The Dartmouth men's lacrosse team fell to No. 4 Princeton in Princeton, N.J. on Saturday, 14-7. The game was the second consecutive loss for the Big Green (4-10, 1-4 Ivy).
Co-captain Brian Koch '09 led the way for Dartmouth with two goals and two assists, including his 100th career goal. Kyle Lagratta '09 won 10 of 18 face-offs on the game.
The Tigers (11-2, 4-1 Ivy) got four goals from sophomore Jack McBride and three goals and an assist from senior Tommy Davis.
The Tigers came out strong against the Big Green from the first face-off, with McBride scoring just eleven seconds into the contest. Davis netted his first goal at the seven-minute mark to make the score 2-0. Dartmouth never posted a real scoring threat in the first quarter, as Princeton made it a 3-0 deficit at the end of the period off a goal by senior Mark Kovler.
"The possession was equal in the first quarter, but their defense played very well," Andrew Gagel '10 said. "Their goalie made some key stops that prevented us from getting on the board."
Princeton scored two goals within the first seven minutes of the second quarter to extend its lead to 5-0. Dartmouth was unable to get anything going on offense, and the Tigers added two more goals to take a 7-0 lead into halftime.
"I think that we were getting some good looks, and they just weren't falling," Andrew Pollack '10 said. "On the other hand, they were hammering their shots and getting second and third opportunities. Even at 7-0, I felt like we were playing good lacrosse and had a shot."
The Tigers kept the momentum going through the intermission, starting the second half with three consecutive goals to make the score 10-0. Josh Gillam '10 momentarily put the thrashing on hold as he scored Dartmouth's first goal of the game. However, a goal a second before the end of the third quarter restored the 10-goal advantage for Princeton.
"The beginning of the third quarter was disappointing for us," Gagel said. "We were hoping to score some goals and get back into the game but giving up those goals early in hurt us."
Princeton looked as if it would continue its trouncing of Dartmouth throughout the game, as junior Scott MacKenzie scored early in the fourth quarter to make the score 12-1. Koch pulled one back for the Big Green to notch his first goal of the game, but the Tigers responded less than a minute later to restore the 11-goal deficit. The teams then exchanged goals to make the score 14-3 at the seven-minute mark, with Rhett Miller '11 scoring for the Big Green.
Dartmouth, however, ended the game on a 4-0 run to put the score at a more respectable 14-7. Koch, Pollack, Philip Killian '09 and Josh Etzion '11 all scored for the Big Green during the span.
"We weren't about to go all the way down to Princeton and get completely dominated," Pollack said. "We're not the type of team to just quit playing, especially against Princeton."
Princeton dominated possession, although Dartmouth claimed the majority of the game's face-offs and groundballs. The Tigers outshot the Big Green 47-33.
Fergus Campbell '12 and Kip Dooley '12 continued impressive debut campaigns for the Big Green. Campbell made nine saves in his ninth consecutive start in goal, while Dooley recorded his sixth assist of the year. Alex Del Balso '12 also contributed, winning four out of six face-offs.
"Having freshmen gain experience is huge," Gagel said. "It's really important for the next couple years of the program."
Dartmouth will look to finish the regular season on a positive note this Saturday as it welcomes Harvard to Scully-Fahey on Senior Day. The game starts at 1:00 p.m.
