OH BROTHER: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Jeff Froccaro unloads the ball in a game last season. This past Friday, senior attacker Froccaro scored three goals to help Princeton top Johns Hopkins 11-8. Froccaro’s younger brother, freshman midfielder Jake, played a big role in the win, tallying two goals and two assists. The No. 5 Tigers, who improved to 2-0 with the victory, were slated to host Villanova on March 5, play at No. 11 North Carolina on March 9, and then host Manhattan on March 12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Playing at storied Homewood Field against high-powered Johns Hopkins last Friday evening, the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team knew it was going to be hit with an early barrage.

The third-ranked Blue Jays lived up to expectations, outshooting No. 12 Princeton 17-5 in the first quarter.

But counterpunching effectively, Princeton avoided a knockout punch, ending the first period locked in a 3-3 tie.

“They generated a lot of shots, they were not all high-quality,” said Princeton head coach Chris Bates.

“Matt O’Connor [Tiger freshman goalie] made a few saves early and settled in. We only had five shots but we got three goals so we were efficient.”

The Tigers maintained that efficiency all evening long, pulling out an 11-8 win before a crowd of 2,352 watching in Baltimore and a national audience tuning in on ESPNU.

“I was pleased with our composure,” asserted Bates in reflecting on the win which improved Princeton to 2-0.

“We played with focus and we played together. It was a big stage and we handled it.”

Princeton handled things particularly well down the stretch, outscoring Hopkins 3-1 in the fourth quarter.

“I thought Hopkins pressed a little, we settled down and made plays,” added Bates.

“I thought they were trying to solve us. When it was 10-8, Chris White made a huge goal. It might not have been the most high percentage shot but when your senior captain is playing with that kind of emotion, it is great to see. It put a nail in the coffin.”

It was great for Princeton to see the Froccaro brothers come through in a big way against the Blue Jays. Senior attacker Jeff Froccaro scored three goals while freshman Jake Froccaro tallied two goals and two assists. The brothers combined for a goal in the third quarter with Jake assisting and Jeff scoring.

“Jake just came out and said that kid can’t cover me, give me the ball,” said Bates of the younger Froccaro, who scored two of Princeton’s first four goals on Friday.

“As a freshman, that is a good level of confidence to see. He was probably not at the top of their scouting report so to get production out of him was probably a little demoralizing for them and set a tone for us. Those guys play together so well. They love to play the game, there is a big brother, little brother connection, Jake gave it to Jeff just like in the back yard, great to see that it works on a stage like Homewood Field. Jeff is playing with confidence.”

Another confident Tiger is sophomore attacker Mike MacDonald, who scored two goals in the win over Hopkins and now has five on the season.

“Mike can play, when he is in the flow our offense is better,” asserted Bates. “He is strong and confident. He can dodge and get to the cage. He is only a sophomore but he is already a leader for us. He adds a layer to our offense.”

The Tiger defense continued its strong early play. “I thought they did a good job,” said Bates, whose team gave up just one goal over the last 24:23 of the contest with freshman goalie O’Connor making 10 saves on the evening.

“When the lights are on, we are doing a good job. We have made some mistakes back there and Matt has bailed us out. Each week, I give credit to Greg Raymond [assistant coach], he has them prepared.”

With Princeton, now ranked No. 5, slated to host Villanova on March 5, play at No. 11 North Carolina on March 9, and then host Manhattan on March 12, the Tigers need to cut down on their mistakes to keep winning.

“We are playing with confidence and we are seeing rewards so that is good,” said Bates.

“Day in, day out we have to continue to improve. This can’t be the peak for us. I am happy to take 2-0 but it won’t mean anything if we go out and lose two this week. We are confident and loose and I like that. I told them that healthy nerves are good, they will regret it if they don’t put in a 60-minute effort.”