LAST STAND: Princeton University men’s lacrosse goalie Matt O’Connor guards the cage. Last Saturday against visiting Cornell in the season finale,  senior O’Connor came off the bench after halftime and starred, making 11 saves in the second half as Princeton prevailed 7-6. The win gave the Tigers a final record of 5-8 overall and 2-4 Ivy. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Matt O’Connor made some history in the first game of his career with the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team in 2013, becoming just the third freshman goalie to start the opener in the last 25 years.

O’Connor started 11 games that year, playing more than 645 minutes. As a sophomore, he made five starts and saw 368 minutes of action. In 2015, he made just one appearance for 7:54. This spring, O’Connor has continued to serve in a backup role, making just four appearances for 66 minutes of action with 11 saves.

As he was honored with his other classmates on the program’s annual Senior Day last Saturday before Princeton hosted Cornell in the season finale, O’Connor was able to put his up-and-down career in perspective.

“It has been a great experience, it is sad to see it end obviously but my parents are here; they have had a great experience as well as they have become very close with my classmates’ parents,” said the 6’2, 215-pound O’Connor, a native of Spring Lake, N.J. who starred at the Lawrenceville School before coming to Princeton.

“There have been some bumps in the road but the group of guys in the locker room will never quit. We all have each other’s backs and any time we have a chance to play our rival, whether or not there are playoff implications, that is worthy of our best efforts.”

Facing a high-powered Cornell attack, the Tigers hit some bumps as they fell behind 2-0 four minutes into the game.

“We have overcome a lot of adversity this year so being down 2-0 is something we are kind of used to,” said O’Connor.

“We knew to trust our systems, trust our guys, and to play hard and that we would start putting the ball into the net.”

Princeton forged ahead 6-4 by halftime and the Princeton coaches showed their trust in O’Connor as he took over in the cage after intermission.

“That was predetermined, coming in to start the half,” said O’Connor.

“I just felt like our defense was playing so well in the first half. I just figured that those guys would continue to do that and I was just going to be back there with them.”

O’Connor ended up playing very well over the next 30 minutes, making 11 saves, including some point-blank stops, as the Tigers prevailed 7-6, finishing the season at 5-8 overall and 2-4 Ivy League.

“Mark Strabo and Bear Goldstein were unbelievable on defense, they gave me a lot of shots I could save,” said O’Connor, reflecting on his performance.

“I knew that was going to happen, those guys are great. It is always good to get the first one but again they were funneling them down to low angle shots.”

Knowing that he was going to see extensive action, O’Connor was primed for his opportunity.

“I have been working with coach Madalon (interim head coach Matt Madalon) a lot on my own game,” said O’Connor.

“He was a goalie at Roanoke and he is a great teacher and a great coach. I have learned a lot from him and it has helped my game a lot.”

Making some history in his final game is something O’Connor will always remember. “It is hard to put into words,” said O’Connor, whose good friend and classmate Ryan Ambler scored the game-winning goal for Princeton with 4:00 left in regulation.

“I wish we had some season left, I wish we were going to the playoffs next week. Given the circumstances, there is no better way to go out, at home to beat your rival in a close game so I am sad that it is over but it is a good way to end it.”

While O’Connor may have wished that he played more in his Princeton career, he has forged deep bonds with his fellow goalies.

“I have been in a bunch of different roles and I think our coaches have made a ton of decisions all over the field,” said O’Connor.

“Only one guy can play at goalie and whoever the hot hand is, is who we have gone with. We always have a great crew of guys, the goalies on the team; we have always been very close. They always have my back, I always have their back. Whoever is in there, we trust as a goalie crew that we are going to make saves.”

O’Connor’s positive attitude led him to be voted one of the team’s four captains along with classmates Ambler, Austin deButts, and junior Bear Goldstein.

“It is a real honor to be voted by my peers and it is something that I took really seriously,” said O’Connor.

“We have had great captains before me when I was a freshman, sophomore, and a junior and I tried to honor those guys the best that I could and do my best for the program.”

O’Connor’s best was required as the program went through a tough season that saw head coach Chris Bates dismissed in the wake of a sideline incident in a loss to Brown on April 2.

“It was unprecedented obviously,” said O’Connor. “With the leadership of coach Madalon, he made it easy for us. He was such an even-keeled, strong leader. We just followed his lead and the seniors fell into that leadership role but coach Madalon led the way.”