| NEWS |
  
 |
| FEATURES |
| ENTERTAINMENT |
  
|
| COLUMNS |
     |
| CONTACT US |
|
| HOW TO SUBMIT |
|
|
| BACK ISSUES |
|
|
caption:
|
Princeton Men's Lax Sunk 8-7 by Navy in Final As Improbable Tournament Run Falls Just Short
By Bill Alden
In the waning moments of its NCAA semifinal clash with Navy last Saturday, the Princeton University men's lacrosse team readied itself to pull off another one of its patented miracle finishes.
With the throng of 46,923 at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium in an uproar, the Tigers trailed 8-7 and had the ball with 30 seconds left, looking to send the thrilling contest into overtime.
Having gone 19-3 in its last 22 NCAA tournament games decided by one or two goals, Princeton confidently put the ball in the hands of its gifted senior All-American attacker Ryan Boyle.
Boyle threaded his way through through the Midshipmen defense toward goal, only to have the ball dislodged with seconds remaining. Tiger freshman Peter Trombino gathered up the carom and rifled a shot at the Navy goal.
As the record crowd for a NCAA lacrosse game gasped as one, Navy goalie Matt Russell got his stick on the ball and then pounced on it before it could trickle past him, preserving the win for the Midshipmen and ending Princeton's dream of getting a shot at a seventh national crown.
While disappointed by the result, Princeton head coach Bill Tierney marveled at the grit shown by his team which had only three players in its starting lineup who had played a post-season game before this season.
"As I just told my team, this isn't about winning or losing a one-goal game," said an emotional Tierney with his voice rising after his team finished with an 11-4 record.
"This is about a bunch of young men who overachieved, persevered, and lost to a better team. I'm so proud of my team. I have been less proud of teams that have won [the national title] than I am of this team right now."
For Tierney, his team's improbable run to the Final Four which was keyed by veterans Boyle, Drew Casino, Ricky Schultz, Jason Doneger, and a bevy of new faces was almost beyond words.
"It's really hard to describe, especially after a year ago when we felt like we had one of the top two or three teams in the country talent-wise," maintained Tierney, who got major contributions this spring from freshmen Trombino, Scott Sowanick, Zach Jungers, Michael Biles, and former Princeton High star Whitney Hayes.
"Interestingly enough, I think they [the underclassmen] made the seniors grow. The older guys like Ryan, Drew, Ricky, and Jason got on board with the enthusiasm. The real turning point for this team came in September when those young guys came in and motivated the older guys to get on board because it was going to be fun."
Things weren't exactly fun last Saturday as Princeton tangled with a No. 2 Navy that has been on a mission all spring, receiving hundreds of supportive e-mails from troops deployed overseas urging the Midshipmen to keep rolling.
Navy jumped to a 2-0 lead and took a 5-4 edge into the dressing room at halftime. After a Boyle score knotted the game at 5-5, the Midshipmen went on a 3-1 run to take an 8-6 lead, the last goal coming on a fast break after a Doneger shot boomed off the post.
Trombino scored with 4:59 left to narrow the Navy margin to 8-7 and minutes later Boyle nearly evened the contest as he made a desperate lunge over the crease in an attempt to swat in a loose ball.
Boyle, for his part, conceded that things didn't come easy against a deep and inspired Navy team. "They were doing a great job of help defense and every time they felt they had to, they were dropping to cover Jason [Doneger] and that's why you saw so many of those slide passes go through," explained Boyle of a Navy team that went on to drop a 14-13 nailbiter to Syracuse last Monday in the NCAA championship game.
Tierney maintained that his team had to dig deep into its resources of character. "We were up against a lot today," said Tierney, who got a career-high three goals from Mac Bryson, two goals from Casino, a goal and three assists from Boyle, and a goal from Trombino.
"You almost felt not only the lacrosse world but really the country was against us. When you're out there in front of 40,000 people, it doesn't matter if you're 18 or 23, it's pretty scary and I thought, as always, that the young men who attend Princeton University are a special breed and I was proud of them today."
The Hall of Fame coach, though, noted that it may have been destiny that Navy earned a shot to play in a Memorial Day title game.
"I'm a real believer that teams win for a reason," asserted Tierney. "I think that you earn your stripes and I think it might've been Navy's time today."
There is no doubt, however, that Tierney believes his team's time will come again in the very near future. "Our confidence is that we will be back [to the Final Four]," added Tierney with a defiant edge to his voice.
"A lot of people have predicted doom and gloom for Princeton since 1992. We'll find a way because of the quality of the young men."
