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 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
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With Seniors Determined to Finish on a High Note; Tiger Men's Lax Whips Brown, Takes 2nd in Ivies
By Bill Alden
One is a decorated senior with All-Ivy and honorable-mention All-American recognition on his resume while the other barely saw the field in his four-year career.
While they may have assumed different roles for the Princeton University men's lacrosse team, the two tri-captains desperately wanted to end their Tiger careers on a high note in the season finale against visiting Brown.
The star, Oliver Barry, and the reserve, Matt Prager, achieved their goal as they both played integral roles in Princeton's 13-4 win over the Bears before a crowd of 1,047 at Class of 1952 Stadium.
Defender Barry locked down Brown star Chazz Woodson, holding him scoreless, while attackman Prager registered his first career goal.
While the win culminated a frustrating spring that saw Princeton go 5-7 as it failed to win the Ivy League title for the first time in 11 seasons and didn't make it to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1989, both seniors viewed the victory Saturday as special.
"The way the seniors thought about it, we were lucky to have a chance to win our last game," said the red-headed Barry, a native of New York City.
"The last three years, we've done some great things but we've lost the last game each year. We get to end our careers with a win."
Prager, who got his first-ever career start in the win, won't soon forget his last minutes in a Princeton uniform
"It's always nice to get a goal," said the 5'9, 155-pound native of Garden City, N.Y. whose older brother B.J. graduated from Princeton in 2002 as the program's fourth all-time leading goal scorer.
"I wasn't really expecting to be out there much after the beginning; it was a great feeling. It was really nice of the coaches to start me; I was honored to be out there at the beginning of the game."
Prager was honored to help the Tigers demonstrate character as they ended the season with two wins after starting 3-7.
"It's been really tough, we fought through things," said Prager lowering his voice.
"The way we've played the last couple weeks when we've only been playing for pride showed the difference between Princeton and other teams. It's about more than wins and losses; it's about pride in the uniform and playing for your teammates."
Princeton coach Bill Tierney is proud of how his team responded from the depths of the 17-4 loss to Ivy champion Cornell on April 23 which extinguished his team's chances for an Ivy title and an NCAA bid.
"That bus ride home from Cornell was one of the most miserable four-hour periods I've ever spent," said Tierney, whose club ended up going 4-2 in Ivy play to finish tied for second in the league with Dartmouth.
"It was not because we lost but because I knew we could be better. These young men persevered; they played their two best games of the year."
In Tierney's view, the impetus for that resolve came from the team's senior leadership. "Our seniors really wanted this game," added Tierney, who got a goal apiece from seniors Prager, Jason Doneger, J.G. Guidera, and Andrew Sung with sophomore Peter Trombino and freshman Alex Haynie each chipping in two.
"They wanted to win because they didn't want to be the ones to let this thing die. As we said to the players after the game, we'll springboard this thing and get back next year."
The way Princeton played in the season finale, though, demonstrated that while it lost more games than usual this year, it didn't lose character.
"The last two weeks have been a reaffirmation of what I feel about Princeton men and Princeton lacrosse players," asserted Tierney.
"Things can be rough once in a while but they are very resilient and never quit. This ending couldn't be better for this team. To have J.G, Sung, and Matty score goals, that's a Broadway script. I couldn't have written it any better."
In Barry's view, his career has been like a Hollywood movie. "You feel lucky to be a part of the success we had the first three years," added Barry.
"This year didn't go our way but lacrosse is growing and the Ivy League is getting tougher. To go 4-2 and be second place in the Ivy League is something to be proud of. The way we played last week and this week shows how much all these seniors care about the team."
For Prager, there is a lot to care about when it comes to Princeton lacrosse. "When I came in here, I knew it meant I probably wouldn't be a big-time player, I just wanted to be part of the special thing that is Princeton lacrosse," declared Prager.
"We've had great experiences on Saturday afternoons playing games and in the locker room. Last night I was thinking back to the seniors who were here when I was a freshman and the lifelong friends I've made. It's just priceless."
And in their own ways, Barry and Prager have made priceless contributions to that legacy.
