PUTTING IN MYLES: Princeton University men’s basketball player Myles Stephens drives to the hoop in recent action. Last Saturday, junior star and tri-captain Stephens chipped in 16 points and four assists as Princeton defeated Cal Poly 80-60 in improving to 4-6.  Stephens, who had 19 points and eight rebounds in a 69-58 win over Monmouth on December 12, was later named the Ivy League Player of the Week. After playing at Southern Cal on December 19, the Tigers head across the Pacific Ocean to compete in the Diamond Head Classic from December 22-25 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For Myles Stephens and his teammates on the Princeton University men’s basketball team, their 71-60 defeat at George Washington earlier this month proved to be a wake-up call. more

COACHING ICON: Princeton University men’s track head coach Fred Samara, left, instructs one of his athletes on the finer points of pole vaulting. This week, Samara, a former Olympic decathlete, will be one of six coaches inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Hall of Fame in Phoenix, Ariz. During Samara’s tenure as the head coach at Princeton since 1979, the Tigers have won 41 Ivy League Heptagonal titles, including 20 indoor crowns, 17 outdoor crowns and four in cross country, as he served as cross country coach from 1992-98 and again from 2004-07. (Photo Courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)

By Bill Alden

A year after ending a brilliant track career that culminated by competing in the decathlon for the U.S. team at the 1976 Summer Olympics, Fred Samara ran into a crossroads.

In deciding what to do with the rest of his life, Samara had the choice of taking a marketing job for a running magazine or becoming an assistant men’s track coach at Princeton University. more

HOT HAND: Princeton University women’s hockey player Keiko DeClerck controls the puck in a game last season. Last Friday, junior forward DeClerck scored a goal to help Princeton defeat Quinnipiac 3-0. It marked the fourth straight game in which DeClerck scored a goal. Her scoring streak was snapped a day later when the Tigers fell 3-1 at Quinnipiac to drop to 4-9-3 overall and 4-7-1 in ECAC Hockey play. Princeton resumes action when it hosts Boston University for a two-game set on December 30 and 31. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

In her first 73 games with the Princeton University women’s hockey team, Keiko DeClerck scored seven goals.

But with Princeton short on numbers this year, junior forward DeClerck realized that she needed to be more productive at the offensive end.  more

IRON MIKE: Princeton University wrestler Mike D’Angelo, right, controls Lehigh’s Ian Brown last Friday at 157 pounds. Junior D’Angelo overcame a 6-0 deficit to prevail 17-7 in the match. D’Angelo’s heroics weren’t enough as Princeton fell 25-13 to fifth-ranked Lehigh. Princeton faces No. 10 Virginia Tech on December 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Although the Princeton University wrestling team fell 25-13 to fifth-ranked Lehigh last Friday in its first dual match of the season, Chris Ayres won’t soon forget what he saw on the mat from his athletes.

“I told the guys that there were two matches in that dual that were some of the most inspired I have seen in the wrestlers I have coached,” said Ayres. more

MUCH NEEDED: Princeton University men’s basketball player Sebastian Much dribbles into the paint in recent action. Last Sunday, freshman forward Much scored nine points off the bench to help Princeton defeat Fairleigh Dickinson 83-76 as the Tigers posted their second straight win. Princeton, now 2-3, hosts Lehigh on November 29 before playing at Miami on December 2. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Although Sebastian Much spent most of the first half on the bench as the Princeton University men’s basketball team hosted Lafayette last Wednesday, he still had his head in the game.

“I was feeding off of Richmond [Aririguzoh] because he brought such an intensity to the game,” said freshman forward Much of his sophomore teammate. more

KUFF LINK: Princeton University men’s hockey player Ryan Kuffner races up ice in a 2016-17 game. Last Saturday, junior forward Kuffner tallied a goal and an assist to help Princeton defeat Bemidji State 4-1 and improve to 4-4-1 overall. In upcoming action, the Tigers host Dartmouth on December 1 and Harvard on December 2. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though the Princeton University men’s hockey team fell behind Bemidji State 1-0 after just 17 seconds last Friday evening, Ryan Kuffner and his teammates weren’t concerned.

“We have a lot of guys coming back who can skate and move the puck,” said junior forward Kuffner, a 6’1, 195-pound native of Ottawa, Ontario. more

SPEEDY TIGER: Princeton University football player Tiger Bech tries to elude tacklers from Yale in action last Saturday. Sophomore receiver Bech enjoyed a career day in a losing cause as Princeton fell 35-31 to the Bulldogs. He made six catches for a career-high 175 yards and a touchdown and also piled up a total of 158 yards in kickoff and punt returns. The Tigers, now 5-4 overall and 2-4 Ivy League, conclude their season by playing at Dartmouth (7-2 overall, 4-2 Ivy) on November 18. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Bob Surace had plenty of reason to be angry after his Princeton University football team fell 35-31 to visiting Yale last Saturday.

The defeat marked the fourth time this season that Princeton had suffered a loss in Ivy League play with a chance to win in its final possession. The setback before a crowd of 11, 229 at Powers Field also officially knocked the Tigers, now 5-4 overall and 2-4 Ivy, out of contention for their second straight Ivy title while Yale (8-1 overall, 5-1 Ivy) clinched at least a share of the crown. more

STARTING POINT: Princeton University men’s basketball head coach Mitch Henderson makes a point at the program’s media day last Thursday as Tiger stars, from left, Myles Stephens, Amir Bell, and Devin Cannady listen intently. Princeton, which ran the table last winter in Ivy League play, going 14-0 in regular season action and then winning the league’s inaugural postseason tournament, starts its 2017-18 season by playing at Butler in November 12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Sparked by a pair of senior stars, Steven Cook and Spencer Weisz, the Princeton University men’s basketball team ran the table last winter in Ivy League play, going 14-0 in regular season action and then winning the league’s inaugural postseason tournament. more

DRIVEN TO SUCCEED: Princeton University women’s basketball player Leslie Robinson drives to the hoop in a game last season. Senior star and co-captain Robinson will be looking to provide production and leadership in her final campaign for the Tigers. Princeton tips off its 2017-18 season by hosting George Washington on November 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Last winter marked the first season that Princeton University women’s basketball team had suffered five Ivy League losses under Courtney Banghart since 2008-09, her second campaign at the helm of the program.

For Princeton head coach Banghart, who guided the Tigers to five Ivy titles in six seasons starting with the 2009-10 season, last year’s ups-and-downs were the product of a squad that didn’t quite mesh. more

NET GAIN: Princeton University men’s hockey goalie Ryan Ferland makes a save in recent action. Last Friday, freshman Ferland earned his first career shutout, making 36 saves as Princeton skated to a 0-0 tie against visiting Colgate. The Tigers, now 1-1-1 overall and 1-1 ECAC Hockey, play at Union on November 10 and at Rensselaer on November 11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Ryan Ferland didn’t feel sharp as he took the ice for the Princeton University men’s hockey team last Friday against visiting Colgate but it didn’t take long for the freshman goalie to get into a rhythm.

“I actually didn’t have a great warm up but I felt good after the first few shots,” said Ferland.  more