RETURN ENGAGEMENT: Bill Tierney stalks the sidelines last week as he guided his Denver University men’s lacrosse team against Princeton. It marked the return of the legendary former Tiger head coach for his first game at Class of 1952 Stadium since he left the Tiger program in 2009 after 22 seasons and six NCAA titles. Princeton, though, made it a tough homecoming for Tierney, pulling out a 14-13 win over the ninth-ranked Pioneers. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Bill Tierney didn’t get the chance to hone in on his Denver University men’s lacrosse team as it went through its pregame paces before its contest at Princeton last week.

With legendary former Princeton head coach Tierney returning on March 26 for his first game at Class of 1952 Stadium since he left the program in 2009 after guiding the Tigers to six NCAA titles in 22 seasons, the warmup turned into an extended meet and greet session.

Wearing a crimson and white Denver ball cap and Oakley sunglasses, the silver haired Tierney, 66, grinned broadly as he chatted with former colleagues on the field, shook hands with old friends, and responded to well wishes shouted from supporters in the stands. more

CENTURY CLUB: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Elizabeth George looks to unload the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, senior attacker George tallied six points on two goals and four assists, including the 100th goal of her career, but it wasn’t enough as Princeton lost 12-11 to Brown. The 16th-ranked Tigers, now 5-2 overall and 1-1 Ivy League,  play at No. 2 Maryland (10-0) on March 27 and at Villanova (5-5) on April 2. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Elizabeth George came into last Saturday needing two goals to hit the contrary mark in her career with the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team.

As Princeton hosted Brown, George scored 7:36 into the contest to hit 99 and then 1:40 later notched her 100th as the Tigers jumped out to an 8-2 lead.

“We started out hot which was good, we saw a lot of looks there,” said George.

Minutes later, Princeton stretched its advantage to 9-2 as George assisted on a tally by Kyla Sears but that ended up being the high water mark for the Tigers. Brown proceeded to score 10 unanswered goals over the rest of the first half and into the second and held off a late Princeton rally to pull out a 12-11 victory. more

By Bill Alden

Coming off a 19-10 loss to Penn and hosting defending national champion Yale last Saturday, the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team looked like it might be getting routed again as it fell behind the Bulldogs 3-1 in the second quarter.

But showing pluck, Princeton reeled off four unanswered goals to pull ahead 5-3 at halftime.

“We sunk into our game plan at that point,” said Princeton head coach Matt Madalon. “They got a couple of good ones and once we got possession of the ball, we had an opportunity to capitalize and the guys hit some shots.”

In the second half, the Tigers led 7-6 midway through the third quarter but saw the game slip away as Yale, ranked No. 1 in the USILA Coaches Poll, reeled off five unanswered goals on the way to a 15-10 victory before a crowd on 1,843 at Class of ‘52 Stadium. more

ENCORE PERFORMANCE: Members of the Princeton University women’s basketball team celebrate during their 68-47 win over Cornell last Saturday in the semifinals of the Ivy League postseason tournament. A day later, the Tigers topped Penn 65-54 in the championship game to win their second straight Ivy tourney. The Tigers, now 22-9, will now compete in the NCAA tournament where they were selected as a No. 11 seed in the Greensboro Region, facing 6th-seeded Kentucky on March 23 in Raleigh, N.C. in a first-round contest. (Photo by Noel Valero)

By Bill Alden

Gabrielle Rush couldn’t find a shooting rhythm in her final regular season weekend for the Princeton University women’s basketball team.

The sharpshooting senior guard went a combined 4-of-25 from the floor, including 1-of-15 from the three-point line, as Princeton topped Brown 88-68 and Yale 80-68 on March 8-9 to clinch a share of the Ivy League title and the top seed for the league’s postseason tournament.

Last weekend, though, Rush was on target as Princeton rolled to the title at the Ivy tournament at Yale. Rush went 4-of-5 for the floor and scored 12 points as the Tigers topped Cornell 68-47 in the semis on Saturday and then made 6-of-11 shots and totaled 18 points as Princeton defeated Penn 65-54 a day later in the final, earning its second straight Ivy tourney title. more

ROAD TO GLORY: Princeton University wrestler Patrick Glory, left, battles a foe earlier this season in a bout at 125 pounds. Freshman Glory, who won the EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) title at 125 earlier this month, will be going after a national title this weekend as he takes part in the NCAA Championships this weekend in Pittsburgh, Pa. He will be joined at the competition by Tiger teammates Patrick Brucki (197), Matthew Kolodzik (149), Quincy Monday (157), Travis Stefanik (174), and Kevin Parker (184). (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

Patrick Glory takes pride in standing atop the podium at the EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) Championships on March 9 in Binghamton, N.Y.

But what the Princeton University freshman really wants is to be standing at the top of another one when the NCAA Championships conclude this Saturday in Pittsburgh, Pa.

“It’s something I’ve been waiting for my whole life,” said Glory, a native of Randolph, N.J.

“It’s something I’ve been dreaming of. When you’re in third or fourth grade, you think, ‘Imagine how cool it would be to wrestle at the NCAA championships, imagine how cool it would be to win a national title.’ I’ve dreamed about me standing on the podium and winning the national title and jumping into my coach’s arms and talking to my family afterward. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to since I was 8-9 years old. And now it’s here.” more

GOAL ORIENTED: Princeton University women’s hockey player Sarah Fillier chases down the puck in recent action. Last Saturday, freshman star forward Filler scored both goals for Princeton as it fell 5-2 to second-seeded Minnesota in the NCAA quarterfinals. The Tigers ended the winter with a record of 20-8-5. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

When the Princeton University women’s hockey team played at Minnesota in the 2016 NCAA quarterfinals, the Tigers got on the scoreboard first but then yielded six unanswered goals on the way to a 6-2 loss.

Last Saturday, when Princeton headed to Minnesota for a rematch in the 2019 NCAA quarters, it took an early 1-0 lead on a goal by freshman star Sarah Fillier.

This time, the game turned into a nail-biter rather than a rout. After Minnesota forged ahead 2-1 in the second period, Princeton knotted the game at 2-2 on another tally by Fillion. more

PRO QUALITY: Princeton University men’s hockey player Ryan Kuffner heads up the ice in recent action. Senior star Kuffner ended his college career by tallying two goals and two assists in Princeton’s 6-5 triple overtime loss to Brown on March 9 as the Tigers were swept in best-of-three ECAC Hockey first round playoff series. Last week, Kuffner, Princeton’s all-time leading goal scorer with 75, signed a two-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. Classmate and star forward Max Veronneau entered into a two-year entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators and made his NHL debut on March 14 in Ottawa’s 2-0 win over St. Louis. Last Saturday, Veronneau tallied his first NHL point, picking up an assist as the Senators defeated Toronto 6-2. A third senior, defenseman Josh Teves, inked a one-year entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Having played a key role in the resurgence of the Princeton University men’s hockey program which saw the Tigers win the ECAC Hockey tournament last winter, the team’s seniors weren’t about to go down without a fight as they faced playoff elimination earlier this month.

Playing at Brown in the best-of-three ECACH first round series, Princeton lost the first game 3-0 on March 8 and trailed 5-2 with 4:37 left in regulation a day later.

But with senior stars Max Veronneau, Ryan Kuffner, Josh Teves and Alex Riche hitting the ice together, the Tigers produced a dramatic comeback, scoring three goals in 3:48 to knot the game at 5-5 and force overtime. more

GOING FOR IT: Princeton University women’s hockey player Karlie Lund goes after a puck in recent action. Last Saturday, senior forward and co-captain Lund contributed an assist as Princeton fell 3-2 in double overtime to Cornell in the ECAC Hockey semifinals. The disappointment over that loss turned to joy a day later as the Tigers were awarded an at-large bid to the upcoming NCAA tournament. Princeton, now 20-7-5 overall, will play at second-seeded Minnesota (30-5-1) in a national quarterfinal contest on March 16. The selection marks the program’s third NCAA appearance overall and first trip to the national tourney since it fell 6-2 to the Gophers in the 2016 quarterfinals at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Last weekend turned out to be nerve-wracking for the Princeton University women’s hockey team.

On Saturday, Princeton headed north to play at Cornell in the ECAC Hockey semis, knowing that a loss could doom its chances of getting invited to the NCAA tournament.

The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the second period on goals by Claire Thompson and Carly Bullock but couldn’t hold off the Big Red, losing 3-2 in double overtime.

“I thought it was a really tight, even game obviously, it was back and forth,” said Princeton head coach Cara Morey. more

SIX SHOOTER: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Kyla Sears handles the ball last Saturday against Stony Brook. Sophomore attacker Sears tallied six goals and two assists to help the Tigers rally to a 15-14 win. Sears was lated named the Ivy League Player of the Week for her performance. Princeton, now 4-1 and ranked eighth nationally, is next in action when it plays at Florida on March 19. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After piling up 64 goals in 19 games last spring during her freshman year for the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team, Kyla Sears wasn’t as prolific in the early going this season.

Entering Princeton’s game against visiting Stony Brook last Saturday, star attacker Sears had seven goals in the first four games in the 2019 campaign.

But finding her finishing touch, Sears erupted for five goals in the first half as the Tigers took a 9-8 lead over the Seawolves.

“Our offense really clicked; we were finding each other, we were giving each other good looks,” said Sears a 5’4 native of Skaneateles, N.Y. “Any player is as successful as their teammates around them; we found each other’s strengths today. more

FINAL MILE: Princeton University men’s basketball player Myles Stephens dribbles up the floor in recent action. Senior star and captain Stephens played well in his final weekend at Jadwin Gym but it wasn’t enough as Princeton fell 67-63 to Brown on Friday and 81-59 to Yale a day later. Stephens had 11 points and seven rebounds in the loss to the Bears and then chipped in 13 points and nine rebounds against the Bulldogs. Princeton, now 16-11 overall and 8-6 Ivy League, is next in action when it competes in the Ivy postseason tournament. The third-seeded Tigers will face second-seeded and host Yale in the semis on March 16 in New Haven, Conn. with the victor advancing to the title game the next day. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As Myles Stephens left the floor at Jadwin Gym last Saturday for the last time in his career with the Princeton University men’s basketball team, he hugged his coaches and teammates one by one as he went to the end of the bench.

Moments after Princeton’s 81-59 loss to Yale in the home finale, he embraced some of his former teammates gathered courtside as he made his away to the locker room.

Stephens acknowledged that he had a lot on his mind as the evening unfolded.

“Four years is a long time and as a student athlete, you spend so much time coming down here every day, lifting, conditioning and practicing,” said Stephens. “I was definitely a little emotional.” more

FRESH APPROACH: Princeton University women’s hockey player Sarah Fillier chases down the puck last Friday evening as Princeton hosted St. Lawrence in the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals. Freshman forward Fillier tallied four goals and two assists on the weekend as fourth-seeded Princeton swept the fifth-seeded Saints in the  best-of-three series, winning 4-1 on Friday and 6-2 on Saturday. The Tigers, now 20-6-5 overall, play at top-seeded Cornell (22-4-6) in the ECACH semis on March 9 with the victor advancing to the title game a day later. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton University women’s hockey team mired in a three-game losing streak and locked in a scoreless game with St. Lawrence last Friday at Hobey Baker Rink heading into the second period of their ECAC Hockey quarterfinal opener, the Tigers needed a jolt.

Princeton freshman forward Sarah Fillier provided that spark, tallying three straight goals in the second period as the Tigers built a 3-0 lead on the way to a 4-1 triumph.

“One of the main things we said in the room going into the second was just bear down in front of the net and just keep going with the good habits that we had,” recalled Fillier. more

ON THE MARK: Princeton University men’s hockey player Mark Paolini sends the puck up the ice in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, sophomore defenseman Paolini contributed a goal and two assists as Princeton won 5-1 at Brown to improve to 10-16-3 overall and 8-12-2 ECAC Hockey. This weekend, the Tigers will head back to Brown where they will face the Bears in a best-of-three ECACH first round playoff series starting on March 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton University men’s hockey team heads into its first round ECAC Hockey best-of-three playoff series at Brown next weekend, it is looking to make history repeat itself.

Last winter, the Tigers caught fire late, going 2-1-1 in the final two regular season weekends and riding that surge to a stunning run in the ECACH playoffs. The seventh-seeded Tigers swept visiting Brown in the opening round and then headed north and swept Union in the quarterfinals. Princeton proceeded to top Cornell and Clarkson in the ECACH final four to win the title and make the NCAA tournament. more

AHEAD OF THE FIELD: Princeton University women’s basketball player Carlie Littlefield heads to the hoop in recent action. Last Friday, sophomore point guard Littlefield tallied a game-high 18 points to help the Tigers pull away to a 64-47 win over visiting Dartmouth and clinch a spot in the upcoming Ivy League postseason tourney. A day later, Littlefield chipped in 17 points to help the Tigers edge Harvard 61-58 and improve to 18-9 overall and 10-2 Ivy. The Tigers will wrap up regular season play with games at Brown on March 8 and at Yale on March 9. Princeton will start play in the Ivy tourney on March 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Having played three games in a five-day stretch from February 22-26, the Princeton University women’s basketball team came out a little sluggish as it hosted Dartmouth last Friday evening.

With junior star Bella Alarie banged up and senior Qalea Ismail leaving the game with a knee injury, Princeton struggled to find a rhythm, missing all eight of its three-point attempts in the half.

Sensing that the Tigers needed someone to step up, sophomore point guard Carlie Littlefield took charge, scoring 10 points to serve as a catalyst with the Tigers trailing 28-27 at halftime. more

FEELING BLUE: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Connor McCarthy prepares to unload the ball in recent action. Last Saturday against visiting Johns Hopkins, junior midfielder McCarthy scored a goal, but it wasn’t enough as Princeton fell 14-12. The Tigers led 9-7 late in the third quarter before the 18th-ranked Blue Jay reeled off five unanswered goals to take control of the contest. Princeton, which dropped to 1-2 with the loss, was slated to play at Navy on March 5 and at Rutgers on March 9. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

In its final game of February, the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team took 9-7 lead over Virginia midway through the third quarter.

Unable to hold off high-powered Virginia, Princeton fell 12-11 to the Cavaliers in overtime in the February 23 contest.

Last Saturday in their first outing of March as they hosted another perennial power, Johns Hopkins, the Tigers experienced an unfortunate case of deja vu. more

IN FLIGHT: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Charlie Durbin goes up for a shot last Saturday against Virginia. Senior midfielder Durbin matched his career single-game high with four goals, but it wasn’t enough as Princeton lost 12-11 in overtime to the Cavaliers. The Tigers, now 1-1, host No. 18 Johns Hopkins (1-2) on March 2. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After being sidelined for the 2018 season due to a knee injury, Charlie Durbin is thrilled to be back in action this spring for the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team.

“Sitting out last year really made me cherish lacrosse a lot more,” said senior midfielder Durbin, who hurt his knee in the fall of 2017.

“For a while, the only thing I really could do was practice shooting. It feels really good to be back out on the field with all of the guys. It makes every game feel a little bit more valuable.” more

TO THE MAX: Princeton University men’s hockey player Max Veronneau chases down the puck in recent action. Last Saturday, senior star Veronneau chipped in a goal and an assist as Princeton defeated St. Lawrence 5-3 in its final regular season home game. The Tigers, now 8-16-3 overall and 6-12-2 ECAC Hockey, play at Yale on March 1 and Brown on March 2 to wrap up regular season action. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Over the last four years, Max Veronneau has produced a lot of highlight moments at Hobey Baker Rink for the Princeton University men’s hockey team.

Coming into his final regular season home last Saturday as Princeton hosted St. Lawrence, senior forward Veronneau had amassed 137 points on 47 goals and 90 assists. more

By Bill Alden

Ryan Schwieger is known around the Princeton University men’s basketball team for his low-key demeanor, speaking softly in a southern drawl.

But last Friday when sophomore guard Schwieger got the start for Princeton against visiting Cornell, he was ready to make some noise.

“Coach [Mitch Henderson] tells me to be aggressive; all of my teammates tell me to be aggressive,” said the 6’6, 205-pound Schwieger, a native of Matthews, N.C. “I just had that mindset going in and of going to the rim early.” more

LETTING IT FLY: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Kathryn Hallett heads upfield last Saturday as Princeton hosted Temple in its season opener. Senior midfielder Hallett tallied four goals to help the eighth-ranked Tigers prevail 16-7 and make history in the process as the victory marked the 400th career win for longtime Tiger head coach Chris Sailer. Princeton will look to keep rolling as it plays at 12th-ranked Virginia (2-0) on February 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Coming into the 2019 season, Kathryn Hallett knew that it was up to her to lead the midfield for the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team.

“There are definitely some big shoes to fill, we graduated two really good impact starting midfielders last year,” said senior Hallett, referring to Ellie McNulty and Camille Sullivan.

“We have a lot of freshmen in the lineup. In the past I have been more of a lead by example type of person. I have really been making an effort to be more vocal, giving them tips during practice.” more

MAKING A STAND: Princeton University men’s basketball player Myles Stephens puts on the defensive pressure in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday against visiting Dartmouth, senior star and co-captain Stephens contributed 17 points, eight rebounds, and a blocked shot to help the Tigers pull out a 69-68 win over the Big Green. Princeton, now 13-8 overall and 5-3 Ivy League, hosts Cornell on February 22 and Columbia on February 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It may not have been a must-win game for the Princeton University men’s basketball team but it certainly felt like it.

Mired in a three-game losing streak in Ivy League play as it hosted Dartmouth last Saturday evening, Princeton was in danger of sliding out of the race for the top four in the league standings and spot in the Ivy postseason tournament.

“We had our backs up against the wall with a three-game skid,” said Princeton senior star and co-captain Myles Stephens. more

SENIOR MOMENT: Princeton University women’s hockey player Karlie Lund controls the puck in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, senior forward and co-captain Lund chipped in an assist in a losing cause cause as Princeton fell 2-1 to visiting Rensselaer. The fifth-ranked Tigers, now 18-4-5 overall and 15-2-3 ECAC Hockey, will look to wrap up the league’s regular season title when they play at Clarkson on February 22 and at St. Lawrence on February 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Karlie Lund didn’t want to leave the ice at Hobey Baker Rink last Saturday evening after the Princeton University women’s hockey team hosted Rensselaer in its final regular season home game.

Senior forward and co-captain Lund and her classmates lingered on the rink after the program held its annual Senior Day ceremony, cavorting with each other and family members, skating back and forth and posing for a number of pictures.

Even though fifth-ranked Princeton had just lost 2-1 to Rensselaer, that didn’t put a damper on the festivities honoring the Class of 2019. more

BY GEORGE: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Elizabeth George heads to goal in a 2018 game. Senior star attacker George, who tallied 43 goals last spring, will be a key performer for the Tigers this season. Princeton, ranked 8th in this week’s Inside Lacrosse national poll, gets its 2019 season underway by hosting Temple on February 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Having won the Ivy League title in each of their first three seasons and advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals along the way, the seniors on the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team are determined to go out with a bang this spring.

“The seniors have been a part of Ivy League championship teams their entire career so they don’t want that streak to end; they really want to get further,” said Princeton head coach Chris Sailer, whose team went 13-6 overall and 6-1 Ivy League last spring, winning the league’s postseason tournament and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tourney. more

By Bill Alden

TOWERING PRESENCE: Princeton University women’s basketball player Bella Alarie puts up a shot in recent action. Last weekend, junior forward Alarie scored 38 points in 96-86 overtime loss to Yale on Friday, passing the 1,000-point mark in her career, and then chipped in 20 points and 16 rebounds as the Tigers topped Brown 93-74 on Saturday. Later, the 6’4 Alarie was named the Ivy League Player for the Week for the second straight week. The Tigers, now 11-9 overall and 3-2 Ivy, play at Harvard on February 15 and at Dartmouth on February 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Bella Alarie produced another milestone moment in her career for the Princeton University women’s basketball team last Friday evening as the Tigers hosted Yale in Jadwin Gym.

After setting an Ivy League single-game record by scoring 45 points in a win over Columbia on February 1, junior forward Alarie notched the 1,000th point of her college career late in the third quarter against the Bulldogs.

“I was really excited to get it on our home floor in front of my family members,” said the 6’4 Alarie, a native of Bethesda, Md.

“It is really cool. It means a lot as a player that my teammates trust me enough to shoot the ball. I have been getting better every year.”

It ended up not being one of the better nights for the Tigers as they trailed for most of the contest with Yale leading 42-39 at half and 62-57 entering the fourth quarter. With 3:44 remaining in regulation, the Tigers were down 72-65 but not out as they went on 14-7 run to force overtime. In the extra session, though,  Princeton faltered as the Bulldogs pulled away to a 96-86 win. more