HEADING INTO HISTORY: Princeton University football player Jesper Horsted races past Penn defenders last Saturday. Senior star wide receiver Horsted made eight catches for 165 yards and three touchdowns to help Princeton defeat the Quakers 42-14 and put the finishing touches on a perfect season for the Tigers. Princeton ended the fall at 10-0 overall and 7-0 Ivy League. It marked the program’s first undefeated season since the 1964 team went 9-0 and its first outright Ivy title since 1995. Horsted, for his part, passed Kevin Guthrie to grab the Princeton record for career receptions, ending his career with 196 catches and 2,703 receiving yards, the second most in program history. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With no Princeton University football team having posted an undefeated season since 1964 when the Tigers went 9-0, this year’s squad set its sights set on perfection.

“Before the season we got together and talked about our goals for the year were and that was the biggest stated one that we were all working toward,” said Princeton senior receiver Jesper Horsted. “The way to be the best we could be was to go 10-0.” more

OVER AND OUT: Princeton University field hockey player Elise Wong tracks a ball in a game this season. Senior defender Wong starred in a losing cause as third-seeded Princeton fell 1-0 in overtime to second-seeded Maryland in the NCAA semifinals. The defeat left the Tigers with a final record of 15-5. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Hosting Maryland in mid-September, the Princeton University field hockey team couldn’t hold the fort as the high-powered Terps rallied from a 4-1 deficit to pull out a 5-4 win in overtime.

When the foes met against last Friday in the NCAA semifinals in Louisville, Ky., Tiger senior defender Elise Wong was confident that Princeton could contain the Terps. more

ROUGH FINISH: Princeton University men’s soccer player Benji Issroff heads the ball up the field in a game earlier this season. Last Thursday, junior defender Issroff helped the Princeton defense stymie Michigan in the first round of the NCAA tournament as the teams tied at 1-1 through 90 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime. The game went to penalty kicks and the Wolverines ended up prevailing 11-10 in a shootout that went 14 rounds, nine past the typical five. The heartbreaking loss left the Tigers with a final record of 10-5-3. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

The Princeton University men’s soccer team didn’t play like an underdog at host Michigan in the NCAA tournament last Thursday.

The Tigers players took exception to an online preview by Top Draw Soccer that said Princeton needed “to keep this low-scoring, sit deep, and look for chances on the counter attack or set pieces,” in order to compete. more

BLACK MAGIC: Princeton University women’s hockey player Claire Thompson controls the puck in action last weekend. Junior defenseman Thompson tallied a goal and two assists to help Princeton defeat Colgate 6-0 on Friday in the program’s first-ever #BlackOutBaker game and then chipped in an assist as the Tigers tied Cornell 2-2 a day later. League-leading Princeton, now 5-2-3 overall and 4-0-2 ECAC Hockey, is next in action when it hosts Quinnipiac on November 30. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton University women’s hockey team holding its first-ever #BlackOutBaker game as it hosted Colgate last Friday, Claire Thompson helped the Tigers get out to an early lead.

Junior defenseman Thompson blasted in a shot from the point as Princeton jumped ahead 1-0 with 7:20 left in the first period.

“Annie [MacDonald] did a really good job in the corner getting the puck free and she sucked their d-zone down into them which made me free,” said Thompson, wearing eye black as part of the black-out festivities. more

By Bill Alden

Carlie Littlefield sees herself as a pass-first point guard for the Princeton University women’s basketball team.

Last winter in her freshman campaign, Littlefield had 84 assists, second on the team to senior star Leslie Robinson, and averaged 8.3 points a game.

But with Robinson having graduated and rising sophomore shooting guard Abby Meyers away from school this year and junior star and reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Bella Alarie out with a broken arm, Littlefield is shouldering more of the scoring load this winter. more

TRENCH WARFARE: Princeton University offensive lineman Brent Holder, right, battles Rocco Di Leo of Dartmouth last Saturday in a clash of Ivy League frontrunners. Princeton rallied to pull out a 14-9 win over the previously undefeated Big Green to improve to 8-0 overall and 5-0 Ivy League. The Tigers play at Yale (5-3 overall, 3-2 Ivy) on November 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It was a clash of unbeatens that took on the aura of a heavyweight title fight when the Princeton University football team hosted Dartmouth last Saturday.

After the rivals, who both entered the day with 7-0 records, traded touchdowns on their first possessions to  make it a 7-7 game, the two teams slugged it out in between the 20s with a second quarter safety by Dartmouth being the only additional points scored heading into the final period. more

MOVING FORWARD: Princeton University men’s basketball player Jerome Desrosiers, right, drives to the basket in a practice last week. The Tigers will be relying on sophomore forward Desrosiers to build on the progress he made last winter. The Tigers open their 2018-19 campaign by hosting DeSales University on November 9. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

There will be a new look around Princeton’s Jadwin Gym as the college basketball season tips off this week with a new four-sided video board hanging over the court and a revamped seating configuration.

Coming off a disappointing 2017-18 season that saw the Princeton University men’s basketball team go 13-16 overall and 5-9 Ivy League, the Tigers are vowing to be new and improved.  more

COURT IN SESSION: Princeton University women’s basketball head coach Courtney Banghart, right, makes a point at the program’s annual media day last Thursday in Jadwin Gym as senior star Sydney Jordan listens attentively. Princeton is slated to get its 2018-19 campaign underway by playing at Rider on November 6 and at George Washington in November 11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton University women’s basketball team prepares for the 2018-19 campaign, it has adopted the theme of “Rise as One.”

But rising to the heights achieved last winter when Princeton went 24-6 overall, 12-2 Ivy League and winning the league’s postseason tournament may be harder as the team’s No. 1 player, junior forward Bella Alarie (13.3 points and 9.4 rebounds a game last winter on the way to being named Ivy Player of the Year), is currently sidelined with a broken arm. more

GROUND AND POUND: Princeton University quarterback John Lovett, left, hands off to Charlie Volker in a game earlier this fall. Last Saturday, seniors Lovett and Volker helped key a dominant ground attack that piled up 358 yards rushing as Princeton routed Cornell 66-0. The No. 14 Tigers, now 7-0 overall and 4-0 Ivy League, host No. 20 Dartmouth (7-0 overall, 4-0 Ivy) in a critical Ivy showdown this Saturday. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It had the makings of a trap game for undefeated Princeton University football team as it hosted underdog Cornell last Saturday.

The Princeton players had dealt with midterm exams during the week, the windy and rainy weather on game day was well suited to Cornell’s running game, and a clash against unbeaten Dartmouth on November 3 loomed on the horizon for Princeton. more

TOM TERRIFIC: Princeton University football star Tom Johnson gets ready to pounce on a ballcarrier in recent action. Last Saturday at Harvard, senior linebacker and co-captain Johnson has a team-high 10 tackles to help Princeton hold off the Crimson in prevailing 29-21. The Tigers, now 6-0 overall and 3-0 Ivy League, host Cornell (3-3 overall, 2-1 Ivy) on October 27. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though his Princeton University football team had cruised to a 5-0 record, outscoring its foes 260-43 in the process, Bob Surace sensed that his squad was in for a dogfight when it faced a 3-2 Harvard team last Saturday.

“They are really good, they lost to Rhode Island (23-16 on September 28), who had been top 15 nationally ranked team; it was a back-and-forth game,” said Princeton head coach Surace. more

FINISHING TOUCH: Princeton University men’s soccer player Gaby Paniagua, right, gets ready to boot the ball against Harvard last Saturday. Sophomore midfielder Paniagua tallied the first goal of the contest to help Princeton post a 3-0 win over the Crimson and remain atop the Ivy League standings. The Tigers, now 8-4-2 overall and 3-0-1 Ivy, play at Cornell (10-3 overall, 3-1 Ivy) on October 27. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Gaby Paniagua saw a chance to give the Princeton University men’s soccer team a lead over Harvard last Saturday, and he cashed in.

“I was making a near post run and I saw Kevin [O’Toole] flick it with the outside of his foot,” said sophomore midfielder Paniagua. more

ON THE MARK: Princeton University football player Mark Fossati heads upfield in recent action. Last Saturday, senior linebacker Fossati recorded a game-high 12 tackles to spearhead the defensive effort as Princeton defeated visiting Brown 48-10. Fossati was later named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week for his heroics. The Tigers, now 5-0 overall and 2-0 Ivy, play at Harvard (3-2 overall, 1-1 Ivy) on October 20. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Princeton University football team, it was no John Lovett, no problem as it hosted Brown last Saturday.

With senior star quarterback Lovett sidelined by injury for the contest, junior backup Kevin Davidson got the start for the Tigers. more

STICKING WITH IT: Princeton University women’s hockey player Stephanie Sucharda heads up the ice in a game last winter. Senior defenseman and co-captain Sucharda figures to lead the Tigers from the blue line again this season. Princeton opens its 2018-19 campaign with games at No. 2 Wisconsin (6-0-0) in October 19 and 21. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After getting off to a 4-9-3 start last winter, the Princeton University women’s hockey team caught fire down the stretch, going 10-5-1 in its last 16 games.

As Princeton gets ready to open its 2018-19 season with games at Wisconsin in October 19 and 21, the Tigers are poised to build on their strong finish, having lost only two seniors to graduation. more

STRONG FINISH: Princeton University men’s soccer player Gaby Paniagua goes after the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, sophomore midfielder Paniagua scored a second half goal to help Princeton defeat visiting Brown 2-0. The Tigers, who improved to 5-4-1 overall and 1-0-1 Ivy League with the win, were slated to play at St. John’s on October 9 before resuming Ivy play with a game at Columbia on October 13. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though his Princeton University men’s soccer team controlled possession in the first half against visiting Brown last Saturday, Jim Barlow was aggravated.

Despite Princeton’s dazzling play, it had nothing to show for it as the rivals were locked in a 0-0 stalemate at halftime. more

TOUGH LOVE: Princeton University quarterback John Lovett looks for an opening in a 2016 game. Last Friday evening at Columbia, senior star Lovett rushed for a career-high 174 yards with two touchdowns and passed for 135 yards and two scores to help Princeton roll to a 45-10 win over the Lions in the Ivy League opener for both teams. The 23rd-ranked Tigers, now 3-0 overall, host Lehigh (1-3) on October 6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Early in the second quarter of its Ivy League opener at Columbia last Friday evening, the Princeton University football team was clinging to a 13-10 lead over the Lions.

With Columbia having marched 75 yards to score a touchdown to draw within three points and 14:51 remaining in the first half, it seemed like the momentum could be shifting to the hosts. more

SHUTTING THE DOOR: Princeton University women’s soccer goalie Natalie Grossi makes a save in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, junior star Grossi recorded her third straight shutout as the Tigers battled Dartmouth to a 0-0 tie through regulation and two overtimes. The Tigers, who moved to 6-2-2 overall and 1-0-1 Ivy League with the draw, were slated to host Bucknell on October 2 before resuming league play by hosting Brown on October 6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Natalie Grossi recorded her third straight shutout and the 21st of her career for the Princeton University women’s soccer team as it hosted Dartmouth last Saturday afternoon.

But junior goalie Grossi was disappointed with the outcome as Princeton played the Big Green to a scoreless stalemate through regulation and 20 minutes of overtime, moving to 6-2-2 overall and 1-0-1 Ivy League. more