Courtesy: Princeton Athletic Communications The Tiger open crew fell by less than three seconds against the 2008 NCAA champion.

The 2008 NCAA champion Yale crew retained the Eisenberg Cup during a beautiful morning on the Housatonic River, but the Princeton open 1V showed it could compete with the best in the nation. The sixth-ranked Tigers lost by less than three seconds to the undefeated Bulldogs for only their second loss of the season.

Princeton, which had won six straight races following a season-opening loss to No. 4 Michigan, provided a stern test for the Bulldogs in ideal conditions; the Tigers finished the race in 6:22.1, but the top-ranked Yale crew posted a winning time of 6:19.2. That would complete a perfect day for the host school, which swept all five races during the morning. The Yale 2V won in a time of 6:41.7, while Princeton finished in 6:52.3; the Bulldogs varsity four also posted a strong win in a time of 7:30.5, while Princeton finished in 7:41.2.

The Tigers will get back in competition next Saturday when they head to the Schuylkill River to take on Penn and Dartmouth for The Class of 1984 Plaque. The regatta will also help Princeton measure where it stands among the Ivy League field; Lori Dauphiny's squad is 4-1 in the Ivy League and will look for a 6-1 finish next weekend.