Men's lacrosse struggles against top-ranked Brown

The Princeton men’s lacrosse team (2-6, 0-3 Ivy League) came into this weekend’s game against nationally third-ranked Brown (8-0, 3-0) after a tough 11-10 loss to first overall Yale the weekend before. After going into halftime down 11-6, the Tigers came out flat in the third quarter, falling to a deficit of 16-8 before the fourth quarter began. When it was all said and done, the Tigers would allow three more goals, falling 19-8 and to 2-6 on the year.

Beyond the loss of the game, the Tigers have lost head coach Chris Bates for an indeterminate amount of time after a video emerged of him shoving a Brown player as the player left the field at the beginning of the third quarter. An official press statement from Princeton to Inside Lacrosse stated “Chris Bates, the head men’s lacrosse coach at Princeton University, has been placed on administrative leave pending a review of an incident in this past Saturday’s game against Brown. The University is taking this matter seriously and will be conducting a prompt and thorough review. Offensive coordinator Matt Madalon will lead the team during this process.”

Multiple players declined to comment on the matter.

During the first quarter of the game, the Tigers fell behind 5-0 only six minutes in. Sophomore goalie Tyler Blaisdell got the start for the game; however, he was pulled after allowing the fourth goal, despite having three saves. He was replaced by senior goalie Matt O’Connor. O’Connor would allow his first goal of the day eleven seconds later before settling in for the rest of the quarter. The Tigers would trim the lead to 5-2 after two even strength goals from junior attacker Gavin McBride and sophomore midfielder Austin Sims before Brown scored again to make it 6-2. With fourteen seconds left, senior Bobby Weaver scored, cutting the lead to 6-3.

The second quarter initially displayed positive results from the goalie change, as O’Connor only allowed one goal over the course of the 15-minute period. The Tigers scored three times in the second, with two goals from freshman attacker Carter Flaig and Sims’ second goal of the day, taking the game into halftime 7-6 in favor of Brown. Beyond the score, the Tigers’ defense remained strong in the first half, limiting the number-one scoring offense in the country to only 15 shots. Additionally, face-offs were split at seven apiece, which was yet another positive sign as Brown is also the top face-off team in the nation.

Despite a strong end to the first half, the Tigers could not stop an overpowering Brown offense in the start of the second half. Brown erupted for four goals in the first six minutes of the half, taking a commanding 11-6 lead. Princeton attempted to mount a comeback with a goal from sophomore Riley Thompson and Sims’ third goal of the day. Brown went on to score the next five goals to take a decisive 16-8 lead.

The fourth quarter had only three goals total, all coming from Brown’s side. The loss marked the Tigers’ sixth loss in seven games. The Tigers face off against 12th-ranked Stony Brook next Saturday in the first of two non-conference games they will play before resuming Ivy League play.