Sports shorts

Men's water polo

After a two-week hiatus from competition, the men’s water polo team returned to competition on Saturday evening with a narrow 6-4 victory over Collegiate Water Polo Association rival Bucknell. The victory puts the Tigers at 3-0 since their return from the NorCal Tournament, after they defeated both Johns Hopkins and George Washington on the road two weeks ago.

Two of Princeton’s three victories over Bucknell last fall were also by two-goal margins, and Bucknell continued to prove a worthy opponent Saturday evening with close back-and-forth action during the first three quarters. The Tigers held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the first half, but eventually saw themselves tied at two apiece at halftime. It was not until the end of the third quarter that the Tigers saw their first two-goal lead of the game, when sophomore utility Connor McGoldrick found the back of the net with 15 seconds remaining in the frame to make it 5-3. Princeton’s scorers also included sophomore attack Jordan Colina, freshman utility Ryan Wilson, junior utility Jovan Jeremic and freshman driver Matt Payne.

The Tigers return home next weekend to host the Ivy Championships.

Princeton in the pros

Football

Princeton is a school well-renowned for its academic prowess. But, save for certain prime examples like Bill Bradley '65, the average sports fan may think they see Princeton alumni star more in investment banks that out on the field.

This week, Tiger sports fans had more than one pleasant surprise when they tuned in last week to catch Monday Night Football. Caraun Reid ’14, star defensive tackle for the Tigers, has been making an impact with the Detroit Lions this season. While the Lions have started out 0-5, Reid got his chance to shine as he returned a fumble off Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson for the touchdown. Reid’s touchdown was the first by a Princeton alumnus in 30 years.

At Princeton, Reid was a three-time All-Ivy First Team honoree and was twice named to the All-America First Team. He was taken by the Lions in the fifth round of the NFL draft and was only the 14th player in Princeton football history to be drafted.

Baseball

As the Texas Rangers hold the lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball’s American League Division series, one can notice the impact of two Princeton alumni — Ross Ohlendorf ’05 and Will Venable ’05, both members of the Rangers. Game 2 in particular saw both on display; Venable was first, picking up a broken bat single in the 13th inning. Ohlendorf was the hero of the game, as he struck out three Blue Jays in the bottom of the 14th to secure the win for the Blue Jays.

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There's another Princeton alumnus with a direct stake in the game as well. Mark Shapiro '89, a member of the football team during his time as an undergraduate, was in August named the president of the Blue Jays, starting his tenure at the end of the 2015 season.