Fall Sports Preview 2015

The Daily Princetonian

Fall Preview

Wednesday september 23, 2015

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Soccer teams set to begin Ivy play

Check players, games to watch

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Water polo looks strong in early season action

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FOOTBALL Tigers look to regain 2013 form

By David Liu staff writer

Coming off a season undated with injuries and inconsistency, Princeton football returns as an experienced team with high ambitions. With every defensive starter returning and an impressively large freshman squad, the Tigers hope to fuse experience with talent.

Last year, the Tigers sought to repeat their 2013 Ivy League title, the team’s ultimate annual goal.

Unfortunately, injuries to then junior wide receiver Seth DeValve and junior running back DiAndre Atwater stifled the season. Princeton eventually finished with an overall record of 5-5 and an Ivy League record of 4-3, placing them fourth in the conference. Although the Tigers displayed sporadic dominance over the likes of Davidson and Columbia, the Orange and Black fell to Ivy League football’s Big Three of Harvard, Yale and Dartmouth.

Following last year’s subpar performance, the team is ready to move past previous mistakes.

Princeton football head coach Bob Surace commented, “You move for-

ward. I don’t think our motivation concern, every one of Princeton’s opener of the Bob Surace era and and our work ethic were any less. opponents this season features a redeem itself from its 29-28 loss to We just got to continue to get bet- returning starting quarterback. the Mountain Hawks two seasons ter.” DeValve, who took last spring Turning to fresh recruits, Princ- ago. off from school to heal and returns eton brings in a large group of 31 In terms of Ivy League play, a this year as co-captain, said that freshmen this year, with many po- pre-season poll selected Princeton he’s “put that [injury] behind me.” tentially earning significant play to finish fourth again, also behind Turning to this season, the Ti- time. Hopeful coach Surace said, Harvard, Dartmouth and Yale – a gers offer an impressive veteran “During a pre-season JV game, we precise replica of last year’s final offensive and defensive line. Lead- really saw high quality play from top four standings. Harvard and ing the impeccable defensive line our young players. Maturity comes Dartmouth are neck and neck for are senior co-captain Matt Arends from repetition and building hab- the poll’s top spot. and All-Ivy senior defensive back its.”

However, looking past the obviAnthony Gaffney. On the offensive Leading these freshmen will be ous goal of winning the Ivy League side, the Tigers will feature two co-captains Arends and DeValve. title, coach Surace stressed the posAll-Ivy starters in senior Britt Col- Commenting on their leadership sibly even more important goal of colough and Spenser Huston. roles, both seniors emphasized the “continuous improvement.” Surace While the offensive and defen- importance of setting an example. further commented, “At the end of sive lines promise steadfast consis- DeValve said, “Attitude is very the day you and all your guys work tency, the Princeton quarterback contagious whether it’s positive so hard. Our long term goal is to be position remains a gaping hole in or negative. We’re always pushing the best we can be.” the Orange and Black game plan. other people to do their best.”

While questions continue Following the graduation of star Looking ahead at the Tigers’ 10- to cloud the Princeton season, quarterbacks Quinn Epperly ‘15 game season, Princeton will face Surace and his team remain comand Connor Michelsen ‘15, the Ti- its three non-Ivy opponents (La- posed, tackling one game at a time. gers must fill a major void. Looking fayette, Lehigh and Colgate) early Speaking on behalf of the entire for new players to step up, Princ- in the fall. While Princeton main- Princeton football team, Surace deeton head coach Bob Surace, who tains a dominant seven game win scribed, “We are going to come to is returning for his sixth season streak over the Lafayette Leopards, work every morning when it’s dark with the Tigers, will turn to junior Lehigh and Colgate both hold four- out and do everything to prepare Chad Kanoff, senior Kedric Bostic game win streaks over the Tigers. our guys. They work really hard. and sophomore John Lovett to fill In the case of Lehigh, Princeton We’re going to try to face all the these empty shoes. Adding to the will attempt to win its first home challenges.”

FILE PHOTO

PRINCETON FOOTBALL - BY THE NUMBERS

2006 104.3

The last year Princeton opened up a season with a victory, a year in which they also defeated both Harvard and Yale. The Tigers opened this season with a 40-7 victory over Lafayette.

Rushing yards allowed per game by the Princeton defense last year, which was good for second in the Ivy League.

93% 2

Field goal percentage by senior kicker Nolan Bieck last season, ranking 1st in the Ivy League in the category. For his career, Bieck is 27/36 on field goals.

Number of bonfires brought to Princeton under head coach Bob Surace ’90. Surace hopes to add to that number in his sixth season at the helm of the program.

The Daily Princetonian

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Wednesday september 23, 2015

FIELD HOCKEY

Tigers will be tested against nation’s best

By Miles Hinson sports editor

BEN KOGER :: SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

They continuously dominate Ivy League play, but this field hockey team looks for more than that when their season is said and done.

This Princeton field hockey team, fresh from their 10th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, will be put to the test this season.

They’ve already taken their lumps against two of some of the best teams in the nation, No. 3 UNC and No. 4 UVA (rankings as of Sept. 15).

The schedule won’t get easier down the road, as they will play more of the nation’s top teams later this fall.

But Tigers fans have more than enough to look forward to in this team, especially once league play kicks in. The field hockey team has had an amazing run at the top of the Ivy League — under coach Kristen Holmes-Winn, they’ve been the Ivy League 10 consecutive times.

Part of this domination, of

course, means that the Tigers need to seek extra challenge outside of the conference in order to be best prepared come November. The Tigers have already faced top-ranked UNC and UVA — they’ll be playing No. 1 UConn and No. 2 Syracuse later this season.

The players and coaches feel that these types of games will only strengthen the team for the playoffs.

“We want to be able to compete on the national stage, and in order to do that, we have to have a tough non-conference schedule,” HolmesWinn said. “We want to be objective about where we sit, and what we need to do to get better. We focus in on making improvements each day … so we can be really prepared for league play, and hopefully by the end of the season be prepared to compete in that first round.”

Junior midfielder Cat Caro expressed a similar sentiment.

“Our coaches want us to have a really tough schedule so we know how the best of the best teams play,” Caro said.

“So when we come to November where we’ve already seen them, and we’re not shocked when it really matters.”

Of course, the ability to continue such amazing performance and compete deep into November is contingent on the team’s senior leadership. The end of last season saw the departure of the Tigers’ top-two leaders in overall points, Allison Evans ‘15 and Sydney Kirby ‘15. However, the team now features a slew of high-performing returners to lead them back to the top. On offense, our eyes are on senior striker Maddie Copeland, senior midfielder Teresa Benvenuti, Caro and

sophomore striker Ryan McCarthy. In addition, freshman striker Sophia Tornetta has stepped up in her first few games, putting in two goals and four assists through the first five games of play.

On the defensive end, the Tigers have seen strong performances from senior goalie Anya Gersoff, especially against aforementioned powerhouses UNC and UVA. She racked up a career high in saves against the Tar Heels, and matched that number against the Cavaliers, en route to Ivy League Player of the Week honors.

In short, the best seems yet to come for this field hockey squad. After weathering the storm of the early season, expect them to come out roaring once it’s time to face the other Ivies. And you’d be wise not to sleep on this team when the postseason rolls around.

MEN’S WATER POLO Team bolsters roster and looks for NCAA bid

By Jack Rogers senior writer

Despite an impressive 23-4 mark, which included a perfect 11-0 record at Denunzio Pool, the men’s water polo team had a frustrating end to its 2014 season. Tied at six apiece with two and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship game against Brown, the Tigers surrendered a late goal that proved the difference maker. A narrow 7-6 victory earned Brown the CWPA title, and with it, an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

With the return of a strong veteran core and the addition of a talented freshman class, head coach Luis Nicolao’s squad looks to push its level of play even higher this fall in hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament.

Despite a later start to Princeton’s academic year, the Tigers have kept busy over the last few weeks, already amassing a strong 7-3 record through their first 10 games. Princeton kicked off the season with three consecutive wins at the Navy Invitational on Sept. 5 and 6, dominating Cal Lutheran, Iona and Gannon. At the Princeton Invitational the following weekend, Princeton took down Harvard with a strong 16-12 victory but could not keep pace with No. 5 Pacific in a 15-9 defeat.

With a strong start on the East Coast, the Tigers have set their sights on West Coast competition over the last several days. The Tigers got a warm-up for the weekend against Santa Clara, who they took down 12-7 on Thursday evening. With a rest day from competition, the squad took the short drive over to Stanford for the NorCal Tournament. The Tigers fell to No. 8 UC-Irvine 14-6 on Saturday af-

ternoon, but rebounded in the evening with a 14-6 win over Redlands.

Sunday brought the Tigers up against both UC San Diego and UC Davis, both tied at No. 10 in the nation. In a mixed day for the squad, the Tigers started off strong with a 12-9 victory over UC San Diego. An evening matchup against UC Davis did not fall the Tigers’ way, though, as Princeton fell 10-7 in a tight contest.

Despite mixed results over the weekend, the Tigers return to the East Coast battle, testing against some of the nation’s top teams and with high expectations for the rest of the season.

Senior center and co-captain Tommy Nelson stressed the strong impact that the freshmen have had through the first few weeks.

“I’m very pleased with the start of our season so far,” Nelson said, who currently leads the team with 23 goals. “While we lost a top scorer to graduation, the freshmen class was able to quickly adjust to college play and begin contributing early on. Our biggest strength this year is our speed. The freshmen class of field players are all quick, which adds to our already fast upperclassmen. It is going to be hard for teams on the East Coast to keep up with our counterattacking and sprinting abilities.”

Despite being one loss away from matching its entire loss total from last season, the team has had a significant number of early games against top opponents, which Nelson hopes will pay dividends for the team as the season progresses.

“While the focus of our season is to win Easterns and progress to the NCAA Championships, we always challenge ourselves to play the West Coast teams,” Nelson said. “Inviting Pacific to play us at home and

flying to Stanford this past weekend to play in the NorCal Invitational allowed us to see how we match up to the West Coast talent. The top ten teams stay together and train through the summer, so they are already well-polished at this early point in the season. While our team has only trained together for a month, our ability to compete and place 10th out of 16 teams is an encouraging sign this early in the season. Playing in California allows us to see where our strengths lie and which areas we need to improve upon as we progress through the season.”

The Tigers will decrease the frequency of competition over the next few weeks, with just three more games before the Ivy League Championships on Oct. 17 and 18. Princeton will travel south this weekend to take on Johns Hopkins and George Washington and will have a two-week break from competition before playing Bucknell on the road on Oct. 10.

Game time is set for 8 p.m. this Saturday night in Baltimore against Johns Hopkins.

Game time against George Washington will be at 12 p.m. on Sunday afternoon in Washington, D.C.

BEN KOGER :: SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

A 7-3 record to start the season is an excellent sign for the Tigers, and they look to keep the momentum going forward. Their keeping a solid core and obtaining young talent also bode well as they look to make a splash in the postseason once more.

The Daily Princetonian

Wednesday september 23, 2015

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SPRINT FOOTBALL Under Morey, the search for wins goes on

By Grant Keating staff writer

The sprint football team looks to find victory after a rough season last year. This is the team’s second year with coach Sean Morey at the helm, and the team will look for its first win with their new coach. Morey, an Ivy league product from Brown who was drafted by the Patriots and whose stops in the NFL included the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, will look to continue the team’s improvement during his tenure after seven Tigers were recognized as All-CSFL selections.

The varsity schedule looks more favorable this year. After opening up their season on the road against the Chestnut Hill Griffins, the team will return to Princeton for a tough home match up against Army.

They then go back on the road to face Ivy League rivals Cornell and Penn before finishing the season at home with another game against Chestnut Hill.

The hope for improvement this year lays mainly on the shoulders of the offense. Princeton sprint football only scored 13 points over five games last season compared to the opponents’ 282. Those two touchdowns were both passes, as the team’s attack was dominated last year by passing.

In fact, the running game actually averaged negative rushing yards per game last year. As weigh-ins approach for the team, hopefully this year’s offensive line will have beefed up to improve their run-blocking ability.

With eight incoming freshmen on the roster, there is plenty of potential for new playmakers on both side of the ball. The defense will need new talent and old to shore up its run defense, which was gashed for 5.7 yards per carry last season and gave up 26 rushing touchdowns. Look to see the sprint team in their three home games this season. The home opener will be Friday, Sept. 25, in Princeton Stadium at 7 p.m.

BEN KOGER :: SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

CROSS COUNTRY Both squads look to cement places as teams to be feared

By Andrew Steele senior writer

Men’s cross country poised to continue Ivy dominance Fall 2015 looks to be yet another successful season for Princeton’s male distance runners. In their first race, the Tigers topped Harvard and Yale by a convincing margin.

The runners’ accomplishments during the 2014-15 season earned them a place alongside renowned thoroughbred American Pharaoh as “triple crown” winners — who inspired whom to athletic greatness remains up for debate — as the Tigers took first place in fall, winter and spring conference championships. Last year’s Heptagonal Championships sweep marks their second under head coach Jason Vigilante and the program’s third since 2011.

A pair of scorers from last spring’s Heps 5K race have raced their last for the Orange and Black. Mike Mazzaccaro ’15 and Sam Pons ’15, second- and fifth-place finishers respectively, made impacts that will

not be trivial to repeat. Pons garnered further accolades at the national level. Placing ninth in the 10K NCAA Championship, the California native capped off his impressive four years with a second-team All-America performance. In addition, he found the podium in last fall’s Heps final, placing third among Ancient Eight runners.

Fortunately for the returning Tigers, Princeton maintains a core of strong athletes while adding a measure of promising talent.

Runners from across all four classes have impressed in this early season. Senior Michael Sublette, runner-up in last fall’s Ivy League 8K final, placed third in the season-opening Harvard-YalePrinceton contest. His final year should see him lead the Princeton pack with a series of strong performances.

Junior William Bertrand and sophomore Wolfgang Beck f lanked their senior leader with second- and fourth-place finishes in the year’s first race.

A couple of Princeton’s

REBECCA TERRET :: SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Women’s cross country has been in some close seconds last season and this, coming behind Dartmouth at Heptagonals last year, and behind Harvard at the recent Harvard-Yale-Princeton meet. This season, they look to make a change.

rookies got in on the action, in addition. With a time of 25:13, freshman Jeremy Spiezio of Greenwich, N.Y. took ninth place in his first collegiate race. His classmate Steven Sum of Saratoga, Calif., finished 13th among Big Three runners.

Oct. 3 marks the next chance to see the Tigers on home turf at the Princeton Interregional Meet. While the sport is not particularly conducive to spectatorship, support in a race’s opening and closing moments makes no small difference.

In alumni news, all-time Princeton great Donn Cabral ’12 recently placed 10th in the IAAF World Championship Steeplechase. The 3000-meter obstacle race, run on Aug. 22 in the famous Bejing National Stadium, saw Cabral leading the pack through the halfway mark. With a final time of 8:24.94, the former Tiger was the third American to finish.

Rio de Janeiro’s 2016 Olympic Games will give Cabral, who took eighth-place in the 2012 games, the opportunity to shine once again on the world stage.

Women distance runners look to take next step in Ivy League Princeton’s female cross country runners cannot lay claim to as much recent success as their male counterparts. However, the squad has consistently applied pressure to the Ivy League top finishers. The Tigers took second in last fall’s Heptagonal Championships, marking the third time in four years that the Tigers took home silver or bronze.

An upsetting second-place finish came for Princeton in their season-opening race against Harvard and Yale. According to senior Emily de la Bruyere, this result failed to live up to the expectations the Tigers set for themselves.

“We should not have lost to Harvard by any number of points, least of all one,” the senior explained. “We dropped the ball in a couple of ways. I personally dropped the ball. It didn’t bode well for our season, but I don’t think it’s going to happen again.”

De la Bruyere along with senior Kathryn Fleur will lead the way for Princeton with the senior leadership necessary to any fruitful season.

Fleur took 10th place in the

season opener and showed she has the potential to race with the Ivy League best with her fifth-place finish in last spring’s Heps 5K final.

As with the men, the Princeton women saw strong early performances from all classes. Junior Lizzie Bird earned a convincing first-place finish — the runner-up followed by seven seconds — against Harvard and Yale. Sophomore Natalie Rathjen just outpaced Fleur to take ninth place.

First-year runner Bridgie Leach took 12th in an impressive inaugural performance.

According to de la Bruyere, “[Leach] did phenomenally well for her first collegiate cross country race, which is not easy. It’s a big change from high school training to college training.”

Twelve freshmen joined the Princeton ranks this season.

“Off the cross country course, they’re a really tight group with a ton of personality. They introduced themselves perfectly into the team,” said de la Bruyere.

“They should definitely be contributing members of the team. And not only now are they going to contribute, but as a class they have a fantastic foundation for the next four years.”

In order to realize the success this talented squad is capable of, Princeton has identified the strategy of pack running as the means for achieving the goal of a Heps Championship and strong national performance.

As de la Bruyere explained, “This year is going to be about team running and pack running, which is fundamentally what cross country is as a sport. We haven’t had the kind of team that can focus on those things in the past few years. But right now we have a team that’s very strong top three, four and five. So we’re going to be training together and racing together in a way that we can use that critical mass.”

The Princeton Invitational on Oct. 17 will give the Tigers a chance to improve their individual and team performance in front of a home crowd.

“In terms of team performance, in the past few weeks we’ve seen phenomenal strides,” said de la Bruyere.

“And all signs indicate that those are going to continue for the next three months.”

The Daily Princetonian

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Wednesday september 23, 2015

PLAYERS TO WATCH

These Tigers are ready to roar this fall

#9

TYLER LUSSI

#22

TOM SANNER

Women’s Soccer - junior forward I haven’t seen a Tyler this destructive since I saw “Fight Club.” Lussi was absolutely dynamite last season, leading the league in goals last season with 18. She’s gotten off to a hot start this season, having already scored six this year. The Tigers’ chances of getting their first league title since 2012 depend on her continued stellar play.

Men’s Soccer - senior forward With the departure of Cameron Porter ’15, Sanner intends to be the go-to guy for his squad this season. Two goals and two assists is a solid start through the first four contests, but if the Tigers want to get to the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years, he’ll need to go above and beyond.

#22

MADDIE COPLAND

#11

CHAD KANOFF

Field Hockey - senior striker

With the departure of the team’s top two scorers from last year, Copeland has risen so far to the leading role expected of her. She has already started off with strong scoring, tied for first on the team with three goals so far. This team, young as it is, needs as much production and leadership from its upperclassmen as possible in order to keep itself in the hunt once the NCAA tournament rolls around.

Football - quarterback

He’s spent two years getting to watch former QB Quinn Epperly lead the way. Now Kanoff, a former four-star recruit who chose Princeton over Vanderbilt, has the chance to show his stuff as the focal point of the offense. A strong showing against Lafayette bodes well – 20-31 for 256 yards – and we can’t wait to see what else he’s got.

GAMES TO WATCH FOOTBALL - VS. YALE - @ POWERS FIELD - 11/14 This is the game that could earn Princeton back the Bonfire, the celebration held when the football team defeats Harvard and Yale in the same season. Getting this victory – provided Princeton defeats Harvard on the road, no small task – will certainly give the Tiger faithful that warm, fuzzy feeling again.

MEN’S SOCCER - VS. AMERICAN - @ ROBERTS STADIUM - 9/29 After just missing out on an NCAA bid last season, this soccer squad comes into this season hungry. Nothing could send more of a statement to the rest of the league than a win over currently no. 21 ranked American, who holds a record of 6-2 so far this season.

WOMEN’S SOCCER - VS. YALE - @ ROBERTS STADIUM - 9/26 Two of the last three matchups have gone into overtime. The most recent matchup needed a late goal from junior forward Tyler Lussi for the Tigers to come out on top. If the trend continues, the Tigers’ Ivy League opener this Saturday could very well be a thriller.

FIELD HOCKEY - VS. PENN STATE- @ BEDFORD FIELD - 10/4 When you crush the Ivy League like this field hockey team, you better hope your out of conference games will put you to the test. After hosting tough teams like UVA and UNC, they’ll get another shot at taking down one of the nation’s best at home in Penn State.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL - VS. YALE - @ DILLON GYM - 11/6 After coming third in the Ivy League race last year, the Tigers could use nothing more than a victory over league champions Yale. The Tigers fell to the Bulldogs twice last season – getting this home win could go a long way in an NCAA bid.

MEN’S WATER POLO - VS. BUCKNELL- @ DENUNZIO POOL - 10/31 What better way to ring in Halloween than a bloody battle? These two teams went toe-to-toe in their three matchups, with Princeton coming out ahead all three times. You can’t sleep on the Bisons, though – they’re 7-2 right now, and if they stay hot, a duel with the Tigers could make for a fantastic showdown.

The Daily Princetonian

Wednesday september 23, 2015

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

By Mark Goldstein staff writer

After compiling a solid 14-10 record during a 2014 campaign that included a third-place Ivy League finish (9-5), Princeton women’s volleyball (5-4 overall, 0-0 Ivy League) has already kicked off its 2015 season. Seeking their first Ivy title since 2007, the Tigers boast a strong core of returning veterans along with an impressive freshmen class that could give the team a boost to compete for the league championship this season.

Senior co-captains Kendall Peterkin and Sarah Daschbach will lead the Tigers this year, and the duo already hold prestigious positions in the program’s record books.

Daschbach, a four-year starter at libero, has been a bea-

con of consistency for the Tigers over the span of her career, ranking fifth all-time in career digs at Princeton.

A right side hitter, two-time All-Ivy League first team honoree, Peterkin now sits at 1,027 career kills, good for 11th in Princeton history, and continues to be one of the most dominant offensive forces in the Ivy League.

Complementing the senior captains will be a host of other veterans. Head Coach Sabrina King ’01 believes this year’s team is notable for its depth, adding, “We have a lot of different offensive weapons this year.” Among those weapons are the outside hitters, led by junior Cara Mattaliano, who hopes to return to her freshman year form that earned her All-Ivy League first team honors. The Or-

ange and Black also return sophomore Kelly Matthews on the outside, who averaged 2.79 digs and 1.14 kills per set last season. Sophomore Pauli King also returns at the position. Junior Lauren Miller, a two-year starter for Princeton at setter, has compiled more than 1,700 assists in her career and will reprise her role working with the hitters this year.

While Princeton features a lot of veteran talent, there is a big void to fill at middle blocker this season. While junior Brittany Ptak — an All-Ivy League honorable mention last season — is back to protect the middle, the other half of last year’s fierce duo is missing. Nicole Kincade ’15, who was a first team All-Ivy selection and four-year starter, has graduated, and perhaps the

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REBECCA TERRET :: SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

After going 5-2 at home last season, this Princeton women’s volleyball team will have to defend Dillon well once again if they want to become Ivy League champs.

Tigers boast deep roster as hunt for league title continues

biggest question of the preseason has been who would emerge to fill her shoes. “The experience and the volleyball IQ that she had is really difficult to replace,” remarked King. Senior Stephanie Marani adds experience at this position, but it is freshman Nnenna Ibe who has seized the job with some great preseason and early season play, earning praise from King and emerging as Kincade’s successor.

Ibe leads what is a very promising class of 2019. Fellow freshman Brooke Hershberger has already contributed as outside hitter, earning her coach’s confidence as an impact player off of the bench. Two more members of the young class have also earned substantial roles, as setter Claire Nussbaum and right side hitter Brittany

Smith are both playing significant time already.

The Tigers have competed in three tournaments thus far this season, posting a 5-4 record against some strong competition. “We haven’t performed up to our potential,” King said, referring to her team’s performance early on before the Rutgers tournament, “but we have a lot of good pieces, and we have more depth this season than in the past.” King’s squad starts its Ivy campaign on Friday Sept. 25 at Dillon Gym against Penn.

Other key home matchups include Harvard on Saturday, Oct. 31, and Yale on Friday, Nov. 6.

Last year, the Tigers managed to win 9 out of 10 of their Ivy League games against the five teams that finished below them in the

standings but dropped all four to rivals Harvard and Yale. From a physical standpoint, King believes that her team is equipped to match up well against the two teams, but the Tigers will have to fortify themselves mentally. Against the league’s top teams, the Tigers “kind of psych[ed] themselves out,” according to King, who added, “I think they need to focus on the process and play the way they play in practice,” in order to make the jump this year and beat the Crimson and the Bulldogs.

With a combination of exciting young talent and some record-chasing senior leadership, if women’s volleyball can heed its coach’s advice, the team seems poised to compete for the Ivy League Championship this season.

A QUESTION FOR EACH TEAM Football

Men’s Socccer

Was 2014 just a blip?

Can they get an NCAA bid without Porter?

2012 and 2013 were golden years — the Tigers were blazing on Cannon Green both times.

2014, however, was a crash back to earth, after the Tigers took a rough loss to Harvard at home and fell to Yale on the road. This year’s team, however, certainly gives good vibes after its excellent victory against Lafayette.

Field Hockey Can they go far with such a youthful team?

It graduated 6 seniors and are bringing in 9 freshmen — it’s safe to say that this field hockey team has more than its fair share of young talent waiting to grow. This team, however, not too far removed from a 2012 NCAA Championship, is always looking to win now. Coach Kristen Holmes noted that “[though] there’s a learning curve … every day, they get a little more comfortable.” Will this team be ready in time to make noise in the playoffs?

Superstar forward Cameron Porter led the NCAA in goals last year with 15, and his accolades in his senior season could fill a page. Even still, the Tigers were just edged out by the Dartmouth Big Green last year for a bid. While there is definitely talent to take his place — senior forward Tom Sanner, senior midfielder Brendan McSherry and senior midfielder Nico Hurtado among them — replacing a player of that caliber is never an easy task.

Sprint Football Can they pull themselves out of the slump?

The sprint football program continues forward, despite rough results. The season opener against Chestnut Hill may not bode great results, but fans can hope that — under the guidance of NFL Super Bowl Champion Sean Morey — this team has brighter lights in its future.

Cross Country Women’s Volleyball Can they follow up last year’s success with more?

Both Princeton men’s and women’s cross country teams established themselves at the top of the Ivies last year — the men’s team came first in Heps, with women taking second. Each team sees a solid core of returners — this is especially important for the women’s team, which is bringing 12 rookie runners into their ranks.

Men’s Water Polo

Who’s providing support at middle blocker While the women’s volleyball team returns an excellent junior in middle blocker Brittany Ptak, it’s never easy to replace a talent like Nicole Kincade ’15, who earned First Team All-Ivy Honors to cap an amazing career. Freshman Nnenna Ibe has come out strong at the position so far this year, but for a team eyeing the Ivy League Champs title, stellar performance all-season will be a must.

Can they close out down the stretch?

Women’s Soccer

A fantastic regular season for the men’s water polo team didn’t translate into an NCAA bid as the team found itself downed by the Brown Bears in the finals of the CWPA championships. The Tigers are looking to grab their first NCAA appearance since 2011 and have done well so far, going 7-3.

Of course, it’s the crucial games down the road that will make or break them.

Will injuries hinder them in Ivy League play?

According to head coach Sean Driscoll, the women’s soccer team roster, already relatively small at 23 players, had only 17 healthy bodies at the start of the season. While their recovery has been swift, the Tigers will need all of its members operating at full strength if they want to become league champs once more.

The Daily Princetonian

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Wednesday september 23, 2015

MEN’S SOCCER

Sanner, Hurtado will fill void left by last year’s seniors FILE PHOTO

Senior midfielder Nico Hurtado, who’s picked up 1 goal and 3 assists so far this season, will be a key component for the Tigers as they look to become league champions once more.

By Tom Pham associate sports editor

The Princeton men’s soccer team had a successful 2014 where they shared the Ivy League title with Dartmouth after five wins, one draw and one loss, but sadly missed out on the NCAA Tournament because of their head-to-head record against Dartmouth, whom the Tigers lost 2-1 to in a heart-wrenching overtime loss at Roberts Stadium.

The Tigers will be looking to do one better this year and claim another Ivy League title, which would be head coach Jim Barlow’s fifth in his 20 years at the helm. The Tigers will also be aiming to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010, the season when the team went undefeated and cruised to the Ivy League title.

Coach Barlow is excited for the

upcoming season and has high hopes, he said: “We think we have a strong team and hope to repeat as Ivy champs and get deep into the NCAA tournament. We know every team in our league believes it can win the Ivy League, and every game is close. We think we have the experience and leadership to help us during crucial moments of the season.” He then added: “Right now, Brown and Columbia are both undefeated, and we know the league title chase will be incredibly close again this year.”

However, the team will face its fair share of challenges, especially with the loss of key players who have recently graduated, such as midfielder Myles McGinley, defenders Andrew Mills and Joe Saitta, and most notably, forward Cameron Porter. All four were considered indispensable starters and their con-

tributions were also recognized by many others as both Saitta and McGinley received Honorable Mention All Ivy-League, whilst Mills was voted into the Second-Team All-Ivy League.

Porter’s successes were even greater than his teammates’. He finished with 15 goals and four assists from last season. His 15 goals led the NCAA and he was subsequently voted the Offensive Player of the Year for both the ECAC and the Ivy League. The forward’s success saw him greatly rewarded as he was selected with the 45th pick in the MLS SuperDraft by the Montreal Impact where he will have the opportunity to train and play alongside football legends such as ex-Chelsea star Didier Drogba. Although an unfortunate knee injury ended his 2015 season prematurely, Porter had already become a house-

hold name in Montreal after scoring an injury-time winner in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals against Mexican club C.F. Pachuca.

Although replacing the likes of Mills and Porter will be a big challenge, the Tigers are fully capable of doing so. The Tigers will look to the trio of seniors Thomas Sanner, Nico Hurtado and Brendan McSherry to lead the attack this year. The three players had a successful 2014 season in their own right, scoring a combined 13 goals and had 11 assists as well, but will need to push their own game to a new level to drive the Tigers to another Ivy League title.

“We did lose a talented group of seniors last year, and Cam did score a lot of big goals for us,” Barlow commented. “However, we return three senior forwards who have all started many games and have

scored big goals for us, and those guys have the talent and potential to help our attack be strong again this year. In the midfield, back and goal, we return a good number of players who played a huge role in our Ivy championship last year. We are also excited about our freshmen class, and we are confident that we have talent and depth in all the parts of the field.”

The Tigers have already started their season, having already played three away games so far at St. John’s in New York and FGCU and Florida International, both in Florida. The Tigers have had mixed success in these games, winning 2-1 against St John’s to extend their unbeaten streak to ten games, before dropping both games in Florida after conceding late goals. Although the Tigers did not have the most desirable of starts, the team came

out strong in their home opener against Boston University, winning 2-1. They will look to improve on this victory as they play on the road this Saturday against Binghampton.

“Right now we are focused only on our next match. We hope to get a lot of fans to come out and support us,” coach Barlow said.

The team will need to start building some momentum before they kick-off their Ivy League campaign; the first team they will face will be co-defending champions Dartmouth, as the Tigers hope to avenge the 2-1 loss from last season. With a strong returning squad and exciting new additions from the freshman group, the Tigers hope to continue their success against Ivy League opponents as they aim to defend their Ivy League title this year.

WOMEN’S SOCCER A team loaded with offensive talent hopes to set itself apart in league

By Sydney Mandelbaum associate sports editor

With five new freshmen and new Head Coach Sean Driscoll, the Tigers (5-3) are back and better than ever and ready to take on the Ivy League after last Sunday’s takedown of the No. 23-ranked William & Mary.

Last year, the Tigers were one of the top offensive teams in the NCAA, but closed the season with a heartbreaking loss that left the Tigers in a three-way tie for third place in the Ivy League. This year was marked with a lot of uncertainty and the team has seen a lot of change — nine seniors graduated at the end of last year and former Head Coach Julie Shackford left the program after 20 seasons at its helm. The Tigers returned this season with a new head coach, five new freshmen and a re-imagined intensity.

With regards to the team’s new approach, Driscoll said, “Our number one focus coming into the season was to try to improve our goal differential, goals against versus goals scored. We’re a little ahead of where they were last year, so there is an improvement. We still need to get better, but our main focus was in our defending, our overall defending, our individual defending and doing our best to hold our opponents at bay a little bit more.”

“We see his level of commitment and it drives us harder,” junior forward Tyler Lussi said on the team’s new head coach. “This

team has really pulled together under [coaches] Sean, Kelly, Ron and Mike.”

But upon returning to campus for pre-season training, the Tigers were faced with injuries that set them back in their training.

“A lot of teams have 30 players in their rosters and we only have 23,” Driscoll said. “Of those 23, we had 17 that were healthy to start the season… it’s taken some time to get back to full health and we’re just getting back to that now.”

Six of the seven players who scored in the 2014 season are back again this year, led by Lussi, who scored 18 goals and was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year last season. She’s already scored six goals this season and was named this week’s Ivy League Player of the Week. Nine of the eleven Tigers who assisted goals in the last year have returned for the 2015 season, led by sophomore midfielder Vanessa Gregoire, who picked up seven assists last season. Freshman forward Mimi Asom has also been taking the field by storm, and was just named this week’s Ivy League Rookie of the Week for scoring the golden goal to beat William & Mary.

On the younger skew of this year’s team, Lussi said, “The younger players… are very talented and fortunately they are learning how to adjust their high-level club games to the more physical and tactical college games.”

“I think the cohesion of the team is great, their incredible competi-

tive drive is exceptional, the attitude is very positive and I would say that they’re the brightest group of players in terms of understanding things that we do, changes that we make in the game,” Driscoll said. “They’re pretty good at making adjustments on the fly, which is always a challenge for a coach, and they’re really adept at doing it.”

The Tigers will take on their first Ivy League rival of the season, Yale, this Saturday in Roberts Stadium at 1 p.m.

“I think we’re in a good place mentally, we’re in a good place physically,” Driscoll said. “As a group they’re much more cohesive and I think they’re really excited about getting into the Ivy League season.”

MARY HUI :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

This 2015 women’s soccer team hopes to build off of their joint third-place finish last season. Sophomore forwards Mikaela Symanovich (top) and Beth Stella (bottom), strong performers in their rookie seasons, will definitely be looked upon for more.