On a day filled with emotion at Sherrerd Field, No. 2 Princeton (11–2 overall, 5–1 Ivy League) once again proved why they are a true contender for both the Ivy League and national championship. With their senior day victory against Yale (5–7, 3–3), the Tigers have now won seven straight games to cap off a successful regular season.
Although the Orange and Black fell just short of an Ivy League regular season title after a loss to No. 1 Cornell in the season opener, their performance thus far in 2025 cannot go unnoticed. The Tigers notched five ranked wins and have climbed to No. 2 in the national rankings heading into the postseason. With their win against Yale, Princeton secured the two-seed in the Ivy League tournament and achieved their sixth consecutive win against the Bulldogs, giving them a 19–11 all-time record in the matchup.
The Tigers opened up firing on all cylinders this Saturday afternoon, and through an extremely solid defensive performance, including junior goalie Ryan Croddick’s stellar 19 saves, they were able to carry out a 18–7 romp of the Bulldogs. Princeton dominated Yale in almost every facet of the game.
Not even five minutes into the first quarter, Princeton set the tone with four quick goals one after the other. The flurry began with two goals assisted by sophomore attacker Colin Burns, scored by sophomore midfielder Tucker Wade and senior midfielder Sean Cameron. Then, after a solo effort from first-year attacker Peter Buonanno, it was more Burns magic with a goal to put the Tigers up 4–0 early.
“They put a short stick on me so I was trying to set picks and tried my best,” Burns told The Daily Princetonian. “We got off to a great start. It felt great, and I think that carried through the whole game.”
But Princeton wasn’t done. The Tigers found the back of the net two more times in the opening frame, with sophomore midfielder Tucker Wade netting his second of the game and sophomore attacker Nate Kabiri adding to Princeton’s first quarter tally. Kabiri’s goal marked his 100th career point in the Orange and Black, making him the sixth ever Tiger to reach 100 by the end of their sophomore year. With those goals, the Tigers had a 6–2 lead.
The second quarter, much like the first, was all Princeton. Buonanno capped off a first-half hat trick with two more goals of his own. Junior attacker Chad Palumbo also scored, as well as senior attackers Braedon Saris and Coulter Mackesy, who had the Princeton faithful on their feet during senior day.
Princeton held Yale scoreless in the second quarter, largely in part due to a whopping nine saves from Croddick, a perfect 9–9 clears and a 12–8 advantage in ground balls. The Tigers went into the locker room with an 11–2 lead and a whole lot of confidence in front of a packed Sherrerd Field.
“For us, we haven’t come out of the gates well the past handful of weeks,” Head Coach Matt Madalon told the ‘Prince.’ “[The strong start] was very important for us … you never know if the shots are going to fall, but for them to fall was [critical].”
The second half provided much of the same: Princeton success and defensive resilience. Although the Tigers had a low-scoring third quarter, it was their work against the Bulldog offense that once again reigned supreme. Princeton limited Yale to just one goal on 12 shots in the frame, and with Mackesy and Saris both getting their second goals of the game, the Tigers took a commanding 13–3 lead into the fourth and final quarter.
“We were just trying to take one possession at a time,” Burns said. “Coach Madalon and Coach Mitch’s message going into today was consistency … and I really think we did a good job of that.”
The fourth quarter was an offensive whirl for both sides, but with a 10-goal Princeton lead heading into the period, the game was all but decided. The Tigers scored five goals, each coming from a different player. Buonanno added to his tally, scoring his fourth goal of the game, and Kabiri also scored, finding the back of the net for the second time. However, Princeton also had new faces enter the scoring sheet. First-year attacker Porter Malkiel scored his first ever goal in the Orange and Black, with sophomore midfielders Mark Marino and Brody Upton joining the scoring frenzy.
“[Yale] has closed gaps multiple times throughout the year so not at any point did our guys take their foot off the gas or let up,” Madalon said to the ‘Prince.’
With the final buzzer sounding, the Tigers were jubilant as Princeton achieved a monumental senior day blowout of Yale in front of family, friends, and fans. The Tigers won 18–7, and now look towards a hugely anticipated postseason.
“Trying to go with upgrade season at this point, figure out where our deficiencies are, tighten them up and keep playing to our strengths as we try to get our full group healthy,” Madalon said about the Tigers’ mentality going forward.
The Tigers head into the Ivy League tournament semifinal with a world of momentum and will face No. 12 Harvard (10–3, 4–2) this upcoming Friday in Ithaca, New York. The Tigers hope that this is just the beginning for their postseason journey, as their aspirations extend beyond the Ivy League to the national stage.
“The next few weeks are everything you dream of. We’re so excited,” Burns said.
Lucas Nor is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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