LETTING IT FLY: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Kathryn Hallett heads upfield last Saturday as Princeton hosted Temple in its season opener. Senior midfielder Hallett tallied four goals to help the eighth-ranked Tigers prevail 16-7 and make history in the process as the victory marked the 400th career win for longtime Tiger head coach Chris Sailer. Princeton will look to keep rolling as it plays at 12th-ranked Virginia (2-0) on February 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Coming into the 2019 season, Kathryn Hallett knew that it was up to her to lead the midfield for the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team.

“There are definitely some big shoes to fill, we graduated two really good impact starting midfielders last year,” said senior Hallett, referring to Ellie McNulty and Camille Sullivan.

“We have a lot of freshmen in the lineup. In the past I have been more of a lead by example type of person. I have really been making an effort to be more vocal, giving them tips during practice.” more

MAKING A STAND: Princeton University men’s basketball player Myles Stephens puts on the defensive pressure in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday against visiting Dartmouth, senior star and co-captain Stephens contributed 17 points, eight rebounds, and a blocked shot to help the Tigers pull out a 69-68 win over the Big Green. Princeton, now 13-8 overall and 5-3 Ivy League, hosts Cornell on February 22 and Columbia on February 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It may not have been a must-win game for the Princeton University men’s basketball team but it certainly felt like it.

Mired in a three-game losing streak in Ivy League play as it hosted Dartmouth last Saturday evening, Princeton was in danger of sliding out of the race for the top four in the league standings and spot in the Ivy postseason tournament.

“We had our backs up against the wall with a three-game skid,” said Princeton senior star and co-captain Myles Stephens. more

SENIOR MOMENT: Princeton University women’s hockey player Karlie Lund controls the puck in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, senior forward and co-captain Lund chipped in an assist in a losing cause cause as Princeton fell 2-1 to visiting Rensselaer. The fifth-ranked Tigers, now 18-4-5 overall and 15-2-3 ECAC Hockey, will look to wrap up the league’s regular season title when they play at Clarkson on February 22 and at St. Lawrence on February 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Karlie Lund didn’t want to leave the ice at Hobey Baker Rink last Saturday evening after the Princeton University women’s hockey team hosted Rensselaer in its final regular season home game.

Senior forward and co-captain Lund and her classmates lingered on the rink after the program held its annual Senior Day ceremony, cavorting with each other and family members, skating back and forth and posing for a number of pictures.

Even though fifth-ranked Princeton had just lost 2-1 to Rensselaer, that didn’t put a damper on the festivities honoring the Class of 2019. more

BY GEORGE: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Elizabeth George heads to goal in a 2018 game. Senior star attacker George, who tallied 43 goals last spring, will be a key performer for the Tigers this season. Princeton, ranked 8th in this week’s Inside Lacrosse national poll, gets its 2019 season underway by hosting Temple on February 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Having won the Ivy League title in each of their first three seasons and advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals along the way, the seniors on the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team are determined to go out with a bang this spring.

“The seniors have been a part of Ivy League championship teams their entire career so they don’t want that streak to end; they really want to get further,” said Princeton head coach Chris Sailer, whose team went 13-6 overall and 6-1 Ivy League last spring, winning the league’s postseason tournament and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tourney. more

By Bill Alden

TOWERING PRESENCE: Princeton University women’s basketball player Bella Alarie puts up a shot in recent action. Last weekend, junior forward Alarie scored 38 points in 96-86 overtime loss to Yale on Friday, passing the 1,000-point mark in her career, and then chipped in 20 points and 16 rebounds as the Tigers topped Brown 93-74 on Saturday. Later, the 6’4 Alarie was named the Ivy League Player for the Week for the second straight week. The Tigers, now 11-9 overall and 3-2 Ivy, play at Harvard on February 15 and at Dartmouth on February 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Bella Alarie produced another milestone moment in her career for the Princeton University women’s basketball team last Friday evening as the Tigers hosted Yale in Jadwin Gym.

After setting an Ivy League single-game record by scoring 45 points in a win over Columbia on February 1, junior forward Alarie notched the 1,000th point of her college career late in the third quarter against the Bulldogs.

“I was really excited to get it on our home floor in front of my family members,” said the 6’4 Alarie, a native of Bethesda, Md.

“It is really cool. It means a lot as a player that my teammates trust me enough to shoot the ball. I have been getting better every year.”

It ended up not being one of the better nights for the Tigers as they trailed for most of the contest with Yale leading 42-39 at half and 62-57 entering the fourth quarter. With 3:44 remaining in regulation, the Tigers were down 72-65 but not out as they went on 14-7 run to force overtime. In the extra session, though,  Princeton faltered as the Bulldogs pulled away to a 96-86 win. more

ON TARGET: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Philip Robertson unloads the ball in a game last spring. Junior attackman Robertson, who scored 33 goals in 2018 and led Division I with .635 shooting percentage, figures to be a key offensive weapon for the Tigers this season. Princeton, ranked 17th by the Inside Lacrosse preseason poll, opens its 2019 season by playing at Monmouth on February 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

While the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team is bringing a nation’s best five-game winning streak into the 2019 season, Matt Madalon is putting that late season surge in the rear view mirror.

“It was nice to end the season like that, but win streaks are never really our goal,” said Princeton head coach Madalon, whose team went 8-5 overall and 3-3 Ivy League last spring but just missed qualifying for the Ivy postseason tourney.

“We are just trying to make sure our systems are buttoned up. It has been a quick preseason. We have some guys in different spots. We are tweaking our systems a little bit.” more

SLAMMING SAM: Princeton University women’s squash player Sam Chai follows through on a shot in recent action. Senior Chai has starred at No. 5, helping the Tigers go 9-0 overall and 2-0 Ivy League. Princeton, currently ranked No. 1 in the Dunlop Women’s College Squash Association Team Rankings, hosts No. 5 Penn on January 30, No. 2 Harvard on February 2, and No. 9 Dartmouth on February 3. (Photo provided courtesy of Princeton’s office of Athletic Communications)

By Bill Alden

With her Princeton University women’s squash team lineup containing three freshmen and three sophomores in the top nine, Gail Ramsay wasn’t sure what to expect coming into the winter.

It didn’t take long for longtime Princeton head coach Ramsay to realize that her young squad could be something special this season.

Facing No. 4 Stanford on November 17 in its second match of the season, Princeton cruised to a 7-2 victory, making an early statement.

“They were a top 5 team, they are strong at the top,” said Ramsay, who is in her 25th season at the helm of the Tiger program. “I was really concerned.” more

RYAN’S HOPE: Princeton University men’s basketball player Ryan Schwieger puts on the defensive pressure in a game last year. This past Sunday, sophomore guard Schwieger scored a career-high 15 points, going 6-of-6 from the floor, as Princeton defeated Division III foe Wesley 91-62 in returning from a 15-day hiatus for exams. The Tigers, now 10-5 overall, resume Ivy League play with games at Columbia on February 1 and at Cornell on February 2. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though the Princeton University men’s basketball team was on a 15-day hiatus for exams starting in mid-January, Ryan Schwieger managed to get his reps in.

“I have been working hard; I didn’t have that many exams so I was in the gym a lot, working with the guys,” said Schweiger. “We all got better over this little break.”

Schwieger’s hard work paid dividends as the Tigers returned to action last Sunday by hosting Division III foe Wesley. He tallied a career-high 15 points, going 6-of-6 from the floor, helping Princeton roll to a 91-62 win, improving to 10-5 overall. more

EVIDENTLY GOOD: Princeton High boys’ basketball player Tim Evidente puts up a shot in recent action. Last Friday, sophomore guard Evidente scored four points as PHS fell 68-55 to visiting Allentown. The Little Tigers, who moved to 6-6 with the setback, were slated to play at Princeton Day School on January 23, host Hamilton on January 25 and then play at Trenton Central on January 29. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

The pressure was on Tim Evidente as he stepped to the foul line for the Princeton High boys’ basketball team in the waning seconds of regulation last week against visiting WW/P-South last week.

PHS was clinging to a 38-36 lead over the Pirates in the January 15 contest and sophomore guard Evidente earned a one-and-one opportunity after getting fouled in the backcourt. more

BOUND FOR GLORY: Princeton University men’s basketball player Myles Stephens, left, snags a rebound last Saturday against Penn. Senior star Stephens grabbed a career-high boards and scored 11 points to help Princeton edge the Quakers 68-65 in overtime in the Ivy League opener for both teams. The Tigers, now 8-5 overall, will have a rematch against Penn on January 12 in Philadelphia at The Palestra. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Myles Stephens has been battling an injured knee in recent weeks, but he was determined to block out the pain as the Princeton University men’s basketball team hosted Penn last Saturday in the Ivy League opener.

“I haven’t played much this past week, trying to get it better,” said senior guard Stephens, a native of nearby  Lawrenceville. “It is Penn, so ‘by any means necessary’ is what we say.”

The 6’5, 210-pound Stephens displayed a mean game in the paint against the Quakers, pulling down a career-high 16 rebounds and chipping in 11 points to help Princeton pull out a 68-65 overtime nail-biter in front of a throng of 4,212 packing Jadwin Gym. more

FINAL PUSH: Princeton University women’s hockey player Stephanie Sucharda fires the puck in recent action. Last weekend, senior defenseman and team captain Sucharda starred as Princeton defeated Harvard 4-1 on Friday and Dartmouth 5-2 on Saturday. Sucharda tallied an assist against the Crimson and added a goal a day later to help the fifth-ranked Tigers extend their program-record unbeaten streak to 16. Princeton, now 12-2-4 overall and 10-0-2 ECAC Hockey, plays at Cornell on January 11 and at Colgate on January 12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

When the Princeton University women’s hockey team hosted Merrimack for a two-game set in its first action after the holiday break, Stephanie Sucharda realized that the clock is ticking on her college career.

For senior defenseman and team captain Sucharda, the holidays drove home the fact that she only has weeks left with the Tigers.

“It is kind of sad, coming back from Christmas break, you realize that you are halfway done the season,” said Sucharda, a  5’8 native of Mississauga, Ontario.  more

By Bill Alden

Having emerged as a key defenseman for the Princeton University men’s hockey team in his first two years with the program, Derek Topatigh was ready to shoulder more responsibility in his junior campaign.

“We have a lot of young defense, me and [Josh] Teves, we really have to try and step and be leaders this year,” said Topatigh,  “It has been a learning process for the young guys.”

As Princeton returned from its holiday break to host a two-game set against Maine in the last weekend of December, Topatigh and his teammates were primed to get back on the winning track.

“We have been on a bit of a skid before this weekend; we all came back from Christmas break mentally prepared and ready to go,” said Topatigh, a 5’11, 185-pound native of Mississauga, Ontario. more

THOM CRUISE: Princeton University men’s hockey player Matthew Thom glides on the ice in recent action. Last Friday, sophomore defenseman Thom contributed a goal and an assist as Princeton lost 3-2 to visiting Cornell. A night later Thom and the Tigers fell 4-3 to Colgate. Princeton, now 5-10-2 overall and 3-6-1 ECAC Hockey, will look to get in the winning track when they host Harvard on January 11 and Dartmouth in January 12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Since getting off to a 3-1-1 start, inconsistency has become the constant for the Princeton University men’s hockey team since mid-November.

The Tigers have gone 2-9-1 in that stretch and a frustrating 3-2 loss to Cornell last Friday evening served as a microcosm of that uneven play. Princeton dug a 2-0 hole in the first period and then fought back to tie the game at 2-2 early in the third period only 3-2 on a goal that was originally waved off but hen reinstate after official review. more

PENNED IN: Princeton University women’s basketball player Bella Alarie puts up a shot under duress as the Tigers hosted Penn last Saturday. Junior star Alarie posted a double-double with 21 points and 17 rebounds but it was not enough as Princeton fell 66-60 in the Ivy League opener for both teams. The Tigers, who dropped to 8-8 overall and saw their seven-game winning streak snapped, will now be on hiatus for exam break and return to action when they play at Columbia on February 1. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton University women’s basketball team trailing visiting Penn 37-34 midway through the third quarter last Saturday in the Ivy League opener, Bella Alarie took control of the contest.

Princeton junior star Alarie scored eight points over the last 3:41 of the quarter to help the Tigers forge ahead 44-39.

“We definitely felt like we needed to play off our momentum we took in the third quarter,” said Alarie. “I think this crowd was amazing tonight. The amount of people who showed up and were cheering us on was really special. We played off their energy.” more

LATE RUSH: Princeton University women’s basketball player Gabrielle Rush dribbles past a foe in recent action. Last Saturday, senior guard and co-captain Rush hit a three-pointer in the waning seconds to give Princeton a 60-57 win over visiting Marist and their fourth straight victory. The Tigers, now 5-7, play at St. Francis-Brooklyn on December 19 and at Hartford on December 21. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As a freshman benchwarmer for the Princeton University women’s basketball team in the winter of 2015-16, Gabrielle Rush would have had trouble imaging the situation she found herself in last Saturday evening.

With Princeton locked in 57-57 tie against visiting Marist in the waning moments of regulation, senior guard and co-captain Rush got the ball at the top of the key with an opportunity to be a hero. She responded by swishing a three-pointer with 28 seconds left that proved to be the difference as Princeton won 60-57 to earn its fourth straight victory and improve to 5-7. more

RISING FORCE: Princeton University men’s basketball player Richmond Aririguzoh heads to the basket in recent action. Junior center Aririguzoh is emerging as an inside force this winter for the Tigers. The former Trenton Catholic Academy standout scored a career-high 14 points in a 92-82 loss to the visiting Saint Joseph’s last Wednesday and then matched that output in an 89-74 loss to St. John’s last Sunday in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Princeton, now 4-4, faces Iona at Atlantic City on December 15 and then plays at No. 2 Duke on December 18. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Richmond Aririguzoh was a definite work in progress offensively in his first two seasons on the Princeton University men’s basketball team.

While the 6’9, 230-pound Aririguzoh, a former star for Trenton Catholic Academy, possessed the size and athleticism to pound the boards and run the floor, his low-post game lacked polish. He averaged 1.5 points a game in 13 appearances as a freshman and 2.7 points in 27 contests last year. more

DEVIL OF A TIME: Princeton University men’s hockey player Alex Riche, right, goes after the puck in recent action. Last Saturday against visiting Arizona State, senior forward Riche contributed an assist in a losing cause as Princeton fell 3-2 to the No. 19 Sun Devils to get swept in the two-game set between the foes, having lost 4-0 a night earlier. The Tigers, who have now suffered seven straight losses to drop to 3-8-1 overall, face No. 9 Penn State (11-5-1 overall) on December 15 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It didn’t take long for a struggling Princeton University men’s hockey team to dig a hole as it hosted No. 19 Arizona Stare last Friday at Hobey Baker Rink in the opener of of a two-game set between the foes.

Coming into the evening mired in a five-game losing streak, Princeton yielded a goal in the first 15 seconds of the contest and found itself trailing 2-0 by the end of the first period.

“We were very soft in the first period; on the very first shift, we come down in bad coverage,” said Princeton head coach Ron Fogarty. “That is inexcusable, we have to be ready to go from puck drop.” more