BOOKENDED BY BONFIRES Princeton returns to sports with a blaze
The Daily Princetonian
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Monday November 22, 2021
Cover photo by Candace Do Header photos by Mark Dodici and Angel Kuo
A Return to Powers Field MARK DODICI / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
ANGEL KUO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
By Wilson Conn Staff writer
The Tigers opened the 2021 season on the road in Bethlehem, PA, where a dominant defensive performance and 412 passing yards from senior quarterback Cole Smith gave the Tigers a 32-0 victory in their first football game since November 2019. One week later, the Tigers returned to Powers Field to take on Stetson, who they defeated soundly 63-0. As October began, the Tigers’ opponents got more challenging. First up was Columbia, in the Tigers’ first Ivy League game of the season. The offense which had looked efficient in the first two games completely faltered, and the Tigers entered the fourth quarter with a 10-7 lead, despite being favored by nearly three touchdowns. Thankfully for Princeton, senior running back Collin Eaddy saved the day with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, giving the Tigers a 24-7 win. “The first two games, we didn’t really have to show our heart. It was a walk in the park,” Eaddy said after the game. “This was a good test for us.” Next up was the Tigers’ final nonconference opponent, in-state rival Monmouth. The Tigers travelled to West Long Branch, NJ for what would become a tough matchup. With Princeton down 21-6 in the third quarter, the Tigers offense was struggling once again, and the defense was being routinely beaten for the first time all season. However, a career day from Eaddy helped the Tigers take the lead in the fourth quarter, 28-21. After Monmouth took a Cole Smith interception back for a touchdown to tie the game at 28, first-year kicker Jeffrey Sexton
nailed a game-winning field goal with just a handful of seconds on the clock to keep the Tigers undefeated on the season. Princeton then faced a road game at Brown, which was the Tigers’ only true shootout of the season, a 56-42 win. Cole Smith passed for 476 yards (second-most in a game in school history) and broke the school record in completion percentage (92.6) with twice as many touchdown passes (4) as incompletions (2). Eaddy had four more touchdowns, giving him 7 over a two-game span. Senior receivers Dylan Classi and Jacob Birmelin and junior receiver Andrei Iosivas all had more than 140 yards through the air, with their impressive contributions bringing the Tigers’ record to 5-0. After a wild 18-16 win in five overtimes against Harvard at homecoming, the Tigers traveled to Ithaca, NY for a showdown with the Cornell
Big Red. In what perhaps was the least competitive Ivy League game of the season, Princeton controlled play the entire game, and won 34-16 in a game that eventually devolved into a puntfest in the second half thanks to torrential rain. After the win, the Tigers sat at 7-0 overall, and 4-0 in league play, giving them sole ownership of the top spot in the Ivy League. Both Yale and Dartmouth were tied at 3-1 in conference play right behind the Tigers, and Princeton would face off against both teams in the final three weeks of the season. First up was Dartmouth, on the road in Hanover, NH. The game was nightmarish from the start, as star running back Eaddy suffered a serious ankle injury in the first half that saw him carted off of the field. The Tigers offense was unable to get anything going, and Dartmouth succeeded both on the air and ground offensively, en route to a 31-7 rout. “We didn’t execute little things,” Head Coach Bob Surace ’90 said after the game. “They catch their interception for a touchdown, we drop ours. They make their field goal, we don’t. They execute in the red zone, we don’t. When all of those things go one way, it snowballs into what happened tonight.” The loss ensured that the Tigers would be tied at the top of the Ivy League with both Yale and Dartmouth for at least the next week. The Tigers then returned home for their final game of the year at Powers Field. What was initially a great turnout was somewhat diluted by a
lightning delay which lasted more than one hour. The game, which continued well after sunset, saw Princeton win 35-20. The win secured this year’s celebratory bonfire. Of equal, if not greater importance, it set the Tigers up to take home at least a share of the Ivy League title with a win at Penn the following weekend. The championship title was shared with Dartmouth College, who won their game against Brown prior to the Tigers’ win against University of Pennsylvania. Both teams ended the season 9-1, with 6-1 in the Ivy League. Going into the game, the team knew they would have to beat the Quakers to hold a share of the Ivy League Champion title. Wilson Conn is a staff writer for the ‘Prince’ sports section. He can be reached at wconn@princeton.edu or on twitter at @wilson_conn. Head Newsletter Editor Rooya Rahin contributed reporting.
MARK DODICI / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
Senior running back Collin Eaddy (1) was key to Princeton’s offense early in the season. His injury during the Dartmouth game seemed to inspire the team to the title. MITCHEL SHIELDS / GOPRINCETONTIGERS.COM
Ivy League champions.
MARK DODICI / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
The trip to Hanover proved difficult, with the Tigers struggling offensively and finding it hard to contain Dartmouth’s offense.
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Monday November 22, 2021
The Daily Princetonian
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(’2)2 Good to be true Class of 2022 enjoys second bonfire as football goes 27–3 over four years By Isabel Yip and Rachel Posner news contributor and senior sports writer
Alongside friends, family, and fans, the Princeton student body gathered on Cannon Green on Sunday night to watch a bonfire in celebration of the football team’s defeat over both Harvard on Oct. 23 and Yale on Nov. 13 this season. The last bonfire took place in 2018, when members of the Class of 2022 were first-years. Undergraduate Student Government President Christian Potter ’22 commented on how special it is for the Class of 2022 to have bonfires bookending their college experience. “Coming to Princeton, I didn’t know how important athletics and football would be; and when we had our bonfire freshman year, especially for our class, we were like, yeah this is a really big deal, this is a really big part of Princeton,” Potter said in an interview with the ‘Prince.’ “To have it senior year, after the pandemic, after everything, it’s another reminder that when we come back to full Princeton life, this is what this means. It means showing up to the games, it means winning, it means having these great celebrations, so I think it’s really special for our class.” The Tigers received the title of Ivy League Champions this Saturday with a 34–14 defeat over the University of Pennsylvania. First-year defensive lineman Tommy Matheson spoke on the heightened stakes of the game. “Going into that game, we wanted to win. Internally, we thought it meant nothing if we lost that game,” Matheson said. “I just think, you know, this whole bonfire is great, but if we weren’t the Ivy League Champions it wouldn’t have felt as nice.” Matheson said being cheered on at the bonfire “was one of the most cool, oneof-a-kind experiences of my life … and so hopefully we’ll get a lot more.” Princeton shares the title with Dartmouth College, after the Big Green defeated Brown University 52–31 on Saturday. Princeton and Dartmouth, the Ivy League co-champions, both ended their
seasons 9–1. The Tigers secured the title of Ivy League Champions for the 13th time in program history. As per tradition, their wins over both Harvard and Yale in the same season ensured a bonfire celebration for the Princeton community. Beginning Sunday at 10 a.m., each class took part in building the bonfire. Students decorated wooden pallets to commemorate Princeton’s double victory and stacked the pieces to create an ignitable tower. An outhouse with the scores of the Harvard and Yale games — 18–16 and 35–20 respectively — topped off the pile of pallets declaring student sentiments towards these two rivals. Students wrote, “Harvard is a safety school” and “Yale is number 5 in the ranking but last in our hearts” in colorful script to be burned in the celebratory bonfire, as well as: “Princeton forever, see you all in hell!” Whig Hall and Clio Hall were lit orange in celebration of Princeton’s Ivy League victory as spectators began to congregate around barricades in anticipation of the bonfire. The bells of Nassau Hall began to ring at 7:30 p.m. Before speeches commenced, the Princeton University Band, cheerleaders, and winning football team paraded around the bonfire. Morgan McDonald ’25, taking part in her first event as a cheerleader during the bonfire, told the ‘Prince,’ “it felt so nice after the past year and a half to come together and celebrate something.” “I’m a very traditional person,” she added. “I think today reminded everyone what it means to be a Princetonian.” Speeches followed these initial festivities. Speakers included Program Coordinator in the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students Mitchel Charles ’18, University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83, USG President Potter, Senior Class President Santiago Guiran ’22, Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack ’00, and Princeton Football Head Coach Bob Surace ’90. The women’s lightweight crew team was invited to lead the crowd in a Locomotive cheer as a way to celebrate their
ANGEL KUO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
IRA National Championship title this past spring. “We feel really honored that the new athletic director, John Mack, wanted to honor us in such a public setting,” Junior rower Sarah Polson said. Junior rower Artemis Veizi added, “It was also really exciting to celebrate the football team and their accomplishments. It’s nice to be a sports team supporting the other sports teams on campus and having that 37 — soon 38 — varsity team unity.” Looking back on their spring 2021 achievements, Polson said it was “amazing” that the team was allowed to compete at all, and that “the circumstances lended itself to a boat that was one of the fastest boats we’ve ever put out.” “We’re just excited to build off of that,” she added. Following the speeches, the football team proceeded to light the bonfire pile. The lights illuminating Cannon Green were turned off, and the lawn went dark aside from the subtle glow of the bonfire. After a few minutes, flames erupted, and cheers burst from the crowd. Smoke rose and blurred the view of East Pyne Hall. As wood from the bonfire continued to crumble, cheers continued to rise.
For spectators watching the bonfire’s flames nearly reach the trees behind Nassau Hall, the celebration was a unifying experience. “This has made me realize how happy I am to be a part of the Princeton community,” said Nina Boudet ’25. “It was huge energy … everyone was just in a great mood for this, it’s been a long time coming for sure,” Potter said. “It feels like a big victory, not just over Harvard and Yale, but over a lot of challenges and adversities.” The Princeton University Band concluded the bonfire with a performance of “Old Nassau.” Peter Anella ’25, a member of the rugby team experiencing the bonfire during his first semester on campus, expressed his excitement over the sporadic tradition. “How many more times is this gonna happen in your life?” he asked. “Probably never.” Isabel Yip is a news contributor for the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at isabelyip@ princeton.edu or @isaayip on Instagram. Rachel Posner is a senior writer for the ‘Prince’ sports section. She also previously served as an Assistant Sports Editor. Rachel can be reached at rposner@princeton.edu. ANGEL KUO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
HEADLINE FROM HISTORY
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U. COMMUNITY GATHERS, CHANTS, ‘YEETS’ AT FIRST BONFIRE SINCE 2013
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NOV 19, 2018
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Photos by Mark Dodici
The Daily Princetonian
Monday November 22, 2021
B ONFIR E OCTOBER 23
Tigers win five-overtime epic against Harvard to stay unbeaten in league play By Caroline Ji, Kyle Tsai and Emily Philippides
contributors and head sports editor
Princeton beat Harvard 18–16 on Saturday in the Ivy League’s first-ever quintuple overtime game. This is the fourth year in a row that Princeton has claimed victory over Harvard, with the last loss for the Tigers coming in 2016 (23–20 OT). Both teams entered the game undefeated at 5–0 and were ranked back-to-back on the FCS Coaches Poll, with Princeton one slot behind Harvard at No. 17 as of Oct. 18. The game was a largely defensive battle between the two highest-ranked rushing defenses in the FCS. The neck-and-neck game ultimately came down to five overtime periods, with senior wide receiver Jacob Birmelin catching the ball in the end zone and senior defensive back Trevor Forbes breaking up a Harvard pass to seal the victory. The victory was also somewhat controversial, with the Ivy League later admitting to third-overtime officiating errors that may have changed the outcome of the game. Over 10,000 fans were in attendance at the Homecoming game, many of whom stormed the field following the final whistle. “I really just blacked out. I have no words,” said Birmelin. “I just remember looking into the stands and people were running out into the field.” Overall, it was a difficult day for the Princeton offense. Coming off a record-breaking 92.6 percent completion percentage and four passing touchdowns against Brown in the week prior, senior quarterback Cole Smith completed half of his passes against the Crimson defense. He ended the game with four interceptions and zero touchdowns. “It was a tough day. They’re a tough defense,” Head Coach Bob Surace ’90 told The Daily Princetonian in a post-game interview. Surace added that despite Smith’s struggles, “it’s never [just] one person.” Other players stepped up in big moments, particularly within the defensive line. The defensive effort was crucial in making up for the team’s slow offensive start. Surace praised the defensive line, calling their performance “unbelievable,” especially against “two of the best running backs the team has played against in 12 years.” In particular, senior linebackers Jeremiah Tyler and Daniel Beard led the team in 12 tackles and 10 tackles, respectively. Special teams play also fueled the victory. After a slow first half, with both teams scoring two field goals apiece by halftime, Princeton’s only touchdown came from the punt return unit. Midway through the third quarter, sophomore linebacker Liam Johnson blocked a Harvard punt, and senior wide receiver Cash Goodhart picked up the ball in the end zone, bringing the score to 13–6. Following several more unsuccessful drives, Harvard started the fourth quarter with a 17-yard pass, pulling the team within Princeton’s 10-yard line. Several plays later, running back Aaron Shampklin scored the Crimson’s sole touchdown of the day, evening the tally at 13. With three minutes left, the Tigers found themselves within scoring position again, but a missed 37-yard field goal attempt from freshman kicker Jeffrey Sexton kept the game tied. Both teams failed to score in subsequent drives, sending the game into its first overtime. Per NCAA regulation, the first two overtime periods consist of a two-possession series. Each team alternates offense and defense, with the offense starting at the 25-yard line. If the game is still tied after the second overtime, each team alternates two-point plays from the three-yard line until one team outscores the other. Princeton started on offense for the first overtime period, with Sex-
ton scoring a 37-yard field goal to put the Tigers up 16–13. Harvard quickly answered, tying the score again at 16. In the second overtime, senior defensive back Trevor Forbes intercepted a pass by Harvard quarterback Jake Smith, putting the Tigers in a position to win with a field goal on the next possession. Sexton’s field goal attempt, however, was blocked by Harvard defensive lineman Anthony Nelson, bringing the Tigers to another overtime play. The third overtime began with an incomplete pass by Cole Smith to Birmelin. Harvard then appeared to have scored what would have been the game-winning conversion, but it was eventually overturned as the field officials confirmed that Surace had called timeout before the snap occurred. “I tried getting their attention so I literally just went on the field, thinking I could get the referee. I didn’t know what else to do,” Surace said after the game. Harvard appeared to score again on its next attempt, but the score was discounted due to a pass interference call. This was ultimately followed by a failed attempt for the two-point conversion by Harvard from the 18-yard line, with Tyler breaking up the pass. The Ivy League later released a statement, explaining that “the officiating crew made a procedural error” in overturning the initial call and calling back Harvard’s conversion. They note that the timeout was requested by Surace prior to the snap, though the play continued and was only later called back after Harvard appeared to have scored. However, according to NCAA regulations, a timeout can only be granted before the ball is snapped and cannot be reviewed. The release concludes that “the timeout should not have been granted and the play should have resulted in a successful two-point conversion,” which would have resulted in a win for Harvard, but that “the outcome of the game will stand as a win for Princeton.” According to the statement, “The league office will address the error with the officials.” In the fourth overtime, Harvard’s Jake Smith threw an interception, putting Princeton in a position to win the game. Princeton ran a trick play, with senior wide receiver Dylan Classi throwing a pass intended for Birmelin that fell short and was ruled incomplete. The game went into its fifth and final overtime, still tied at 16. The Tigers began the play with Cole Smith finding Birmelin at the corner of the end zone, scoring and putting Princeton ahead 18–16. Jake Smith attempted to push the game into a sixth overtime with a pass to tight end Haven Montefalco, but Forbes knocked away the pass, securing the win for the Tigers. “We battled all game long. Everybody played well. We definitely have some things we need to fix, but we knew what this game was coming into [it],” Birmelin said. “It was a team win for sure.” The Tigers are now undefeated 6–0 and stand alone at the top of the Ivy League rankings, having also beaten Columbia (24–7) and Brown (56–42) this season. They will play Cornell next Friday in Ithaca, N.Y. and Yale on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Powers Field. Caroline Ji is a contributor to the ‘Prince’ sports section. She can be reached at cj1042@princeton.edu. Kyle Tsai is a contributor to the ‘Prince’ sports and video sections. He can be reached at kyle.tsai@princeton. edu or on Instagram at @kyle.tsai_. Emily Philippides is a Head Sports Editor at the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at ep17@princeton.edu. Managing Editor Zachary Shevin contributed reporting.
Monday November 22, 2021
The Daily Princetonian
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B AT T LES NOVEMBER 13
Defense stymies Yale in second half to secure bonfire, stay tied atop league By Caroline Ji and Kyle Tsai contributors
Despite unideal weather conditions and multiple game delays, the Princeton Tigers — with their homecoming victory against Harvard already secured — strode onto Powers Field this Saturday, ready to lead Princeton to its second bonfire in the last five years. Coming into the game, the Tigers, Bulldogs, and Dartmouth Big Green were all tied atop of the Ivy League with 4–1 conference records. One of the most anticipated games of the year was delayed by 90 minutes due to lightning. “I told them [the players] to relax, take their shoulder pads off, and stay hydrated,” head coach Bob Surace told The Daily Princetonian in an interview. “Whenever they allow us, we’re going to have a chance to warm up and get ourselves ready.” For Princeton fans, however, the game was worth the wait. Princeton secured the important win with a final score of 35–20, maintaining its top spot in the conference alongside Dartmouth. The Tigers marched down the field on the first drive of the game, with freshman running back John Volker leading the drive with 24 rushing yards and a huge 13-yard fourth down conversion. With a fourth and three on Yale’s three-yard line and expectation to put up the game’s first points, however, the Tigers’ field goal attempt was blocked. Yale started its first possession on its own 20-yard line, but was quickly forced into a three and out, punting the ball right back to Princeton. Yale’s defense matched Princeton’s on the next drive, forcing the Tigers into a punt after five plays. Princeton’s defense remained strong, getting the ball back in great field position to get the first score of the game. With two minutes left in the quarter, senior quarterback Cole Smith threw a touchdown pass to senior receiver Dylan Classi, putting the Tigers up 7–0. “It was a big touchdown to get on the board,” Classi told the ‘Prince’ in a post-game interview. “I was happy to get on the board early and keep it going throughout the game.” The second quarter was an intense, high-scoring showdown between the two offenses. After two failed drives by both teams, Yale’s quarterback Nolan Grooms rushed for a six-yard touchdown, evening the score to 7–7. Shortly after Princeton got the ball back, Smith was intercepted by Yale’s John Dean, positioning the Bulldogs to score again. They seized the opportunity, scoring a second rushing touchdown and putting the Bulldogs up 14–7. The Tigers quickly answered on a four-play, 75-yard touchdown drive when freshman running back John Volker tore away from the Bulldog defense on a huge 64-yard catch, tying the game at 14–14. After trading two more failed drives, Yale’s kicker made a 43-yard field goal, bringing their lead to 17–14 with 51 seconds left in the first half. With such little time left in the half, it seemed as if the Bulldogs would be going into the second half with a three-point lead. Head coach Bob Surace, however, decided to play aggressive, and it paid off. With two huge pass completions to Dylan Classi (44 yards and 13 yards, respectively), the Tigers were quickly in Yale’s territory. Shortly after, Cole Smith threw a touchdown pass to senior receiver Jacob Birmelin, pushing the Tigers ahead 21–17 with three seconds left in the half. Despite a tight score in the first half, Princeton pulled away from Yale in the third quarter. Minutes into the second half, senior running back Trey Gray outsprinted Yale’s defensive back for a 27-yard gain and slid into the endzone for Princeton’s fourth touchdown of the game. Senior defensive back Christian Brown continued Princeton’s momen-
tum with a big-time interception. “Princeton bred me to do my job, trust the guys around me, communicate with the guys next to me, and, when it comes my way, to just capitalize,” Brown said upon reflecting on his huge play. The offense was able to build on Brown’s interception, with freshman quarterback Niko Vangarelli closing out the next drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown. Princeton’s defense also ramped up in the third quarter, shutting off Yale’s many attempts to answer Princeton’s touchdowns. Halfway through the quarter, junior defensive back Michael Ruttlen Jr. stopped what could have potentially been a huge play for Yale — an impressive defense effort that was followed by a big tackle by senior defensive back Trevor Forbes. Their defensive efforts were not enough to stop Yale from scoring entirely, however, as Yale scored a field goal with four minutes left. Going into the final quarter, the score was 35–20. Both teams elevated their defense in the final quarter, making for a scoreless fourth quarter. With six minutes left in the quarter, Forbes broke up a third-down pass, riling up the crowd. Seconds later, senior defensive back Winston Matthew nearly sacked Harvard’s quarterback. Despite a missed field goal attempt by senior punter George Triplett, two interceptions by Ruttlen Jr. and senior linebacker Daniel Beard cemented the Tigers’ victory. “Fourth quarters are usually the most important quarters of the game. It’s good to come out and get ahead early, but the fourth quarter is where you finish — we have a finisher’s mentality,” Classi said. With a record of 8–1, the Princeton Tigers are tied with Dartmouth for the number one seed in the conference and will seek to secure their spot at the top of the Ivy League in next week’s game. Both Princeton and Dartmouth are heavily favored in their final matchups, facing off against Penn and Brown, respectively. The Quakers and Bears share the bottom seed in the conference, both 2–7 overall and 1–5 in Ivy League play this season. If both the Tigers and Big Green win, they will share the championship. In addition to helping the team hold its top seed, this victory was especially meaningful for many of the players. On the last home game of the season, senior players — along with their families — were honored for their career achievements in a celebration known as Senior Day. “Senior day is hard. You’ve got people who are walking you out in maybe your second-to-last game you’ll ever play — and they took you to your first Little League game,” Surace said. “That’s emotional and there’s nothing I can say to take that emotion away other than ‘When the ball gets kicked off, take deep breaths and try to focus as best as you can.’” This victory also held a larger significance to the greater Princeton community. When Princeton football defeats both Harvard and Yale in the same season, the campus community celebrates with a large bonfire on Cannon Green. The last bonfire occurred in 2018, many seniors’ first year on campus. “Tonight was an incredibly emotional game,” Surace said. “When [we] win this one, it signifies a bonfire for the community and the supporters, [which is] for everyone else to celebrate.” This year’s bonfire is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m., a day after the Tigers will hope to lock up the Ivy League title against Penn. So buckle up, Tigers — it’s bonfire time! Caroline Ji is a contributor to the ‘Prince’ sports section. She can be reached at cj1042@princeton.edu. Kyle Tsai is a contributor to the ‘Prince’ sports and video sections. He can be reached at kyle.tsai@princeton.edu or on Instagram at @kyle.tsai_.
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The Daily Princetonian
Monday November 22, 2021
vol. cxlv
editor-in-chief Emma Treadway ’22 business manager Louis Aaron ’23
BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Thomas E. Weber ’89 vice president Craig Bloom ’88 second vice president David Baumgarten ’06 secretary Chanakya A. Sethi ’07 treasurer Douglas Widmann ’90 assistant treasurer Kavita Saini ’09
trustees Francesca Barber Kathleen Crown Gabriel Debenedetti ’12 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 Michael Grabell ’03 John G. Horan ’74 Rick Klein ’98 James T. MacGregor ’66 Abigail Williams ’14 Tyler Woulfe ’07 trustees ex officio Emma Treadway ’22 Louis Aaron ’23
145TH MANAGING BOARD managing editors Harsimran Makkad ’22 AG McGee ’22 Kenny Peng ’22 Zachary Shevin ’22 content strategist Omar Farah ’23 Sections listed in alphabetical order. head cartoon editors Sydney Peng ’22 Akaneh Wang ’24 associate cartoon editors Inci Karaaslan ’24 Ambri Ma ’24 head copy editors Celia Buchband ’22 Isabel Rodrigues ’23 associate copy editors Catie Parker ’23 Cecilia Zubler ’23 digital news design editor Anika Maskara ’23 associate digital news design editor Brian Tieu ’23 graphics editor Ashley Chung ’23 instagram design editor Helen So ’22 print design editor Abby Nishiwaki ’23 newsletter editor Rooya Rahin ’23 head features editor Alex Gjaja ’23 Rachel Sturley ’23 associate features editors Annabelle Duval ’23 Ellen Li ’22 Tanvi Nibhanupudi ’23 multimedia liason Mark Dodici ’22 head photo editor Candace Do ’24 head podcast editor Isabel Rodrigues ’23
associate podcast editors Jack Anderson ’23 Francesca Block ’22 Hope Perry ’24 head video editor Mindy Burton ’23 associate video editors Uanne Chang ’24 Daniel Drake ’24 Marko Petrovic ’24 head news editors Evelyn Doskoch ’23 Caitlin Limestahl ’23 associate news editors Bharvi Chavre ’23 Naomi Hess ’22 Marissa Michaels ’22 head opinion editor Shannon Chaffers ’22 associate opinion editors Won-Jae Chang ’24 Kristal Grant ’24 Mollika Singh ’24 head prospect editors Cameron Lee ’22 Auhjanae McGee ’23 associate prospect editors José Pablo Fernández García ’23 Aster Zhang ’24 head puzzles editors Gabriel Robare ’24 Owen Travis ’24 head satire editor Claire Silberman ’23 head sports editor Emily Philippides ’22 Tom Salotti ’22 associate sports editors Ben Burns ’23 Sreesha Ghosh ’23
145TH BUSINESS BOARD chief technology officer Pranav Avva ’24 assistant business manager Benjamin Cai ’24 business directors Gloria Wang ’24 Shirley Ren ’24 Samantha Lee ’24 David Akpokiere ’24 lead software engineers Joanna Tang ’24 Roma Bhattacharjee ’25 business-tech liaison Anika Agarwal ’24 Juliana Li ’24
project manager Ananya Parashar ’24 business-tech liason Anika Agarwal ’25 software engineers Dwaipayan Saha ’24 Giao Vu Dinh ’24 Eugenie Choi ’24 Daniel Hu ’25 Kohei Sanno ’25 business associates Jasmine Zhang ’24 Jonathan Lee ’24 Caroline Zhao ’25 Justin Ong ’24 Chief Technology Officer Emeritus Anthony Hein ’22
THIS PRINT ISSUE WAS DESIGNED BY Mark Dodici ’22
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The Daily Princetonian
Monday November 22, 2021
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Hunt: Women’s team Popper: Looking forward to next has much to celebrate year with this same team is exciting HOCKEY
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surpassing the Olympic qualifying standard of 8:22 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, crossed the finish line in second place behind Harvard’s Matthew Pereira (23:18). His teammate Berry closely followed in third. On the women’s side, the Tigers (68) finished in second place behind Harvard (37), improving upon their fourth-place finish in the 2019 championships. Yale (78), Columbia (89), Penn (135), Dartmouth (137), Cornell (138), and Brown (204) followed. Princeton’s front runner, sophomore Fiona Max (20:26), grabbed silver behind Yale’s Kayley Delay (20:08). Harvard’s Isabell Sagar (20:31) rounded out the podium for individual finishes. “I was proud of the work we did,” Max said in an interview with The Daily Princetonian. “We had some unexpected injuries crop up that kept us from being at our best, but we navigated the emotions of that as a team. In the end, I think Heps was a good sneak peak of the potential of this squad and a stepping stone for regionals. Now we are turning our attention to the next two weeks of training.” Behind Max, Princeton’s top-five finishers included first-year Angie Allen (21:00), junior Abby Loveys (21:08), senior Caroline Timm (21:14), and first-year Lexi Allen (21:32). “We have much to celebrate today as a team,” women’s head coach Brad Hunt said in a post-meet interview. “Though we fell
short of our goal to be best in the Ivy League this fall, the foundation for future success has been set by a young and talented group. We cannot wait for the opportunity to … battle the best in the region for a chance to advance to the NCAA Championships.” Following Heps, the Tigers competed at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship in Bethlehem, Pa — in what became a largely successful meet for the Tigers, particularly on the men’s side. The men’s team finished first out of 26 teams with four runners finishing in the top 10. Senior Jakob Kintzele led the Tigers, finishing fifth in the 10K course with a time of 30:20.5. Senior Ed Trippas came in sixth (30:23.1), sophomore Matt Farrel in eighth (30:25.1), and sophomore Anthony Monte in 10th (30:28.6). The team automatically qualified for NCAA nationals and then traveled to Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday, Nov. 20 to compete. The women’s team finished fourth out of 27 teams, with sophomore Fiona Max finishing in sixth place in the 6K course (20:28.7). While the team did not qualify for NCAA nationals, Max earned an individual spot to compete in Tallahassee. Emily Philippides is a Head Sports Editor at the ‘Prince’. She can be reached at ep17@ princeton.edu. Julia Nguyen is a staff writer for the Sports section at the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at trucn@princeton. edu or on Instagram at @ jt.nguyen.
finished 15–1 overall. Princeton’s field hockey program still leads the league with 26 Ivy titles, one more than those of the rest of the league combined. Their most recent title came in 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on athletics. Despite not winning the Ivy League title this year, the Tigers managed to end this season on a high note. The first quarter of their last game against Columbia saw neither team score, but the Tigers changed the pace in the first minute of the second quarter when junior striker Ali McCarthy intercepted a defensive clearance from Columbia, managing to draw a corner for the Tigers. Junior midfielder Sammy Popper received the ball at the top of the circle from junior forward Ophelie Bemelmans and skillfully brought it inside. With her back to the goal and defensive pressure on her, Popper quickly reverse chipped the ball. It slipped right past the right foot of Columbia’s goalie, Alexa Conomikes, and into the bottom right corner of the goal, giving the Tigers a 1–0 advantage. Minutes after Princeton’s first goal, Columbia’s midfielder Kelsey Farkas drew a corner of her own. However, a shot by midfielder Brook Gasser went wide, and Princeton regained possession. With less than five minutes left in the quarter, McCarthy dribbled the ball from the left corner of the field into the circle, sending it towards the goal. Junior defender Claire Donovan managed to get her stick on the ball for a tip-in, despite the defensive crowd in front of the goal. Just over a minute after the second goal, Princeton’s offense maintained a strong hold of ball possession in their offensive circle. In the span of 20 seconds, the Tigers had three shots on goal. Columbia’s defense scrambled to clear the ball following a penalty corner drawn by McCarthy. However, in the process of doing so, a penalty stroke was called in Princeton’s favor. Sophomore midfielder Sam Davidson successfully converted the stroke into another goal, putting Princeton ahead by three at the halfway mark. The Tigers came out strong in the second half, scoring just 33
seconds into the third quarter. Donovan sent the ball up the field to junior midfielder Hannah Davey, who finished the play with a drive from the top of the circle into the goal. Despite Columbia gaining some momentum soon after, Princeton’s defense would not give in, consistently pressuring the ball until they regained control. Going into the final quarter, Princeton was on track to claim a shutout victory against the Lions. For the first 13 minutes, the ball stayed mostly in the midfield with possession switching between the teams. However, with seven minutes left in the game, the Lions gained control and brought it to their offensive end. Columbia’s forward Anabelle Brodeur sent in a centering pass behind Princeton’s defense, allowing for the perfect tip-in by forward Ellie Decker and giving the Lions additional momentum. The Tigers soon had a breakaway play when sophomore forward Grace Schulze drew a corner for Princeton. Schulze fed the ball towards the top of the circle to Popper, who took a direct shot.
Schulze quickly moved to the corner of the goal and deflected Popper’s shot into the net, bringing the score to 5–1. Each of Princeton’s five goals was scored by a different player. “It felt great to get a win under our belt today,” Popper commented in an interview with The Daily Princetonian after the game. “Although it was most likely our last game of the season, we don’t have any seniors graduating so moving forward and looking forward to next year with this same team is extremely exciting, and we never know, postseason could still be in the cards for us.” A day after the game, the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Committee announced the official bracket for the opening rounds of the 2021 NCAA Championship. Ten collegiate teams received an automatic qualification and eight teams were selected atlarge. Princeton did not receive a bid. Julia Nguyen is a staff writer for the Sports section at the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at trucn@princeton.edu or on instagram at @jt.nguyen.
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Most recent NWPC win was in 2018 against Harvard WATER POLO Continued from page 10
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advanced to the finals and was met by St. Francis-
Brooklyn. The two teams met twice before in the regular season. The Tigers beat the Terriers in Brooklyn, N.Y. 16–12 on Oct. 9 but later lost 9–7 at De-
Nunzio Pool earlier this month. Sunday’s tournament championship reflected how the two teams are evenly matched. St. Francis-Brooklyn
took the advantage early on, notching a three goal streak in eight minutes. The Tigers rallied to a 4–3 lead before halftime with points from seniors
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Mitchell Cooper and Wyatt Benson and first-year Vladan Mitrovic. In the second half, the Tigers pulled ahead, notching four more goals to the Terriers’ one, bringing the score to 8–4. In the last eight minutes, St. Francis-Brooklyn scored two goals to close the deficit to 8–6, but it was futile. When the clock hit zero, the Tigers earned their sixth conference championship and were placed in contention for the NCAA Division 1 Tournament. The last time the team won the NWPC was in 2018 when they defeated Harvard. The Tigers earned an NCAA berth that year but did not advance past the first round, losing to George Washington University in a brutal 14–13 loss in overtime. The last time Princeton hosted the NWPC was in 2016, when the Tigers defeated the Terriers 18–13 to take the third place slot in the conference tournament. Tom Salotti is a Head Sports Editor at the ‘Prince.’ He can be reached at tsalotti@princeton.edu.
The Daily Princetonian
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Monday November 22, 2021 SIDELINE PHOTOS, LLC / GOPRINCETONTIGERS.COM
Men’s soccer takes Ivy crown Women’s soccer makes with perfect league record second round of NCAAs By Julia Nguyen Staff writer
For the second time in all of program history, the men’s soccer team went undefeated in the Ivy League this season. Despite the wet bleachers and cold temperatures of the Tigers’ home finale, Sherrerd Field was packed with Princeton students and families as they watched the team secure a 1–0 overtime victory over the Yale Bulldogs in their final game. Following some controversial calls and a lot of physical aggression, junior midfielder Mateo Godoy scored the golden goal of the game six minutes into OT. At the start of the first quarter, neither side seemed to be able to find an offensive rhythm with ball possession switching back and forth between the Bulldogs and the Tigers. At the nine-minute mark, senior defender and midfielder Michael Osei Wusu finally found an opportunity to score, but his shot hit the crossbar. As the game progressed, tension began to build on the field. With Yale’s physical aggression and a lack of calls on the referees’ end, the Tigers grew frustrated. With about 21 minutes left on the clock, junior forward Daniel Diaz Bonilla passed the ball to senior midfielder and forward Kevin O’Toole for a shot. Just as O’Toole stepped to kick, one of Yale’s defensive players slammed him to the ground, and fans erupted in loud protest. There was no foul or card on Yale. “You know, it was definitely frustrating, but at the end of the day, the game doesn’t depend on the ref,” O’Toole said. “We tried to put the game on our terms and dictate the game that way. As frustrated as we were with some of the calls, we had a resolve in the game that it wasn’t going to matter, that we were still going to win anyway.” These physical encounters continued into the second half of the game. Two minutes into the third quarter, Yale midfielder Kai Moos received a yellow card for body checking Princeton first-year defender Issa Mudashiru. “We knew it was going to be a little bit of a chippy game; we’ve had a long history [with Yale],” senior defender Alex Charles added. “I think our job was to just focus on us and kind of keep our composure. You know, our guys on the bench were encouraging our guys on the field, and they did a really good job just focusing on what matters.” With 16:13 left in the regular period, controversial calls began in the midfield when ball possession was given to Yale instead of Princeton. The Bulldogs brought the ball down the left corner of their offense and centered the ball in front of the net. One of Yale’s offensive players met the ball with his chest, using his body to deflect the ball into the net and past senior goalie Jack Roberts.
Yale was quick to celebrate, but commotion erupted on and off the field in objection to the apparent goal. The referees were called to discuss the play, and ultimately, the call was reversed for a handball, in Princeton’s favor. “There was a handball in the middle of the field that the center ref didn’t see, and he played it on,” O’Toole explained. “The fourth official saw it and called the [center] ref over and told them it was a handball, so they reversed it for that reason.” The remainder of the second half was scoreless, bringing the two teams into OT. Yale midfielder Quanah Brayboy was first to attempt a goal seven seconds in, but the shot went high over the top of the goal. At 6:48, Bonilla received the ball from Princeton’s midfield. Unable to take a shot with defensive pressure from Yale, Bonilla passed the ball to junior defender and midfielder Ryan Clare who was open on the far right sideline. Clare quickly sent the ball into the box past Yale’s center defense towards the left post. Godoy found position at the perfect time, sliding to meet Clare’s ball and deflecting it into the goal to secure the victory for the Tigers. The win marked head coach Jim Barlow ’91’s 200th in his career at Princeton. Since he joined the coaching staff in 1996, Barlow has led the Tigers to eight Ivy League championship titles and two undefeated seasons within the Ivy League, including this year’s 7–0 record. Having locked up the Ivy League title with a win against Penn earlier in the season, the Tigers had earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. Their postseason, however, was short lived. The Tigers were eliminated in a 1–0 loss against St. Johns in their first round game. With a first half goal from the Red Storm’s Brandon Knapp sealing the deal. Asked about their favorite moments of the season, multiple men’s players pointed to their regular season win against the Quakers. “My favorite team memory was honestly probably getting the goal at Penn to close it out this year. Everyone has worked so hard and to have it hanging in the balance and to get it that late in the game is crazy … I won’t forget it,” Roberts said. “The goal this year for the senior class was to win. You know, we lost one season, so, you know, we wanted to go two out of three [championships]. We were able to accomplish that with a great team,” Charles commented. “The Penn game to win the league was a highlight last weekend, but going 7–0 is really special. We are only the second Princeton team to ever do it and first since 2010, so it’s really cool to be part of history in that way,” O’Toole added. Julia Nguyen is a staff writer for the Sports section. She can be reached at trucn@princeton.edu
By Julia Nguyen and Wilson Conn Staff writers
On Friday, November 12, the women’s soccer team earned a 2–0 shutout against University of Vermont in their first postseason game. Senior forward Tatum Gee scored twice for the Tigers in the first half, securing a two-goal lead that the Tigers would defend for the remainder of the game. Her first goal was assisted by first-year forward Heather MacNab and sophomore forward Alexis Hiltunen. Gee’s second goal came off a free kick straight into the net just six minutes after her first. With the win, the Tigers moved on to the second round of the NCAA tournament, playing No. 8 TCU on Nov. 19. The team made the short trip to Rutgers University’s Yurcak Field in Piscataway, N.J., last Friday to take on the No. 4 seed Texas Christian University Horned Frogs (18–2–2, 7–1–1 Big 12) in the second round of the NCAA Division 1 tournament. The trip to Yurcak was the Tigers’ second of the year, as they beat current No. 1 seed Rutgers 4–3 on Sept. 9. They did not have the same luck this time around, suffering a heartbreaking 3–2 loss to TCU in overtime. The Tigers (15–2–1, 6–1 Ivy) came into the game having won 10 of their last 11 matches, with the lone loss being to the eventual Ivy League champions, Brown. At the end of the conference season, the NCAA’s selection committee deemed the Tigers talented enough to take part in the tournament despite them not securing an auto-bid by winning the league, an honor rarely given to Ivy League teams. The last team from the Ivy League to qualify for the NCAA tournament in this manner was the 2008 Tigers squad. The appearance was head coach Sean Driscoll’s 4th in his sixseason tenure with the team. The Tigers, who hadn’t allowed a goal in five consecutive league matches since the loss against Brown, proved the committee right, easily handling the University of Vermont Catamounts 2–0 at Sherrerd Field on Nov. 12, earning a spot in the second round of the tournament. TCU hadn’t lost in 12 matches coming into the game, with their last defeat being against Baylor University on Sept. 26. The two schools had met just once previously, when the Tigers defeated TCU 3–1 in 1990. The game opened with both teams challenging the opposing defense, as Princeton’s junior defender Madison Curry made a strong run down the left side, which culminated in a shot on goal. Shortly afterwards, senior goalkeeper Grace Barbara was forced into a tough save, deflecting a TCU shot off of the crossbar and out of play. The Tigers continued to threaten
TCU throughout the first half, as Curry, sophomore midfielder Aria Nagai, and sophomore forward Alexis Hiltunen all got good looks at goal. Nagai even saw one of her shots tipped off of the crossbar by the TCU keeper. Towards the end of the first half, after TCU had forced Barbara into a diving save to her right, Nagai stole the ball from TCU on the left wing and located first-year midfielder Lily Bryant inside the box. Bryant coolly slotted the ball away in between the Horned Frogs’ goalkeeper and the near post, giving the Tigers a 1–0 lead 35 minutes in. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they were unable to achieve the same potency in their attack at the beginning of the second half, and TCU threatened to score repeatedly. Barbara once again made a massive save, this time against TCU’s forward Camryn Lancaster. Lancaster was able to locate the Horned Frogs’ star forward Messiah Bright, who fired a powerful shot into the back of the net to equalize with just 20 minutes remaining. Immediately, the Tigers responded by bringing numbers forward, and just two minutes later, sophomore forward Jen Estes scored to put Princeton back in the lead, 2–1. TCU’s attack roared back to life, as Bright continued to find holes in the defense. An important tackle from Curry kept Bright from succeeding on one of her most dangerous chances, but with just three minutes remaining, Bright shot a pass from TCU midfielder Oli Pena right by Princeton’s Barbara, sending the match to overtime. In overtime, Barbara was the hero, making save after save to keep the match level. The NCAA plays with a golden goal overtime, meaning that the match ends immediately if a team scores in either 15-minute period, making Barbara’s performance all the more crucial. Princeton succeeded in keeping the score level through the first 15-minute period, but with 4:27 left in overtime, Bright found an opening from close range, and fired a shot which Barbara had no chance to save, giving TCU the 3–2 win, and sending the Tigers home in defeat. This was the second loss by one goal for the Tigers soccer program this week, as the men lost 1–0 in Jamaica, N.Y. against St. John’s University in their first-round match Thursday, Nov. 18. TCU now advances to play Rutgers in the Sweet 16. Julia Nguyen is a staff writer for the Sports section. She can be reached at trucn@princeton.edu Wilson Conn is a staff writer for the ‘Prince’ sports section. He can be reached at wconn@princeton.edu or on twitter at @wilson_conn.
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The Men’s Soccer team huddles up before facing St. Johns
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The Daily Princetonian
Monday November 22, 2021
page 9
Kleptka: Princeton volleyball has given me a family VOLLEYBALL Continued from page 10
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of the second set, with Columbia even taking the lead halfway through the set. Their lead was short lived, as the Tigers ended the set
with a dominant nine-point run started by a kill from senior middle blocker Julia Schner and excellent serving by junior libero Cameron Dames. “We wanted to serve tough. Our ability to serve tough put the other team
MARK DODICI / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
out of its system, so I think that was one of the keys to that run,” head coach Sabrina King told The Daily Princetonian. The Tigers closed out the set with a final tally of 25–14. The third set started with an attack error by junior outside hitter Elena Montgomery, who, coming into the game, ranked second in the Ivy League in points per set and kills per set. The Tigers responded with an eight-point run that built off their momentum from the last set. Luoma, Schner, Montgomery, Avery, and Dames all made big plays that were pivotal to the team’s run early in the set. “We executed our game really well: we passed well, we set well, we served really well, so they couldn’t hit well,” Luoma said. Despite exchanging points evenly with Columbia during the second half of the set, the Tigers’ lead was too strong to overcome, ending with a final score of 25–14 again. Luoma led the team with a total of 11 kills throughout the match, made possible by Columbia’s defense. “The Columbia block [left] the right side open, so actually Avery got to have way more swings than she’s been able to without a block-up which is very rare,” Mahood
said. “I was happy to kind of play like her decoy tonight.” In addition to the Tigers’ strong chemistry with one another, the team’s overall seamless dynamic was evident through the match. “The whole game came together really perfectly for us and allowed all of us to play well, not just myself,” Luoma said. Indeed, the Tigers dominant, well-rounded victory was the result of contributions from multiple players throughout the three sets. Luoma’s excellent offensive was supported by 13 digs from Dames, five blocks by Schner, and 29 assists from junior setter Lindsey Kelly. Schner echoed sentiments about the team’s well-roundedness. “Honestly, I can’t do it without them. I take the third touch, so it takes two other people before me to really do anything, so I can’t take really any credit for that alone,” she said. “We played really well together as a team, as a whole. I think we went into this game with a lot of confidence and [...] I think we pulled it off.” The team then made it 2–0 over the weekend by beating Cornell on senior night. The Tigers swept the Big Red in 3 sets (25–15, 25–22, 25–20) for their second sweep of the weekend. The win marked the fi-
nal game for the team’s two seniors, Schner and senior outside hitter Grace Klepetka. “It’s definitely bittersweet. It’s been a really, really fun season coming back from a long break with COVID. I think our team is very new and very young, [so] it was fun to see how we were able to develop such a really strong team culture in just three months,” Schner said. “[It’s] sad for it to be ending, but I think we set it up for a really strong next few years.” Klepetka shared this sentiment: “I mean the season, it wasn’t exactly how we wanted it to go, but being back on campus with things returning to normal, we’ve kind of done the best that we can.” “I’m so grateful for Princeton volley,” she continued. “It’s given me a family I didn’t know I could have so I’m just very grateful for the coaches and the team and everything.” Ben Burns is an Associate Sports Editor at the ‘Prince.’ He can be reached at bwburns@ princeton.edu. Caronline Ji is a Contributing Sports writer at the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at cj1042@ princeton.edu. Erin Lee is a Contributing Sports writer at the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at erinlee@ princeton.edu.
Pate: We were a bit up and down on the weekend TENNIS
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Sorokko also won two of their three doubles matches and three singles matches collectively. On the men’s side, only three teammates played at the tournament in Annapolis, Maryland: senior Bill Duo and freshmen Aidan Mahoney and Filippos Astreinidis. The Tigers have not played in the Navy Invitational since 2017. It was an interesting weekend for all three athletes. Mahoney won one two of his five singles matches during the weekend, ending on a high note with a 6–2, 6–2 victory against Navy’s Eric Liu. Astreinidis won two of his three singles matchups, similarly finishing against Delaware’s Pierce Gilheany. Duo also had a mixed weekend in singles, with two wins and two losses overall.
In doubles play, Duo and Astreinidis won two of their four matches on the weekend. “Personally, this weekend I’ve felt as if I’ve played well and competed my absolute best, but my inexperience really showed in a lot of crucial moments throughout some of my matches this weekend,” Mahoney said.“As a freshman and a walk-on to the team, my expectations for the rest of the season are personally to continue gaining experience at this level and improving my game.” With the end of the Navy Invitational, the Tigers have concluded their fall season play. “It was good to end the fall season with more competitive opportunities,” said Head Coach Billy Pate, reflecting on the tournament. “Though we were a bit up and down on the weekend there were certainly many positives and it was good to see the freshmen continue
NATALIA MAIDIQUE / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
to get some much-needed matches.” “Despite not competing last year, our players took it upon themselves to train and compete together while continuing
to prepare themselves for a return to competition at Princeton,” he added. “We’re excited about what is in store for us this spring.” Arav Jagroop is a contribu-
tor to the ‘Prince’ sports section. He can be reached at jagroop@princeton.edu. Zachary Shevin is a Managing Editor at the ‘Prince.’ He can be reached at zshevin@ princeton.edu.
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Senior Brianna Shvetz was named Singles Co-Champion.
Fall Sports Recap Men’s XC takes Ivy title,
Monday November 22, 2021
page 10
}
{
qualifies for nationals
GOPRINCETONTIGERS.COM
Max represents XC women in Tallahassee By Emily Phillippides and Julia Nguyen head sports editor and staff writer
The men’s and women’s cross country teams hosted the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships (Heps) this fall at West Windsor Fields, with all eight institutions partaking in the meet. Harvard and Princeton alternated first and second place between the men’s and women’s races, with the Tigers
topping the podium on the men’s side but finishing behind the Crimson on the women’s side. The men’s team crushed the field with 28 points overall, beating secondplace Harvard by 15. The Penn Quakers finished in third place with 90, followed by the Columbia Lions (128), the Dartmouth Big Green (132), the Cornell Big Red (134), the Yale Bulldogs (156), and the Brown Bears (234). This is the team’s 22nd Ivy
League title in program history. The Tigers’ top five finishers were senior Ed Trippas (23:26), senior Kevin Berry (23:32), sophomore Anthony Monte (23:55), sophomore Matthew Farrell (23:57), and senior Jakob Kintzele (24:08), all of whom finished individually in the top ten overall. Trippas, who recently represented Australia in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games after
Women’s volleyball closes season with weekend sweeps
See XC page 7
GOPRINCETONTIGERS.COM
By Ben Burns, Caroline Ji, and Erin Lee
associate sports editor and contributing writers
Women’s volleyball swept Columbia in a dominant three-set victory (25–12, 25–14, 25–14) on Nov. 12 in a match dedicated to celebrating Pride Night. Pride Night promotes and celebrates the inclusiveness of the LGBTQ+ community in sports. Despite having lost the conference title to Brown, the Tigers were motivated to end the season on a strong note. The Tigers opened the set
with several quick runs, in part made possible by three kills from Princeton junior right-side hitter Avery Luoma. Both teams served well to force multiple attack errors from the other side of the court. The Tigers, however, pulled away towards the end of the set with another four-point run that ended with a strong kill by junior outside hitter Melina Mahood. They ended the first set with a clear lead, 25–12. The Lions and Tigers played evenly at the start See VOLLEYBALL page 9
INSIDE: Soccer squads compete in NCAA tourney Shvets, Rodiosso lead tennis teams in final fall tournaments By Arav Jagroop and Zachary Shevin
contributing writer and managing editor
The men’s and women’s tennis teams have finished off their seasons at the Navy Fall Invitational and Texas A&M Fall Invitational, respectively. The women’s team saw success in College Station between the six athletes who competed. Senior Brianna Shvets was named Singles Co-Champion of the tournament after winning every one of her singles matches, defeating LSU’s Ena Babic, Arkansas’ Tatum Rice, and Baylor’s Alina Scherbinina each in two sets.
Shvets and senior Nathalie Rodiosso also took home the championship in doubles. The pair took down duos from Baylor and Arkansas in their final two days of the tournament, after losing to a pair from Texas A&M on the first day. Freshman Skyler Grishuk also had a particularly strong weekend, winning both of her singles matches including a matchup against #108 Katya Townsend of Texas A&M. Sophomore Maia Sung also won a singles match on the weekend, and she and Grishuk won two of their three doubles matches. Juniors Grace Joyce and Michelle See TENNIS page 9
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Field Hockey crushes Columbia in fitting finale to strong season By Julia Nguyen Staff writer
Princeton field hockey dominated on Bedford Field against the Columbia Lions
Water Polo secures sixth conference championship in program history By Tom Salotti
head sports editor
The men’s water polo team won the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Championship this weekend at home at DeNunzio Pool after defeating Brown 14–9 in the first round and St. Francis-Brooklyn 9–6 in the final round of the tournament. On Saturday, the Tigers faced off against the
Brown Bears in the teams’ third match-up of the season. Princeton had defeated Brown 12–8 on Oct. 2 at DeNunzio Pool and 13–7 on Oct. 31 in Providence, R.I. This time around wasn’t much different, with the first half competitive and the second not so much. The Tigers took the lead in the first quarter, outscoring the Bears 3–2. The teams traded goal streaks in the second quarter, first with Princeton net-
ting three, followed by Brown with three. The Orange and Black snuck one goal in before halftime, ending the first two quarters with a 7–5 lead. After the Bears scored early in the third quarter, Princeton pulled ahead and remained out of reach of Brown for the rest of the match, capping it off at 14–9. After defeating Brown, Princeton automatically See WATER POLO page 7
in their final game, winning 5–1 to close out their season. The Tigers, ranked 16th nationally, finished second in the Ivy League behind No. 11 Harvard. Princeton ended
the season 10–7 overall and 6–1 in league play. Their sole loss this season came against the Crimson, who went undefeated in the conference and
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See HOCKEY page 7