Tigers fall in defensive struggle against Brown

Two of the country’s most talented offenses faced each other in the Class of 1952 Stadium in front of 1,746 people on a crisp, sunny Sunday morning as the men’s lacrosse team played Brown (8-1 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) in its third Ivy League contest of the season. However, it was both teams’ defense that shone in the contest, as the Tigers fell 10-8 in an uncharacteristically sloppy game. The loss moves the team to 2-1 in the Ivy League and 6-2 overall.

Brown started the game off quickly with a 4-1 run, in large part caused by Brown’s long stick midfielders and goalie play. Brown's left stick middie Larken Kemp scored the first goal of the game with a15-yard rocket to the top of the goal,and scored the last goal of the first period on an identical shot. Brown’s goalie Jack Kelly played unbelievably in the the entire game. He recorded five saves in the first quarter alone, 15 in the game, and consistently pushed transition. Brown felt incredibly comfortable letting their defensive players push offensive situations, forcing Princeton’s offensive middies to either get back and play defense or give up fast-break opportunities while substituting. The strategy worked well, as Brown got most of its offensive production in unbalanced situations, often pushed by Kemp, who finished with two goals and an assist on four shots and created several other fast breaks, and it took the Tiger’s most of the first half to adjust, even after taking a timeout.

In settled situations, Princeton’s defense played incredibly well. Brown entered the game averaging 16.88 goals per game, with the leading scorer in the league, Dylan Molloy, averaging more than five goals a game. Junior defender Brian Pickup shut him down for the game, playing a very physical game that left Molloy frustrated and taking low angle shots. Pickup held Molloy to no goals on 12 shots and caused two turnovers in the marquee matchup. “Overall it was a team effort on defense," Pickup stated after the game, "I’m glad we could shut him down as a unit.”

Senior goalie Eric Sanschagrin also had a great game, matching Kelly with 15 saves, including several acrobatic doorstep stuffs, and controlling the clears against a tough Brown ride.

Brown’s defense also played very well in the game, getting out on Princeton’s shooter’s hands and contesting shots. This defensive effort was not, at first glance, reflected in the box score — Princeton would outshoot their visitors 51-45 overall on the game.

However, Brown's players slid early to Princeton’s midfield dodges, and recovered well after the slide. In a change from the norm, Brown put their LSM on Zach Currier, holding him to one goal, and covered senior captain Kip Orban with a short stick. The strategy worked as Orban finished the game with no goals and no assists on 10 shots in a rare off-day. Princeton’s offense only found its groove in the fourth quarter of the game when it made a three-goal run to close out the game, and almost came back to within one with several promising looks in the final minute of the game.

The Tigers will look to get back on track on Saturday at Stony Brook (7-2), a team that has already improved much from their 6-10 record of last season.