Men's Lacrosse: Tigers blast Scarlet Knights in battle for New Jersey

The Tigers leave the game at 7-3 overall and 3-0 in the Ivy League, while knocking Rutgers down to a 5-7 overall record.

Princeton came into the midweek game looking for redemption after a 10-9 loss to Syracuse over the weekend. In the last matchup between the two New Jersey rivals, Princeton was only able to edge out a win by a single goal on the road.

In the first few minutes of the match, Princeton came out on uncertain footing on offense. The Tigers won the first face-off but quickly lost possession to the Scarlet Knights. But the Princeton defense clamped down on the Rutgers offense to not let up any opportunities.

Three minutes into the first period, senior defensive midfielder John Cunningham checked a Rutgers attackman to free the ball, which was picked up by senior defender Jonathan Meyers to set up the first offensive look for the Tigers, but they could not convert.

While the ironclad defense continued to hold steady in the backfield, Princeton finally found its mojo with two minutes left in the quarter. Junior midfielder Tucker Shanley stood his ground against a defender and threw a couple of fake shots to dodge him off before firing into the right side of goal.

Less than two minutes into the second period, the Tigers surrounded the Scarlet Knight net, as the Tigers passed around the perimeter and senior attackman Alex Capretta took a pass and sent a shot from his right hip into the heart of the net.

Rutgers got possession back but lost it when senior defender Chad Wiedmaier cornered a Rutgers attackman into the corner of the field and knocked out the ball to give Princeton possession again. The defensive maneuvering set up Capretta for another goal with nine minutes left into the half, bringing the Tigers’ lead to 3-0.

On the next Rutgers possession, Scarlet Knights midfielder Will Mangan sprinted across the center of the field unassisted and fired a solo shot through a crease in the Princeton defense to net the first goal for Rutgers. But the momentum would not last long, as Princeton continued to hammer away at the Scarlet Knights’ defense for a seven-goal run that stretched into the fourth quarter.

Four different Tigers scored over the course of the run, and by the time Rutgers attackman Anthony Terranova was able to find the net midway through the fourth quarter, Princeton had a definitive 10-2 lead.

The Princeton defense let up slightly in the fourth quarter, but the Tigers rolled to a clear-cut midweek win.

“Last time out, we really had a tough time against Syracuse, and it was upsetting to have the close letdown,” Capretta said. “So it was good to get a good game where we were able to work on the things that let us down last week.”

Capretta led the Tigers’ offense with four goals for the night, with sophomore midfielder Tom Schrieber also finishing with a hat trick after netting three goals.

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“It was a fun game for me, but I’m even more excited about our offense and what we’ve been able to do this week as we continue near the end of the season,” Capretta said.

Senior goalie Tyler Fiorito ended the match with a strong defensive performance, making 10 saves while allowing only three goals, two of which came with the game well-decided.

Freshman Eric Sanschagrin and sophomore Brian Kavanagh split the final six minutes in net, making one save and allowing one goal.

The next time the Tigers take to Class of 1952 Stadium they will face league rival Dartmouth on Saturday, as Princeton looks to remain undefeated in the conference. The Big Green, meanwhile, will try to collect its first Ivy League victory.