Princeton Alumni Weekly | The Weekly Blog: Vikram Rao Archives

December 5, 2011

Men's water polo wins back-and-forth NCAA consolation game

BERKELEY, Calif. - For the second time in three years, the Princeton men’s water polo team notched a victory over a California team and a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. After falling in a lopsided semifinal game to eventual national champion USC Dec. 3, Princeton rebounded with an exciting 9-7 upset over the University of California, San Diego Dec. 4.

Drew Hoffenberg '15 (Office of Athletic Communications)

“It was a hard-fought game by both teams,” head coach Luis Nicolao said of the consolation game. “It was a shame somebody had to lose, but we’re very happy we won.”

The showdown with UC San Diego was the major focus of the weekend for Princeton, which had been outscored 17-4 by a USC team that was simply too much to handle. Though the third-seeded Tritons were favored against the Tigers, it appeared to be a winnable game for Princeton.

The Tritons took an early two-goal lead, but attackman Drew Hoffenberg ’15 pulled Princeton back into the game with two goals of his own. UC San Diego scored a third goal before the close of the period.

In the second frame, Princeton tied the game on a goal from senior center Mike Helou. But the Tritons’ Brian Donohue responded with a sensational goal on a reverse spin move.

The goal gave the Tritons a 4-3 lead and the momentum, but Hoffenberg responded with fireworks of his own. Locking eyes with a teammate across the pool, he fired a no-look shot past surprised Triton goalkeeper David Morton to knot the score at four going into the half.

Continue reading Men's water polo wins back-and-forth NCAA consolation game…

February 7, 2011

Wrestling splits Ivy home matches, falls at Penn

The Princeton wrestling team opened its Ivy League season with a pair of home matches Feb. 5 and a trip to No. 20 Penn Feb. 6. With two starters out and another going down in the Brown match, the Tigers finished 1-2 and are now 5-9 overall.

Garrett Frey '13 (Office of Athletic Communications)

Princeton’s fortunes flipped in each of the Saturday afternoon matches. The Tigers blew a 15-3 lead against Harvard, losing six straight bouts to fall 21-15. Then against Brown, Princeton won the last four bouts to turn a 16-6 deficit into a 21-16 victory. With three starters out on Sunday, Princeton fell to Penn, 37-10.

For a team that has struggled mightily in the past but has begun a steady recovery under the direction of head coach Chris Ayres, the weekend was still a bit disappointing. The team had lost starting 174-pounder Ryan Callahan ’14 and starting 141-pounder Zach Bintliff ’13 to injuries a week ago, and 149-pounder Brandon Rolnick ’14 went down against Brown.

“Honestly, it was a tough weekend,” Ayres said. “I’m a little upset. I’m not upset generally with the way the guys wrestled. It was not impossible to win, but it would’ve taken a lot. Coming into the season I felt that we definitely had a shot against Penn and figured we could definitely beat Harvard and Brown. It was a little disappointing to head into the weekend to have guys out. Because we have the smallest roster in the Ivy League, it makes it very hard.”

The Harvard match certainly was a disappointment. Princeton annihilated the Crimson, 35-10, in Cambridge last season and seemed to be off to a shellacking early on. Sophomore Garrett Frey, currently ranked 17th in the nation among 125-pounders, gave the Tigers an early six-point lead with a pin of Steven Keith. The teams split the next two bouts before Princeton won at 149 pounds by forfeit to go up 15-3.

Continue reading Wrestling splits Ivy home matches, falls at Penn…

November 18, 2010

Football preview: Princeton vs. Dartmouth

In the last game of his first season as head coach of his alma mater, Bob Surace ’90 will be faced with history. And not the good kind.

Surace’s Tigers will be aiming to avoid their worst season ever this Saturday. A loss would drop the team to 1-9 and 0-7 in the Ivy League. Never has Princeton won only one game in a 10-game season, and never has it lost all seven of its Ivy games. A remarkable rash of injuries has been the primary culprit in the team’s failings, but that will be little comfort for the head coach if he is forced to look back on a winless Ivy season in his first campaign.

But all is not lost. Despite its setbacks, Princeton played with poise and confidence last week. The Tigers gave a heavily-favored Yale team all it could handle, falling just short in an emotional 14-13 defeat. The defense, which has been particularly ravaged by injury, had its best performance of the season. The Tigers surrendered only one defensive touchdown and gave up season lows for total yards (299) and rushing yards (62). A similarly inspired performance against Dartmouth could secure Princeton’s first win since September.

Continue reading Football preview: Princeton vs. Dartmouth…

November 11, 2010

Football preview: Princeton at Yale

At this point, things can’t get much worse. A week after suffering its worst loss in the history of the Princeton-Penn series, the football team will travel to New Haven to face a Yale team that has a lot to play for. The Bulldogs (6-2, 4-1 Ivy League) remain in contention for the Ivy title and will be gunning for a win as two of the league’s other top teams, Penn and Harvard, face off in Philadelphia.

Princeton’s injury woes have become even worse. The Tigers lost senior running back, co-captain, and inspirational leader Jordan Culbreath to a season-ending knee injury against Penn. The injury leaves the team with only one of its three captains, senior fullback Matt Zimmerman, still on the field.

Against the Bulldogs, Princeton will hope that senior wide receiver Trey Peacock can have a big game. Peacock has been a superstar for the Tigers, catching 61 passes for 859 yards and five touchdowns. He currently ranks sixth in program history for receiving yards and could climb as high as fourth by season’s end. Fellow senior wideout Andrew Kerr also has had quite a season, with 48 receptions for 439 yards and five touchdowns. The two seniors could be key to Princeton’s success on Saturday.

Continue reading Football preview: Princeton at Yale…

November 4, 2010

Football preview: Princeton vs. Penn

At this point, 2010 appears to be a lost season for the football team. The Tigers (1-6 overall, 0-4 Ivy League) have suffered countless injuries to key players and have dropped four games in a row. This week, Princeton faces its toughest opponent of the season in No. 18 Penn. The game will be televised nationally on Versus. The Quakers (6-1 overall, 4-0 Ivy) are the reigning Ivy champion and suffered their only loss in a hard-fought battle with Villanova, the 2009 Football Championship Subdivision national champion.

The Quakers are buoyed by a fearsome rushing attack and a stingy defense. The team uses a running-back-by-committee approach, with three backs totaling 56 or more carries through seven games. Penn averages 219 yards per game on the ground. Defensively, the Quakers give up just 279 yards per game, have intercepted six passes, and have sacked opposing quarterbacks 22 times.

If Princeton is to have success against Penn, it will need to exploit the Quakers’ one-dimensional offense. While the Quakers have completed 60 percent of their pass attempts, they’ve gained only 1,074 yards on passing plays, with four touchdowns and eight interceptions. If the Tigers succeed against the run and force Penn into passing situations, they could stay within reach of the Quakers.

Continue reading Football preview: Princeton vs. Penn…

October 28, 2010

Football preview: Princeton at Cornell

After facing three consecutive tough opponents at home, the football team heads to Cornell this weekend with as good of a chance to win as it has had all season. The Tigers (1-5 overall, 0-3 Ivy League) face the Big Red (1-5, 0-3) in the latest edition of what has been a very exciting series: Nine of the last 10 games have been decided by seven points or fewer.

Last week, Princeton threw everything it had at Harvard, eventually losing 45-28. The Tigers scored touchdowns on a tight-end pass, a running-back pass, and a wide-receiver sweep, but were ultimately done in by an inability to stop the run. Harvard trampled the Princeton defense for more than 300 yards on the ground.

This week’s opponent is a team that has had its own share of defensive problems. Like Princeton, Cornell is led by a first year head coach has won only one game. On average, the Big Red has been outgained by 230 yards (470 to 240), and the offensive line has surrendered 32 sacks. The Big Red’s lone win came at lowly Bucknell (1-6). Cornell has lost both of its home games and has been outscored 65-10 in those contests.

Continue reading Football preview: Princeton at Cornell…

October 21, 2010

Football preview: Princeton vs. Harvard

Thirty minutes into last week’s contest with Brown, the Princeton football team appeared to be back on track. The Tigers led the Bears 13-0 and looked to be in line for their first win since the second week of the season. Instead, Princeton saw its lead dissolve completely and lost 17-13. As has often been the case this season, the main culprit was injury. The Tigers lost junior quarterback Tommy Wornham, senior running back Jordan Culbreath, and senior fullback Matt Zimmerman to injuries during the game.

Follow in-game updates at twitter.com/pawprinceton

This week, in the homecoming game against Harvard, Princeton faces the preseason Ivy League favorite, which has had its share of hiccups this year. In its wins, Harvard has looked very good. But the Crimson was blasted by Brown in its Ivy opener, and dropped a 21-19 game to Lehigh last week after leading 17-0 at half time.

Harvard’s passing offense is somewhat weaker than it has been in the past, but the running game is dangerous. The Crimson has scored nine touchdowns on the ground in five games. Defensively, Harvard has been aggressive, intercepting five passes and sacking the quarterback 17 times this season.

Both teams will be desperate for a win this week. With one Ivy loss already, Harvard doesn’t want to see its league title pursuit end. Princeton is simply trying to avoid losing its fourth straight game.

Continue reading Football preview: Princeton vs. Harvard…

October 14, 2010

Football preview: Princeton vs. Brown

What started out as a season of promise is quickly turning into a nightmare. The Princeton football team was blown out for the second straight game last weekend, losing 44-10 to Colgate. The Tigers fell to 1-3, and things don’t get any easier this week, as 2-2 Brown comes to town. The Bears thumped preseason league favorite Harvard in their Ivy League opener but have dropped two straight since then.

Through three games, the Bears’ offense lived up to its reputation, averaging 28.7 points and 370.7 yards per game. Princeton’s injury-plagued defense has struggled all season, and it would seem that the Tigers might be headed for another long day. But Brown suffered a serious injury of its own at the end of its Oct. 2 contest with Rhode Island: All-Ivy quarterback Kyle Newhall-Caballero suffered a broken wrist and is lost for the season. Without their record-setting quarterback under center, Brown managed only 13 points in a loss to Holy Cross last week.

History

Princeton leads the all-time series 51-25, but the Tigers have dropped three in a row and four of the last five. Last season, the Tigers fell to Brown 34-17. The pain of defeat was intensified by the loss of senior captain and inside linebacker Scott Britton.

Continue reading Football preview: Princeton vs. Brown…

October 7, 2010

Football preview: Princeton vs. Colgate

To say that it’s been an up and down start for the Princeton football team would be something of an understatement. After a disappointing 35-22 season-opening loss at Lehigh in which the team lost defensive captain Steve Cody, the Tigers returned home and bounced Lafayette in a 36-33 double-overtime thriller. Then there was last week, when Princeton laid an egg in New York, losing 42-14 to Columbia. On the heels of last season’s 38-0 home loss to the Lions, the defeat marked the first time Princeton lost consecutive games to Columbia.

This week, the Tigers hope to restore order at home against a physical Colgate team. The game marks the first of three consecutive home games for Princeton and will be a huge test for Princeton’s defense, which struggled in the loss to Columbia. Last week, it was the passing defense that was shredded by Columbia’s aerial attack. This week, the running defense will be put to the test as Nate Eachus, one of the best running backs in the Football Championship Subdivision, comes to town. For the Tigers to stand a chance, they will need to make stops on third downs and make the most out of their offensive possessions.

History

Princeton holds a slight advantage in the overall series (25-24-1), but the Raiders have been closing the gap. Colgate has won the last two games in the series and three of the last four. Last year, the two teams played a Thursday-night game that was televised on ESPNU. The game was very low scoring, as Colgate held a 7-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Princeton quarterback Tommy Wornham ’12 hit Trey Peacock ’11 for a 31-yard touchdown pass early in the final period, and the game headed to overtime. Wornham threw his second touchdown of the day in the first overtime period, hitting Andrew Kerr ’11 from 23 yards out. But two Eachus touchdown runs and a Colgate defensive stand ended the game. The Raiders won, 21-14.

Continue reading Football preview: Princeton vs. Colgate…

September 30, 2010

Football preview: Princeton at Columbia

After a thrilling 36-33 double-overtime victory over Lafayette in its home opener, the Princeton football team faces Columbia in its Ivy League opener Oct. 2. Through two games, the Tigers have looked like a very good team at times but also have made mental lapses. Staying sharp and keeping emotions in check will be key this week, as Princeton seeks revenge against a team that beat the Tigers 38-0 at home last season.

One of the keys to last week’s game was the play of senior linebacker Jon Olofsson, who shifted from outside linebacker to middle linebacker after senior co-captain and preseason All-American Steve Cody was lost with a broken leg in week one. Olofsson finished with 16 tackles. Junior outside linebacker Andrew Starks has transitioned smoothly from the secondary and also has looked good this season. Through two games, Starks leads the team with 11 unassisted tackles and two tackles for losses. Princeton’s defense will be tested by Columbia quarterback Sean Brackett, who is second in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) with a 155.7 quarterback efficiency rating.

Offensively, Princeton continued to roll against Lafayette, finishing drives and scoring four touchdowns a week after the Tigers attempted six field goals at Lehigh. Princeton averages 29 points per game through two games and senior Trey Peacock leads FCS wide receivers with a 147 yards-per-game average. Columbia linebacker Alex Gross, the heart and soul of the Lions’ defense, is a former Ivy League Rookie of the Year who has 26 tackles in two games this year.

Continue reading Football preview: Princeton at Columbia…

September 23, 2010

Football preview: Princeton vs. Lafayette

Just one game into the Bob Surace ’90 era, the Princeton Tigers already have a lot to be excited about and a lot to worry about. First, the bad news: The team announced this week that middle linebacker Steve Cody, a preseason All-American and captain, is out for the season with a broken leg sustained late in the season opener, a 35-22 loss to Lehigh. Cody was perhaps the team’s best player, and filling his shoes will be a major challenge. Senior outside linebacker Jon Olofsson has been shifted to the middle to replace Cody, and sophomore Tim Kingsbury has been inserted into the starting lineup in Olofsson’s place.

The good news? Princeton’s offense looked strong in its debut. Though the Tigers struggled to finish drives and wound up kicking five field goals, Princeton totaled 528 yards. Junior quarterback Tommy Wornham completed just under 63 percent of his passes for 392 yards, a career high. Wide receiver Andrew Kerr finished with 11 catches for 125 yards, while his counterpart Trey Peacock assaulted the Mountain Hawks for eight catches and 196 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown play. The Tigers also ran for 141 yards, led by senior running back Jordan Culbreath’s nine-carry, 56-yard performance. Culbreath appears close to the form he had two years ago, when he was named first-team All-Ivy.

Lafayette has stumbled out of the gate, losing two close games to open the season. The Leopards fell to Georgetown 28-24 in their home opener before losing to reigning Ivy League champion Penn 19-14 on the road. The last time Lafayette started a season 0-2 was in 2001.

Continue reading Football preview: Princeton vs. Lafayette…

September 16, 2010

Football preview: Princeton at Lehigh

After months of anticipation, the Bob Surace ’90 era begins Sept. 18 as Princeton opens its season at Lehigh (1-1) in Bethlehem, Pa. After three consecutive 4-6 seasons following the 9-1 championship campaign of 2006, former coach Roger Hughes was relieved of duties and replaced by Surace, the starting center on the Tigers’ 1989 Ivy League title-winning squad.

Surace was previously the offensive line coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, who in 2009 won the AFC North title on the strength of a smash-mouth running game. Surace brought to Princeton a completely new offensive and defensive system and seven new coaches to help him realize his vision. The coaching staff is considerably younger than the previous regime, and by all accounts the players are energized and excited to hit the field.

Princeton does have a number of question marks as the season opens. Four members of the offensive line graduated last year, and each has been replaced by a player who has never started a collegiate game. The veteran of the line is senior right guard Andrew Mills, who started all 10 games last year.

Continue reading Football preview: Princeton at Lehigh…