Sports

(Photo by Stephen Goldsmith) CROWD PLEASER: Princeton University men’s basketball star Douglas Davis heads to the hoop last Saturday against No. 22 Cornell before a packed house at Jadwin Gym. Sophomore guard Davis, a former Hun School standout, scored 18 points in the second half but it wasn’t enough as Princeton fell 48-45 to Cornell.

Davis Lights Up Electric Jadwin Crowd, but PU Men’s Hoops Falls 48-45 to Cornell

Bill Alden

It was like old times last Saturday night at Jadwin Gym when the Princeton University men’s basketball team hosted Cornell in an Ivy League showdown.

The electric atmosphere in the venerable gym was reminiscent of the halcyon days in the 1990s when the Tigers annually battled for the Ivy crown and their home games were a happening.

Princeton entered the evening at 5-0 league play with No. 22 Cornell having fallen at Penn the night before in suffering its first Ivy loss.

PU Alum Earl Enjoying Coaching at Alma Mater, Applying Lessons Learned During Playing Career

Ed Benkin

Brian Earl was part of a remarkable era in Princeton University men’s basketball, helping the Tigers garner national attention during the late 1990s.

The sharp-shooting guard sparked the Tigers to three NCAA tournament appearances from 1995-99, highlighted by tourney wins over UCLA and Nevada-Las Vegas. Earl holds program records for most three-pointers (281), most games played (116), and most starts (113).

Now Earl is working to return the Tigers to the top of the Ivy League, serving in his third season at Princeton as an assistant coach to former teammate Sydney Johnson.

For Earl, working with Johnson as a coach has been a natural extension of their playing days.

With Irrepressible Denino Shrugging Off Injury, Tiger Women’s Hockey Posts Weekend Sweep

Bill Alden

When Stephanie Denino crumpled to the ice in agony in the game against Dartmouth in early January, it looked like her senior season with the Princeton University women’s hockey team may have been over.

After getting helped from the ice with one leg hanging limply, the senior captain cried in the training room as she dealt with the pain in her knee and the realization that her college career could be finished.

But the irrepressible Denino took advantage of exam break to put in some arduous rehab work in a bid to salvage her final college campaign.

After missing two games in late January, star defenseman Denino was back on the ice for the first weekend of February.

With Cassidy Making the Most of Senior Season, PHS Girls’ Swimmers Surge to Sectional Finals

Bill Alden

Coming into the Mercer County Swimming Championships last week, Victoria Cassidy was in search of her first county title.

While the Princeton High senior had earned several medals over her stellar career, none of them were gold.

But as Cassidy hit the pool at Lawrence High for the 400 meter freestyle final, she was shooting for more than a victory.

With Sophomore Godwin Coming Up Big, PDS Girls’ Hoops Edges Stuart in Preps

Bill Alden

Clutching her neck and fighting back tears, Sarah Godwin appeared to be done for the day in the third quarter as the Princeton Day School girls’ basketball team battled Stuart Country Day last Sunday in the opening round of the Prep B tournament.

Slumping on the bench, PDS sophomore star guard Godwin held her head in her hands as the trainer worked on her neck.

Minutes later, the pain subsided and Godwin was able to re-enter the fray. “It was a head to the neck; my head went one way and my neck went the other,” recalled Godwin. “I felt a lot of cracks; we put some icy hot on it and it numbed out so it was good.”