Despite some spectacular late-game heroics by middie Alec Hufnagel '06, the Dartmouth men's lacrosse team dropped a disappointing 10-8 decision to Princeton on Saturday in New Jersey. Hufnagel fueled the Big Green offense with a career-high six goals, three of which came in the final quarter as the laxers unsuccessfully tried to rally their way back late into the game from a five point deficit. The loss leaves the laxers with a 7-4 overall mark and 3-2 record in the Ancient Eight heading into its final regular season match-up against arch-rival Harvard this upcoming weekend.
On a damp and slippery Class of 1952 Field, Princeton drew first blood in the contest, potting its first marker just over a minute after the opening face-off. Dartmouth picked up the slack and began to control the game's tempo for the remainder of the quarter, holding a firm control over the possession battle and out-shooting the hosting Tigers 10-4 in the opening stanza. The Big Green finally cashed in on its efforts with the team's first goal by Brad Heritage '06, who charged through the teeth of the Princeton defense and lined a shot past freshman Tiger goalie Alex Hewit with 1:40 remaining in the first quarter.
Princeton began the second frame in the same fashion it started the first, by scoring just over a minute into the quarter to pull ahead by a goal at 2-1. Dartmouth was quick to retaliate, however, as Heritage again knotted the score on his second goal of the game a minute and a half later. With Big Green offensive guns Ben Grinnell '05 and Jamie Coffin '06 getting double-teamed and held in check by the Princeton defense on almost every possession, Hufnagel rose to the occasion to take over scoring duties by netting his first of six scores in the match a minute after Heritage's marker to give Dartmouth its only lead of the game at 3-2 early in the second quarter.
Unfortunately for the Big Green, Princeton would regroup and string together five unanswered goals over the next thirteen minutes of the game to reclaim its lead and push the advantage to 7-3 half-way through the third quarter. Dartmouth then took advantage of a man-up situation to get itself back into the game as starting attackman Nick Bonacci '07 orchestrated the Big Green's fourth marker of the contest on a sharp dodge from behind the net to find a slashing Hufnagel in front of the cage for the give-and-go score. Princeton, though, would not relent so easily, pushing its lead back to four goals before the end of the third quarter at 8-4, heading into the final 15 minutes of regulation.
Hufnagel continued to put the entire team on his back and shoulder the scoring load in the beginning of the fourth quarter, as Bonacci again found Hufnagel open in front of the net to line the ball past Hewit with less than two minutes gone in the fourth, pulling Dartmouth to within three at 8-5. Princeton would then seal the fate of Hanover's weary road-warriors, netting its final two scores over the next two and a half minutes to open a commanding five-goal advantage at 10-5.
The Big Green would not go home without a valiant fight until the end, however, as Hufnagel perpetuated his late-game heroics by tallying his fourth, fifth and sixth goals of the game to single-handedly rally Dartmouth back into contention at 10-8 with 4:50 remaining on the clock. Ivy League-leading scorer Coffin, who had 12 shots in the game but couldn't break through a stifling Princeton defense to find the net himself, assisted on Hufnagel's final two scores -- a pair of towering jump-shots over the daunting Tiger defense in front of the cage. Unfortunately for Dartmouth, Hufnagel's herculean effort was limited down the stretch, as Princeton held on for the 10-8 victory despite a barrage of Big Green scoring opportunities as well as a promising man-up situation in the final 56 minutes of the contest.
In its final game of the regular season, the Big Green desperately needs to come out firing on all cylinders against Harvard in order to make a definitive statement for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Dartmouth will defend its home turf for the final time in the 2005 season under the Scully-Fahey Field lights at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday night.
