As great rivalries go, Princeton and Syracuse in men's lacrosse has almost anything you could want. Perhaps the only missing piece is history, at least the kind that predates the last 17 seasons. In that way, maybe it's the perfect rivalry for modern times, one that actually starts in the modern era.

Princeton and Syracuse met four times in men's lacrosse - twice in the 1920s, once right after World War II and once in the 1970s – before Bill Tierney began to rebuild the Tigers. Since his arrival, the teams have added 19 more meetings, and every game between the Tigers and the Orange has become special.

The latest edition unfolds Saturday at the Carrier Dome (3:30, WPRB 103.3., Time Warner Cable) and features the subplot of Syracuse's debut as the No. 1 team in both the USILA coaches' poll and the Inside Lacrosse media poll.

The Carrier Dome has been the site of some classics between the teams – and some blowouts. Princeton has won their twice, on Josh Sims' goal in the fourth overtime in 1999 and on a day when Damien Davis shut out Michael Powell and scored a huge goal of his own in 2003. Syracuse has also thumped Princeton there big-time on a few occasions, including 15-5 in Powell's revenge game in the 2003 quarterfinals and 14-8 during the 2001 regular season, a win that Princeton would avenge in overtime on Memorial Day in the NCAA final.

Princeton and Syracuse have combined to win 14 of the last 20 NCAA titles, and the two met in the NCAA championship game on four occasions, including three straight from 2000-02. In fact, the two played twice a year, once in the regular season and once in the tournament, every year from 1999-2003.

The 2008 meeting comes as Princeton has put together back-to-back wins, defeating Rutgers and then Yale in its Ivy opener. Syracuse, who missed the NCAA tournament last year for the first time since 1982, is back to its high-flying ways, averaging better than 13 goals per game. Princeton has allowed nearly nine goals per game, up almost three from a year ago, when Princeton led Division I at 6.2.

Princeton vs. Syracuse

The site The Carrier Dome • Syracuse, N.Y.

The date Saturday, April 5, 2008 • 3:30 p.m.

Radio WPRB FM 103.3; www.goprincetontigers.com

TV Time Warner Cable

The rankings Princeton: No. 15 (USILA)/No. 14 (Inside Lacrosse)/Syracuse: No. 1 (USILA)/No. 1 (Inside Lacrosse)

The records Princeton: 4-3 (1-0 Ivy League)/ Syracuse: 7-1

The coaches Princeton: Bill Tierney (24th season overall, 256-87)/Syracuse: John Desko (10th season overall, 109-39)

The series Syracuse leads 15-8

Last meeting Princeton defeated Syracuse 12-8 • April 7, 2007

Oranges and oranges – Princeton and Syracuse have combined to win 14 of the last 20 NCAA championships.

More oranges – Syracuse and Princeton have played each other in four NCAA championship games. Syracuse defeated Princeton in 2000 and 2002; Princeton defeated Syracuse in 1992 and 2001.

Working overtime – Princeton is 3-0 against Syracuse in games that have gone overtime and 5-15 in games that haven’t. Princeton’s two NCAA championship game wins over Syracuse came in overtime (1992, 2001).

History lesson – Princeton and Syracuse have met 23 times prior to this season; 19 of those 23 meetings have come since the teams renewed their series in the 1992 NCAA championship game.

More history – Princeton and Syracuse played in the regular season and NCAA tournament in every season from 1999-2003.

Last history – Princeton and Syracuse played in the NCAA championship game in three consecutive years (2000, 2001, 2002).

Close shaves – Princeton’s 12-8 win over Syracuse a year ago at Powers Field at Princeton Stadium marked the second largest margin of victory for Princeton over Syracuse in series history and the largest in the modern era.

More shaves – Princeton has defeated Syracuse seven times under Bill Tierney; five of those seven wins were by one goal, including three in overtime, and a sixth was by two goals.

No place like Dome – Princeton is 2-4 all-time at the Carrier Dome. Both Princeton wins in the Carrier Dome are by one goal (one in four overtimes); Princeton’s four losses in the Dome are by a combined 22 goals.

More Dome – Princeton’s wins at the Carrier Dome came in 1999 and 2003; Syracuse came back to defeat Princeton in the NCAA tournament in both seasons.

On your Mark – Mark Kovler scored a career-high four goals in last year’s win over Syracuse (Kovler matched that total in this year’s loss to Virginia).

Get ahead, stay ahead – Princeton has not led at any point of its three losses and has not trailed at any point in the second half of any of its four wins.

D plus – Princeton led Division I in scoring defense a year ago (6.2 goals per game); Princeton ranks 29th in scoring defense this season (8.9 goals per game).

More D – Princeton ranks 29th in Division I scoring defense at 8.9 goals per game; Syracuse ranks third in Division I in scoring offense at 13.4 goals per game.

No offense – Princeton scored 11 goals against Yale after scoring nine in its prior two games combined (two vs. Albany, seven vs. Rutgers).

More offense – When Princeton scored nine goals in consecutive games (two against Albany, seven against Rutgers), it marked the first time since 1989 that Princeton had not reached double figures in goals in two consecutive games combined.


Aw, shoot – Princeton is averaging 31.3 shots per game; Princeton averaged 39.0 shots per game a year ago.

More shoot – Princeton averaged 39 shots per game a year ago; Princeton has not had more than 38 shots in any game this season.

Alexander the great – Alex Hewit was named Ivy League Player of the Week after Princeton’s wins over Rutgers and Yale last week. Hewit made 10 saves while allowing six goals against Rutgers and preserved that win with a point-blank save with six seconds left and then made 17 saves while allowing seven goals against Yale.

More Alexander – Alex Hewit was named Ivy League Player of the Week after each of his last two games against Yale.

Different Alexander – Alex Haynie has 33 career goals on 77 career shots (.429) and six goals this season on 10 shots (.600).

More of the different Alexander – Alex Haynie has scored six goals this season; all six have come in the fourth quarter.

Yet another Alexander – Alex Berg has won 57.6% of his face-offs; he had won 63.2% before going 6 for 22 in last weeks’ win over Yale.

Last Alexander – Alex Berg has games remaining against face-off men ranked No. 1 (Syracuse’s Danny Brennan), No. 6 (Cornell’s John Glynn), No. 10 (Penn’s Justin Lynch) and No. 16 (Harvard’s Nick Smith) in this week’s NCAA rankings.

Here comes the McBride – Jack McBride had his first career two-goal game in last week’s win over Yale.

Off the Schneid-er – Bob Schneider is averaging 1.14 goals per game this season; Schneider averaged 0.45 goals per game for his first three seasons.

Half and half – Princeton has been outscored 37-30 in the first half and has outscored its opponents 33-25 in the second half.

In the nation’s service – Junior Brendan Reilly was named a Woodrow Wilson School “Scholar In The Nation’s Service,” a distinction awarded to six Princeton University juinors each year.

For starters – Dan Cocoziello is the only current Tiger to have started every game of his career.

Mark it down – Mark Kovler is the only Princeton player with at least one goal in every game this season.

Do the math – Mark Kovler and Tommy Davis, Princeton’s two leading scorers, have a combined 37 points; Mike Leveille, Syracuse’s leading scorer, has 38 points by himself.

Princeton Lacrosse ’08 ... By The Numbers

0 seconds Princeton has led in any of its three losses

2 wins all-time for Princeton at the Carrier Dome; both were by one goal

3 times in seven games this season that Princeton has allowed double figures in goals; Princeton allowed double figures in goals three times in the 30 games the last two seasons combined

4 meetings between Princeton and Syracuse in NCAA championship games; Princeton won in 1992 and 2001, while Syracuse won in 2000 and 2002

6 goals this season for Alex Haynie; all six goals have come in the fourth quarter

6.79 career goals-against average for Alex Hewit; it is the third-best goals-against average in Division I history

7 wins for Bill Tierney against Syracuse; five have been by one goal

14 NCAA championships Princeton and Syracuse have combined to win in the last 20 years

37 points by Tommy Davis and Mark Kovler, Princeton’s two leading scorers, combined

38 points by Mike Leveille, Syracuse’s leading scorer

39 Princeton’s average shot total for the 2007 season; Princeton has not attempted more than 38 shots in any game this season

40 career games started by Alex Hewit, who has allowed seven goals or fewer in 25 of those 40 games

57.6 face-off percentage for Princeton’s Alex Berg

69.0 face-off percentage for Syracuse’s Danny Brennan

302 games as head coach at Princeton for Bill Tierney, who is 222-80 with six NCAA championships, 10 NCAA Final Fours and 13 Ivy League championships with the Tigers; Princeton was 117-183 in the 300 games prior to Tierney’s arrival

525 consecutive games coached at Princeton dating to 1971 by volunteer assistant Bryce Chase before missing the Hopkins game with the flu


What Can You Say About ...
Nikhil Ashra #23
• played 1:16 at end of Hofstra game, allowing one goal
• came off bench against Yale and allowed a goal while Alex Hewit was serving a penalty
• had an .867 save percentage and 3.38 goals-against average in 35:33 as back-up goalie a year ago
Alex Berg #13
• has won 80 of 117 face-offs (.576)
• had won 63.2% of his face-offs before winning 6 of 22 vs. Yale
• has games remaining against face-off men ranked No. 1 (Syracuse’s Danny Brennan), No. 6 (Cornell’s John Glynn), No. 10 (Penn’s Justin Lynch) and No. 16 (Harvard’s Nick Smith) in this week’s NCAA rankings
• ranks fifth in Division I in ground balls per game (5.57)
• won 12 of 16 face-offs against Albany
• won 13 of 19 face-offs against Hofstra
• won 10 of 16 face-offs against Rutgers
• won 13 of 22 face-offs against Hopkins, mostly against All-America Stephen Peyser
• won 16 of 25 face-offs against Virginia
• won 10 of 19 face-offs against Canisius
Dan Cocoziello #1
• preseason first-team All-America by Inside Lacrosse
• second-team All-America a year ago
• named to Tewaaraton Trophy preseason watch list
• unanimous first-team All-Ivy League defenseman in 2006
• second-team All-Ivy League in 2007
• scored a goal against Rutgers
• had an assist against Canisius
Tommy Davis #7
• leads team in points (21) and assists (8)
• second on the team with 13 goals
• had two goals and an assist against Yale
• had two goals and an assist against Rutgers
• had three goals and three assists against Hofstra
• had two goals and an assist against Hopkins
• scored a career-high four goals against Canisius
• four goals against Canisius came on six shots
• had an assist against Canisius for a five-point game
• had a 24-game run with at least one point end against Albany
• led team in assists a year ago
Rob Engelke #22
• scored one goal against Virginia and Canisius
• had an assist against Yale
• plays on the extra-man unit
• had two goals in NCAA tournament a year ago against Georgetown
• had three goals in 2007 opener against Canisius and then scored one more during final 12 games of regular season before scoring twice in NCAA game
Mike Gaudio #8
• tore his ACL in second quarter of 2006 game against Hopkins and missed remainder of season
• scored 16 goals as a sophomore
• scored three goals a year ago after return from injury
Zack Goldberg #33
• top shortstick defensive midfielder the past three years
• scored Princeton’s first goal against Rutgers
• had an assist against Yale
• had two assists against Canisius
• has eight career goals
• has played in every game of his career
Alex Haynie #12
• has six goals this season; all six have come in fourth quarter
• tied career high with three goals against Hofstra; it was his third career three-goal game
• three goals against Hofstra came in a 5:13 span of the fourth-quarter
• scored one goal against Hopkins, Virginia and Yale
• had an assist against Canisius
• has started 33 career games
• has 33 career goals on 77 career shots (.429)
Alex Hewit #15
• 2006 first-team All-America
• 2007 second-team All-America
• 2007, 2008 preseason first-team All-America
• has made 40 career starts and allowed seven or fewer goals in 25 of them
• on preseason Tewaaraton watch list
• second-team All-Ivy League in 2007
• career .616 save percentage
• career save percentage of .651 in games decided by one or two goals
• has a career .583 save percentage against Syracuse
• career 6.79 goals-against average ranks third all-time, behind Navy’s Matt Russell (5.86) and Princeton’s Trevor Tierney (6.65)
• named Ivy League Player of the Week after wins over Rutgers and Yale
• made 10 saves while allowing six goals in win over Rutgers; made save from point-blank range with six seconds remaing to preserve one-goal win
• made 17 saves while allowing seven goals in win over Yale
• finished career with .705 save percentage against Yale
• was Ivy Player of the Week after last two games against Yale
• allowed double figures in goals in back-to-back games for first time in his career when he did so against Hopkins and UVa
• had a .739 save percentage against Canisius (six goals against, 17 saves)
• made 12 saves against Hopkins
Jeremy Hirsch #37
• started every game of this season on defense
• played in 13 of 14 games a year ago as fourth defenseman
Charlie Kolkin #43
• No. 1 longstick midfielder
• 2007 honorable mention All-Ivy League
• 2008 preseason All-America
• has played in every game of career
Mark Kovler #17
• 2007 third-team All-America
• 2007 first-team All-Ivy League
• 2008 preseason second-team All-Ivy League
• leads team with 14 goals
• tied career high with four goals against Virginia
• had two goals against Hofstra and Yale
• had a goal and two assists against Hopkins
• scored twice against Canisius
• has at least one goal in 12 straight games, longest currentstreak by a Princeton player
• had one goal against Rutgers
• only Princeton player with at least one goal in every game this season
• total of 23 goals a year ago were most by a sophomore midfielder at Princeton since Josh Sims had 32 in 1998
• third Princeton midfielder to reach 20 for a season this decade (Brad Dumont 22 in 2002; Drew Casino 24 in 2004)
Josh Lesko #19
• has started 17 career games
• had an assist against Virginia
• had an assist against Hofstra
• started first 12 games a year ago before missing season finale against Brown due to injury
Scott MacKenzie #2
• had two assists against Virginia
• had a goal and two assists against Yale
• had an assist against Albany
• had a goal against Hofstra
• had a goal and two assists against Canisius after having two points all freshman year
• has started both games on attack
Chris McBride #2
• scored first collegiate goal against Virginia with Princeton’s first goal of game
• scored 60 goals a year ago at Delbarton School
• had 170 career points in high school
Jack McBride #2
• had exactly one goal in each of first four games
• had first career two-goal game in win over Yale
• had a goal against Virginia and Hofstra and a goal and assist against Hopkins
• came back with a goal against Rutgers after getting shut out against Albany
• had first two collegiate points with a goal and assist against Canisius
• had 49 goals as a high school senior and 58 goals junior year
Chris Peyser #38
• 2008 preseason third-team All-America
• 2007 honorable mention All-Ivy League
• started every game last two seasons on defense
• played in every game freshman year as fourth defender
Brendan Reilly #29
• one of top shortstick defensive midfielders
• scored a goal against Hopkins for the second goal of his career (first was last year against Dartmouth)
• one of six Princeton juniors to be named a Woodrow Wilson Schoool Scholar in the Nation’s Service
Connor Reilly #21
• scored first collegiate goal in win over Canisius
• younger brother of Brendan Reilly
• nationally ranked junior squash player
Bob Schneider #28
• team tri-captain
• had two goals and an assist against Yale
• had two goals against Hopkins
• scored twice against Virginia
• had a goal and assist against Hofstra
• had a goal against Rutgers
• has started every game this season
Greg Seaman #42
• had a goal against Hopkins
• scored two goals against Canisius
• moved from midfield to attack for this season
• son of Towson coach Tony Seaman
Rich Sgalardi #18
• had an assist against Hopkins, Virginia, Hofstra and Rutgers
• had a goal against Yale
• had a goal against Canisius
Peter Striebel #9
• had an assist against Rutgers in first game back after missing three games due to rib injury
• missed games against Virginia, Hofstra and Albany due to injury
• had an assist against Hopkins and Canisius
• younger brother of former Tiger All-America Matt Striebel




Career scoring

Player G-A-Pts
7 Tommy Davis 46-26-72
17 Mark Kovler 55-15-70
12 Alex Haynie 33-17-50
28 Bob Schneider 27-6-33
19 Josh Lesko 17-11-28
8 Mike Gaudio 22-5-27
33 Zack Goldberg 8-10-18
22 Rob Engelke 9-4-13
18 Rich Sgalardi 5-8-13
2 Scott MacKenzie 3-8-11
14 Jack McBride 7-2-9
9 Pete Striebel 3-6-9
1 Dan Cocoziello 4-4-8
42 Greg Seaman 4-0-4
29 Brendan Reilly 2-0-2
21 Connor Reilly 1-0-1
26 Jeff Izant 1-0-1
43 Charlie Kolkin 1-0-1
38 Chris Peyser 0-1-1
25 Jim Weiss 1-0-1
3 Chris McBride 1-0-1



Game-By-Game

CANISIUS (W, 13-6)
GOALS - T. Davis 4, Kovler 2, Seaman 2, J. McBride 1, C. Reilly 1, MacKenzie 1, Engelke 1, Sgalardi 1
ASSISTS - MacKenzie 2, Goldberg 2, Cocoziello 1, J. McBride 1, Haynie 1, T. Davis 1, Striebel
SAVES - Hewit 17 (60:00 min, 6 goals-against)

JOHNS HOPKINS (L, 14-9)
GOALS - T. Davis 2, Schneider 2, Kovler 1, Haynie 1, J. McBride 1, B. Reilly 1, Seaman 1
ASSISTS - Kovler 2, J. McBride 1, Sgalardi 1, T. Davis 1, Striebel 1
SAVES - Hewit 12 (60:00 min, 14 goals-against)

VIRGINIA (L, 12-10)
GOALS - Kovler 4, Schneider 2, J. McBride 1, C. McBride 1, Engelke 1, Haynie 1
ASSISTS - MacKenzie 2, T. Davis 1, Sgalardi 1, Lesko 1
SAVES - Hewit 10 (60:00 min, 12 goals-against)

HOFSTRA (W, 11-6)
GOALS - T. Davis 3, Haynie 3, Kovler 2, Schneider 1, McBride 1, MacKenzie 1
ASSISTS - T. Davis 3, Lesko 1, Schneider 1, Sgalardi 1
SAVES - Hewit 8 (58:44 min, 5 goals-against); Ashra 0 (1:16 min, 1 goal-against)

ALBANY (L, 10-2)
GOALS - Kovler 2
ASSISTS - MacKenzie 1
SAVES - Hewit 8 (60:00 min, 10 goals-against)

RUTGERS (W, 7-6)
GOALS - T. Davis 2, Kovler 1, Cocoziello 1, J. McBride 1, Schneider 1, Goldberg 1
ASSISTS - T. Davis 1, Sgalardi 1, Striebel 1
SAVES - Hewit 10 (60:00 min, 6 goals-against)