ON THE ATTACK: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Nate Kabiri working around the crease in recent action. Last Saturday, sophomore attacker Kabiri tallied two goals and two assists as then-No. 6 Princeton defeated No. 12 Harvard 13-11. The Tigers, now 5-2 overall and 1-1 Ivy League and ranked fourth nationally, play at No. 18 Dartmouth (7-1 overall, 1-0 Ivy) on March 29. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team coming off a disappointing 15-10 loss to Cornell, Nate Kabiri and his teammates were determined to get back on the winning track as they hosted Harvard last Saturday.

“We knew we hadn’t reached our limit at all yet, we just tried to put a good week in,” said sophomore attackman Kabiri.

The No. 6 Tigers, though, didn’t get off to a good start in the high noon Ivy League early season showdown against the No. 12 Crimson before a throng of 2,079 packing Class of 1952 Stadium, trailing 1-0 with six minutes left in the first quarter.

Princeton junior midfielder Chad Palumbo scored two straight goals to spark a 5-0 run as the Tigers build an 8-4 halftime lead.

“Chad really lights a spark for us a lot, luckily a lot of our guys showed up today,” said Kabiri.

Kabiri, who was held scoreless in the first half, showed up big time himself over the last 30 minutes of the contest, tallying two goals and two assists to help the Tigers hold on for a 13-11 win over a feisty Harvard squad as they improved to 5-2 overall and 1-1 Ivy League.

“I just needed to keep working in space a little bit and not getting myself clogged up,” said Kabiri, reflecting on his second-half surge. “I was able to get put in good positions by coach [Jim] Mitchell and my teammates were finishing shots that we had planned beforehand. We are glad those plays worked.”

Coming off a superb freshman campaign which saw him tally 32 goals and 25 assists, Kabiri is looking to be even more of a force this spring.

“It is just continuing to be more consistent every game, really trying to show up every single game with just an edge and a chip on my shoulder,” said Kabiri a 6’1, 190-pound native of McLean, Va., who now has 10 goals and 10 assists this season. “It is trying to play more and more aggressive within the team offense.”

Playing on the same attack line with Colin Burns, his high school teammate at Georgetown Prep, and senior star Coulter Mackesy, has helped Kabiri find a comfort level within the Tiger offense.

“I have been playing with Colin since junior high school, we move together well I think,” said Kabiri. “Coulter is amazing, it has been great to play with him. He makes everyone around him better, he draws so much attention. He beats his guy, he helps move the ball, and he plays team ball. Hopefully we can keep building our chemistry throughout the year.”

Princeton head coach Matt Madalon liked the way the Tigers played as they bounced back from the Cornell loss.

“We just had to get back on track,” said Madalon. “We wanted to play better between the lines. This team stressed us out there as well. We wanted to be a little cleaner offensively with more ball movement and wanted to be a little better one-on-one defensively. They were all things that kind of came to fruition this game.”

It did take a while for Princeton to get into a groove against the Crimson as it looked shaky as it trailed 1-0 nine minutes into the contest.

“That is a heck of an offensive group, so we were trying to throw everything at them,” said Madalon. “You compound some mistakes with some failed clears and that puts more pressure on your defense. Coach [Jeremy] Hirsch’s defensive group did a heck of a job getting us out of that rut.”

Palumbo helped get the Tigers out of the rut with his two tallies that came in a 1:55 span.

“They were good, tough plays,” said Madalon. “They short-sticked him and he took advantage so some really nice goals.”

The Tigers showed toughness collectively as Princeton senior star defender Colin Mulshine put the clamps on Harvard star attacker Sam King, holding him to one goal and one assist. Princeton also stuck to it in the face-off battle, winning 17-of-27 at the X.

With Harvard scoring three straight goals to end the third quarter and narrow the Princeton lead to 11-9, Madalon urged his players to rely on their game prep.

“For us, it was hey guys, the game plan has been dialed up all game so sit in, be disciplined, and execute,” said Madalon. “It was a just do your job mentality.”

Kabiri executed when it counted with his second half output. “He was really opportunistic and did a good job,” said Madalon of Kabiri. “He got shortsticks and capitalized.”

With Princeton now ranked fourth nationally and playing at No. 18 Dartmouth (7-1 overall, 1-0 Ivy) on March 29, Madalon knows his team will be in for another tense Ivy contest.

“Week in, week out, it is hard,” said Madalon. “It is one week at a time, so on to the next one.”

Kabiri, for his part, believes that the win over Harvard can get the Tigers on a roll.

“Knowing that we can beat the No. 12 team in the country not playing our best is a confidence builder,” said Kabiri. “If we keep playing more consistent and playing better, we will be on a run here.”