to keep the Brown offense at bay. From the first whistle to the last, it seemed that the Tigers' defensive unit was the deciding factor in the victory in addition to that commanding lead that made a Bear rebound all the more difficult. Despite a rough second quarter for the Brown defense, they had their moments as Matt Greenberg came up with some key ground balls and caused some big turnovers and goalie Jordan Burke stopped nine shots on the day to match Fiorito.
Feinberg would get the final goal of the game to close the gap to 11-7 Princeton. Despite the loss, the Bears got the good news that their season is yet to be over. For the first time, each of the Bears will get a chance to play in the NCAA tournament and prove that they can hang with the best.
Again, the Bears have all the tools they need to push past the Blue Jays of Hopkins. From my standpoint, the key will be to reclaim control over their own style of that play they exuded against Cornell. Throughout the season, the Bears have had some of their best games following a loss including one of the best games of the season against Harvard after the tough loss to Penn.
Going into the game, the Hop is 9-4 also with a loss to Princeton and a huge reputation to defend. The Bears on the other hand, have nothing to lose and everything to gain from a win against the Blue Jays. Like I've said before, never underestimate the underdog.
With a week of practice to prepare, there is no telling what the Bears will come out with Saturday at Homewood Field. The game will be aired live on ESPN2 beginning at 12 p.m. Saturday.
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