BULLING THROUGH: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Kyla Sears fights past a defender in recent action. Last Saturday, freshman star attacker Sears tallied four goals and an assist as Princeton defeated Yale 18-4. Princeton, which improved to 7-5 overall and 3-1 Ivy League with the win over the Bulldogs, hosts Cornell on April 21. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For Kyla Sears, singing the national anthem before home games for the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team has helped calm her nerves when she hits the field. 

“The funny thing is, I did it in high school and I found out I got way more nervous to sing than when I played,” said Princeton freshman star attacker Sears, who performs the singing duties in tandem with Julia Haney. “So when it was over it is, oh, now we can play.” more

SIX SHOOTER: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Philip Robertson unloads the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, sophomore attackman Robertson tallied six goals to help Princeton defeat Dartmouth 24-13. The Tigers, now 6-5 overall and 1-3 Ivy league, play at Harvard on April 21. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Philip Robertson spent his freshmen season on the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team as an understudy for Gavin McBride.

As attackman McBride tallied a program-record 54 goals last spring in his final campaign, Robertson soaked up as much as he could from the senior star. more

MIGHTY MIKE: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Michael Sowers looks for an opening in recent action. Last Saturday, sophomore star attackman Sowers matched his single-game career-high of nine points, tallying four goals and five assists to help Princeton defeat Stony Brook 16-8 and snap a three-game losing streak. The Tigers, who moved to 4-5 with the win, were slated to play at Siena on April 10 before hosting Dartmouth on April 14. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though Michael Sowers was playing in just the 24th game of his career with the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team when the Tigers hosted Stony Brook last Saturday, the 5’8, 165-pound dynamo already looms large in program history.

As a freshman, Sowers set a Princeton single-season record with 82 points on 41 goals and 41 assists in 15 appearances. more

THE RIGHT STUFF: Princeton University softball pitcher Allie Reynolds fires a pitch last weekend as the Tigers hosted Dartmouth in a three-game set. Freshman Reynolds earned a shutout as Princeton posted a 6-0 win in the first game of the weekend. The Big Green went on to win 8-6 and 12-1 in the final two games. The Tigers, who moved to 5-20 overall and 3-6 Ivy League, play a three-game set at Yale next weekend with a doubleheader on April 14 and a single game on April 15. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Princeton University softball team, its loss to Dartmouth in the second game of a three-game set with the Big Green last weekend served as a microcosm of a rough start to the 2018 campaign.

The Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning in the contest on Friday and then, after surrendering three runs, battled back to make it a 3-3 ballgame heading into the fourth. Dartmouth, though, answered with two runs in the top of the next frame and added one each in the last three innings to pull away to a 8-6 win. more

MAKING WAVES: The Princeton University men’s heavyweight varsity crew shows its form in a race this spring. Last Saturday, Princeton’s top boat defeated Penn and Columbia to win the Childs Cup. The Tigers, now 6-0, face Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. on April 14 in the race for the Compton Cup. (Photo Courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)

In building the Princeton University men’s heavyweight rowing squad into one of the deepest programs in the nation, Greg Hughes has focused more on instilling a work ethic than stockpiling athletes.

“It is not just about your talent and ability, it is about development,” said Princeton head coach Greg Hughes. “It is one of those intangible things about sports that we as a society learn. It doesn’t come down to a one-off or just getting lucky. Consistent, steady, day-to-day hard work over time will yield results.” more

LEADING THE WAY: Princeton University baseball player Chris Davis follows through on a swing in action last weekend. Sophomore outfielder and lead-off hitter Davis starred as Princeton won two out of three games against visiting Cornell to open Ivy League play. Davis went 6-for-15 in the three-game set, knocking in the game-winning run in a 7-6 win on Sunday. The Tigers, now 5-11 overall and 2-1 Ivy, host Monmouth on April 5 before heading to Brown for a three-game set with a doubleheader on April 7 and a single game on April 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Chris Davis has displayed an ability to bounce back in emerging as a star this spring for the Princeton University baseball team.

Last year, Davis saw his freshman campaign cut short by injury after eight appearances, rupturing his spleen against the University of Maryland in mid-March to get sidelined for the rest of the spring. more

SEEING IT THROUGH: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Tess D’Orsi races to goal in recent action. Last Thursday, sophomore midfielder D’Orsi tallied five goals in a losing cause as a second-half Princeton rally fell short in a 17-16 loss to No. 12 Syracuse. On Saturday, D’Orsi chipped in a goal and an assist to help the Tigers bounce back with a 15-6 win at Delaware. Princeton, now 5-4 overall, plays at Harvard on April 7 before hosting No. 3 Maryland on April 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Tess D’Orsi wasn’t overly concerned when the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team found itself trailing 12th-ranked Syracuse 9-5 at the half last Thursday evening.

“Our coaches believed in us and every single one of us knew we had it in us to have a comeback,” said sophomore star midfielder D’Orsi, reflecting on a recent stretch which saw that Princeton rally from a 6-1 deficit for a 13-12 win over Penn State on March 19 and fought back after trailing 13-6 in the second half before falling 15-12 to Dartmouth on March 24. more

CORE VALUE: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Annie Cory heads upfield against Dartmouth last Saturday. Sophomore midfielder Cory tallied a career-high three goals against the Big Green but it wasn’t enough as Princeton lost 15-12. The Tigers, now 4-3 overall and 1-1 Ivy League, host No. 12 Syracuse (6-4) on March 29 before playing at Delaware on March 31. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Starting last week with a bang, the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team produced a dramatic comeback at Penn State, rallying from a 9-5 second half deficit to pull out a 13-12 victory.

“That was really a great win from being down and really fighting back” said Princeton head coach Chris Sailer, reflecting on the March 19 contest. more

PINNING IT DOWN: Princeton University wrestler Matthew Kolodzik pins Columbia’s Jacob Macalolooy at 149 pounds in a regular season match. Sophomore Kolodzik solidified his status as one of the greatest wrestlers in Princeton history over the last month, winning his second straight EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) title and then placing third in 149 pounds at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Matthew Kolodzik enjoyed a landmark debut campaign for the Princeton University wrestling team in 2016-17, going 30-4 and taking seventh at 141 pounds in the NCAA Championships to become the first freshman in program history to earn All-American honors. more

CRAZY EIGHTS: Princeton University men’s hockey player Josh Teves controls the puck in ECAC Hockey playoff action. Last weekend at the ECACH Final 4 in Lake Placid, N.Y., junior defenseman Teves starred as seventh-seeded Princeton defeated top-seeded Cornell 4-1 in the semis and then edged third-seeded Clarkson 2-1 in overtime in the title game. It marked the third straight decade that the program won an ECACH title during a year ending in 8 as the 1998 and 2008 squads also accomplished the feat. Princeton, now 19-12-4 overall, is headed to the NCAA tournament. The Tigers will be playing in the Midwest Regional in Allentown, Pa. where they are seeded fourth and will face top-seeded Ohio State on Saturday. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though the Princeton University men’s hockey team entered the ECAC Hockey Final 4 last weekend at Lake Placid, N.Y. as the lowest remaining seed in the competition, Josh Teves didn’t view the Tigers as underdogs.

“We have obviously been doing well in the playoffs and before that,” said junior defenseman Teves, reflecting on the team’s surge which saw it go 4-0 in the playoffs, outscoring Brown and Union by a total of 23-8 the first two rounds. more

TOUGH FINISH: Princeton University women’s basketball player Abby Meyers drives to the basket in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, freshman Meyers scored a team-high 13 points in a losing cause as 12th-seeded Princeton fell 77-57 to fifth-seeded Maryland in Raleigh, N.C. in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The defeat left the Tigers with a final record of 24-6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though the 12th-seeded Princeton University women’s basketball team only trailed fifth-seeded Maryland 31-26 at halftime in a first round NCAA tournament game last Friday in Raleigh, N.C., Courtney Banghart saw red flags on the horizon. more

RILED UP: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Riley Thompson unloads the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, senior midfielder and tri-captain Thompson tallied two goals and two assists in a losing cause as Princeton fell 14-7 to visiting Penn in the Ivy League opener for both teams. Princeton, now 3-3 overall and 0-1 Ivy, plays at No. 6 Yale (5-1 overall, 1-0 Ivy) on March 24. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

In the first few weeks of the 2018 season, the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team has demonstrated a flair for drama, pulling out two nail-biter wins over local rivals.

The Tigers opened the campaign by edging Monmouth 9-8 in double overtime on February 17. Three weeks later, Princeton trailed Rutgers 14-10 early in the fourth quarter and rallied to win 15-14 in the first overtime. more

FIRE ON ICE: Members of the Princeton University men’s hockey team celebrate a goal during their sweep of Brown in a best-of-three ECAC hockey first round series earlier this month. The seventh-seeded Tigers kept rolling last weekend, sweeping second-seeded Union 2-0 in best-of-three quarterfinal matchup. Princeton, now 17-12-4, plays top-seeded and No. 2 Cornell (25-4-2) in the semis on March 16 in Lake Placid, N.Y. with the victor advancing to the title game on March 17 to face the winner of the Clarkson-Harvard semi. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Having gone 0-17-3 in its last 20 games against Union, including 0-2 this season, the Princeton University men’s hockey team seemed overmatched as it faced the Dutchmen in an ECAC Hockey best-of-three quarterfinal series last weekend.

But Princeton head coach Ron Fogarty wasn’t concerned about that history with his seventh-seeded Tigers having gone 9-2-1 in their last 12 games coming into the clash with second-seeded and No. 16 Union. more

DANCE PARTY: Members of the Princeton University women’s basketball team celebrate at Triumph Brewing Company last Monday after learning their assignment for the upcoming NCAA tournament. The Tigers, now 24-5, are seeded 12th and will face fifth-seeded Maryland, 25-7, in Raleigh, N.C. on March 16 in the Kansas City bracket. It is the seventh trip to the Big Dance in the last nine years for the Tigers, who beat Penn 63-34 in the Ivy League tournament championship game last Sunday to earn the league’s automatic bid to the tourney. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though the Princeton University women’s basketball team rolled to the Ivy League regular season title, that didn’t guarantee the Tigers a spot in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

Instead, the Tigers had to go to Philadelphia and survive a two-game gauntlet at the Ivy League postseason tourney to earn the league’s automatic bid to the Big Dance. more

SHOOTING STAR: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Austin Sims fires a shot in recent action. Last Saturday, senior star midfielder and co-captain Sims scored five goals, including the game-tying and game-winning goal as Princeton rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat Rutgers 15-14 in overtime. The Tigers, now 3-2, open Ivy League play by hosting Penn (3-3) on March 17. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Austin Sims and his teammates on the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team weren’t about to hit the panic button even though they found themselves trailing Rutgers 14-10 with 9:58 remaining in the fourth quarter last Saturday at Class of 1952 Stadium. more

LES IS MORE: Princeton University women’s basketball player Leslie Robinson puts up a shot last Friday against visiting Brown. Senior forward Robinson produced a historic performance in a 79-44 win over the Bears, scoring 10 points with 15 rebounds and 10 assists to achieve the first triple-double in Princeton history. A night later in her Jadwin Gym finale, Robinson contributed nine points and six rebounds as Princeton topped Yale 64-53 to finish the regular season at 22-5 overall and 12-2 Ivy and clinch the outright league title. The Tigers will now compete in the Ivy postseason tournament in Philadelphia for the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA tourney. Princeton is seeded first and will face fourth-seeded Yale on March 10 in the semifinals. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As Leslie Robinson took the court at Jadwin Gym last Friday evening to start her final home weekend for the Princeton University women’s basketball team, her mind was racing. more

RINGING TRUE: Princeton University men’s basketball player Amir Bell dribbles the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, senior guard Bell enjoyed a special finale at Jadwin Gym, reaching the 1,000-point mark in his career as Princeton rolled to a 64-47 win over Dartmouth. The Tigers, now 12-15 overall and 4-8 Ivy League, play at Brown on March 2 and at Yale on March 3 still in the running for a spot in the upcoming Ivy postseason tournament, which includes the top four teams in the regular season standings. Princeton stands one game out of fourth place heading into the final weekend of the regular season as it trails Cornell (11-14 overall, 5-7 Ivy) and Columbia (8-17 overall, 5-7 Ivy). (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As Amir Bell came off the court at Jadwin Gym for the final time in his career with the Princeton University men’s basketball team last Saturday, he was showered with an avalanche of affection.

Many in the crowd of 2,754 on hand for the program’s annual Senior Night rose to give Bell a standing ovation as he left the game against Dartmouth with 2:42 remaining and Princeton on the way to a 64-47 win as it broke a seven-game losing streak, improving to 12-15 overall and 4-8 Ivy League. more