Men's Lacrosse: Comeback keys 11-10 victory

Though the Tigers started the game strong, netting two goals in the first three minutes, the hosts would answer quickly. Rutgers tied the game early in the second period. After freshman midfielder Tom Schreiber scored to briefly give Princeton the lead, the Scarlet Knights reeled off six consecutive goals to take control of the game with an 8-3 lead.

With a win, the Scarlet Knights would have assured the Tigers of their first losing regular season since 2005, also the last year in which they lost to Rutgers. Princeton quickly gained its composure, though, and the injury-burdened Tigers fought their way back. The visitors went on a streak of their own, as senior attackman Chris McBride and Schreiber each scored twice in a 5-0 run spanning 10 minutes.

Princeton looked to have momentum, but Rutgers turned the tide and scored two goals in a row to go up 10-8. But two goals in an eight-second span — from sophomore attackman Tucker Shanley and sophomore midfielder Jeff Froccaro — tied the game at 10.

With seven minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the final quarter, Froccaro put the Tigers ahead for good with a goal assisted by Schreiber. Froccaro and Schreiber each notched a hat trick on the night in the back-and-forth battle. Schreiber, who recently was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the second time this year, leads the Tigers with 13 goals and 10 assists this season.

In all, 13 Tigers have been injured throughout the year, including five of which who are out for the season. The Tigers are so beaten up that junior goalie Tyler Fiorito is the only player to have started every game this season.

With the win over Rutgers, Princeton kept its hopes for a .500 season and an at-large NCAA tournament bid alive. The Tigers have three games remaining and need to win all of them to qualify for an at-large bid, which requires that a team have at least a .500 record. Though Princeton’s overall record is a dismal 3-6, it ranks No. 1 in the nation in strength of schedule and No. 16 in RPI. The Tigers still have a shot at qualifying for the NCAA tournament, but if Princeton loses even one of its upcoming games against Dartmouth, Harvard or Cornell, its chance for an at-large bid will be lost.

If the Tigers drop one of these Ivy League games, however, they can still make the NCAA tournament by winning the Ivy League Lacrosse Tournament. The top four teams in the Ivy League qualify for the Ivy League Lacrosse Tournament, and the winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Currently, Princeton is tied for fourth in the Ivy League with Brown, Dartmouth and Harvard. The Tigers’ upcoming games will be crucial not only in giving them a chance at an at-large bid, but also at finding a way into the Ivy League Tournament. Their next game will be against Dartmouth this Saturday in the New England Lacrosse Classic.

“I think the interesting thing about college lacrosse is that it has so much to do with momentum and with teams clicking at the right time,” said sophomore attackman Luke Armour, who scored twice in the victory. “We had a rough start to the season, but I think we’re really starting to come together and should be ready to end the Ivy League season well.”