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(Photo by BillAllen/NJ SportAction)

caption:
GOAL ORIENTED: Princeton freshman star attacker Peter Trombino in action in the Tigers' recent loss to Syracuse. Last Saturday, Trombino scored two goals to help the Tigers top Rutgers 9-7 to improve to 5-2. Trombino has scored at least one goal in every game of his Princeton career.
end of caption

Frosh Star Trombino Maintains Scoring Streak To Help Tiger Men's Lax Top Rutgers Again

By Bill Alden

It didn't take long for freshman attacker Peter Trombino to make an impact this spring for the Princeton University men's lacrosse team. Just over five minutes into the Tigers' season-opener against Quinnipiac on February 28, Trombino fired in the team's first goal of the season.

The 5'11, 175-pound native of Huntington Station, N.Y. hadn't looked back from that auspicious debut as he scored at least once in each of Princeton's first six games.

Last Saturday, however, Trombino's scoring streak seemed to be in jeopardy as visiting Rutgers held him scoreless in the first half of the annual battle for the Garden State in taking a 4-3 lead over Princeton at the half.

But true to form, Trombino came through when the Tigers needed him most as he scored two late third quarter goals to cap a 4-0 third quarter run for Princeton.

Those scores proved crucial as Princeton had to hold off a late rally from the determined Scarlet Knights to earn a 9-7 win before 3,414 at Class of 1952 Stadium.

The victory improved Princeton to 5-2 and marked its 15th straight win over Rutgers as the Tigers retained the Harlan (Tots) Meistrell Cup given to the winner of the matchup between the intrastate rivals.

For Trombino, putting the ball into the back of the net is just a matter of taking care of business."I just try and do my part," said a smiling Trombino, who now has 16 points in his rookie campaign on nine goals and seven assists. "I think we needed it today. I saw two opportunities and that's what happened. I played the ball and finished it."

Trombino wasn't surprised that Rutgers gave Princeton all it could handle. "All week we prepared for a battle," said Trombino. "We had beaten them 14 years in a row and we wanted to keep that streak going. I thought they were a very good team. They hustled after every ground ball, they worked very hard."

Trombino's performance conjured up memories of former Princeton All-American Sean Hartofilis' 6-goal outburst in Princeton's come-from-behind win at Rutgers last year as the two scorers come from the same high school, St. Anthony's.

"Sean was a great player, I know his family well," said Trombino, who is clad in the same number 20 that Hartofilis wore during his outstanding Princeton career. "I've always wanted to come here and I saw him come here and do well. It's just nice to keep the tradition alive from my school."

Princeton head coach Bill Tierney was relieved to keep Princeton's tradition of success against Rutgers alive for another year.

"That was a good win," asserted Tierney. "It was another close one like last week [a 12-9 win over Yale]. We persevered again through some tough spots. Jim [Stagnitta] has done a great job at Rutgers. His kids play hard, they play clean. I give them a lot of credit-they know what they have to do and they do it."

In Tierney's view, his freshman star Trombino shows that same business-like attitude. "Peter is a very talented kid," said Tierney who got a goal and four assists from senior star Ryan Boyle and three goals from junior sharpshooter Jason Doneger in the win over Rutgers. "Peter just goes and plays. He takes criticism well, he takes praise very well. He does his job game in and game out."

Tierney needs his team collectively to do its job as the Tigers head into the thick of their Ivy League campaign.

"It's upon us," said Tierney of the Ivy stretch drive which begins in earnest this week as the Tigers have a home contest against Penn on April 13 before playing at Harvard on April 17.

"We've played enough games now, we've been in all the different situations. The question now is can we keep figuring out how to get enough goals to win."

Trombino, for his part, is determined to keep his production up as he continues his smooth transition to the college level.

"It's just a matter of understanding the college game and the differences from high school," explained Trombino, who noted that his transition has been eased by the camaraderie between the 14 freshmen on the Tigers roster.

"It comes down to finding your spots and finishing your shots. I've always said I wanted to play college lacrosse and it's been a dream come true."

Having a freshman like Trombino in the fold is a dreamy situation for the Princeton lacrosse program.

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