M. Lacrosse Readies for Weekend

Lately, Princeton men's lacrosse team has been the definition of success.

With five national titles in the 1990s, including the last three championships, the Tigers stickmen have dominated the sport of late.

But after the graduation of Jon Hess, Jesse Hubbard and Chris Massey--an attack unit that combined for 618 points and 26 Ivy League Player of the Week awards--last June, things have been different in New Jersey. The Tigers (4-3, 3-0 Ivy) began their quest for a fourth straight national crown with three losses and have a 1-2 record at Class of 1952 Stadium.

That is where Harvard (3-5, 1-2) will be tomorrow, looking to knock off the perennial Ancient Eight powerhouse. However, while Princeton does not have the same talent as in recent years, it still holds the No. 9 ranking in the nation and is riding a four-game winning streak.

"We can't look at the past," said sophomore attackman Dana Sprong. "Princeton has been up and down this year because they do not have all the marquee players they have had before, and we think we can play with them."

The Crimson will have to hang with the Tigers if it wants to stay alive in chase for the Ancient Eight title. Harvard opened the Ivy season by defeating Penn in overtime, but has lost its last two league contests to Cornell and Brown.

Wednesday's 10-7 loss to the Bears (2-8, 1-2) was particularly frustrating because Harvard led 4-1 after the first period and 6-3 at intermission before surrendering seven second-half goals. The Crimson cannot afford another late-game lapse against the Tigers, who have won all three Ancient Eight games this season--including its most recent victory, 11-5, over Brown last Saturday.

"The first half of the Brown game is the kind of lacrosse we are capable of," said Sprong, who scored a rare second-half goal against the Bears. "The problem in the second half was hustle. We need to maintain our intensity for the entire game."

Sprong will look to a pair of midfielders--junior Geoff Watson and sophomore Roger Buttles--for help in leading the Crimson offense and take some pressure off junior goalkeeper Keith Cynar at the other end of the field, who may have his hands full between the pipes.

Although the Tigers have lost their talented Class of 1998, Princeton still has two pre-season First-Team All-Americans in junior midfielder Josh Sims and senior defenseman John Harrington, and one Second-Team All-American in senior attackman Lorne Smith.

But men's lacrosse has seen plenty of upsets this week already. North Carolina surprised No. 2 Duke, Georgetown knocked off No. 6 Delaware and Ohio State stunned No. 16 Notre Dame.

Maybe one more shocker is in store for Harvard this weekend.