Sports: March 11, 1998

Sports (overview)

• Cagers close in on Ivy title

• Setter Jason Morrow lifts men's volleyball

• Veterans will lead lacrosse

• Kate Thirolf's "pops" stop Harvard

• Sports Shorts

• Scoreboard & Highlights

It was like watching a carpenter try to graciously accept praise for hammering in a nail. The February 17 Princeton-Penn game, a showdown between the two top teams in the Ivy League this season, was supposed to be a struggle. Instead, the Tigers (201 overall, 90 Ivy) lined up the Quakers and after a few preliminary taps to hold them in place, pounded them right down to the level of the rest of the league.

To players like guard and captain Mitch Henderson '98, the 7152 win had been nothing more than a job that needed to be done. That didn't exactly suit the expectations of those holding the more than 100 press credentials that were issued for the contest: "This is a naturally subdued team," said Henderson. "We don't get fired up. Last year Sydney [Johnson '97] was kind of a rah-rah guy, and he'd get in the huddles and pump everybody up. But we don't get excited. That's just the nature of all of us."

The same could not be said for the 7,185 screaming Tiger fans who packed Jadwin Gym to its farthest reaches to watch the No. 8 Tigers that night. "Did you feel the floor shaking?" asked Henderson. "That was wild."

Princeton committed two early turnovers, but after the Quakers took an 84 lead with 15:55 remaining in the first half, the Tigers responded with consecutive three-pointers from guard Brian Earl '99 and forward James Mastaglio '98 to go ahead. They would not trail again. An 11point halftime lead dropped to eight with 13:46 to play, but Princeton outscored Penn 208 in an eight-and-a-half-minute run that put the contest out of the Quakers' reach.

It was Henderson's cocaptain, senior center Steve Goodrich, who did most of the damage. Headed for his third consecutive first team all-Ivy designation, Goodrich poured in 19 points and had six assists in the contest. Junior forward Gabe Lewullis knocked down four of five three pointers on the way to a 16-point evening, and also grabbed six rebounds.

Afterward, Penn coach Fran Dunphy said he believed the Tigers were worthy of their ranking: "We are honored and proud and privileged to play against that sort of team," he said, adding that he looked forward to the Quakers' meeting with Princeton in the Palestra on March 3.

Henderson, who played his high-school hoops in basketball-mad Indiana, never expected to be on a Princeton team that would be numbered among the nation's best. He certainly never expected to be on a squad ranked higher than his boyhood idols, the Hoosiers. "I wanted to go to Indiana pretty bad," he remembers, "but I wouldn't want to be at Indiana right now."

Henderson played the entire Penn game with an unprotected broken nose, suffered the previous Saturday against Yale. He discarded a facemask he found too uncomfortable, and in his own words, "took a chance" on playing without it. "Mitch is our leader out there," said coach Bill Carmody. "He's one of the better guards we've had here. He's an expert dribbler, he's fast as can be, and he makes everybody else better, the way good guards do. He's throwing passes that you might not see again for 15 years."

Henderson's four assists against Penn gave him 101 for the year; he's the first Tiger guard since Armond Hill '85 in 197576 to pass the century mark in a single season. It also gave him 275 for his career, just five behind Johnson (who's in fourth place all-time at Princeton).

The Penn game came on the heels of the Tigers' casual whippings of Brown, 8258, and Yale, 7848, the weekend before. The Bears found themselves down 160 early, as Goodrich shot 6-for-6 to score 15 points in just 10 minutes of first-half play. Princeton led 4623 at the half, and Brown never challenged again. Goodrich ended the day with 21 points; Lewullis had 16.

Yale came to Jadwin the following evening a demoralized team. The Bulldogs had seen a 19-point second-half lead evaporate at Penn the evening before, in a game they went on to lose 76-69 in overtime. The Tigers had them down 14-4 in the opening minutes, and Yale showed no particular desire to fight its way back. After the Penn game, Henderson said it was time for the team to "sharpen up" for the postseason (an NCAA bid seemed a near-certainty at press time). If it's possible for this team to acquire a sharper edge, there's no better tool for the job than a set of five Ivy teams who'd like nothing better than to ruin the Tigers' shot at another undefeated season in the league.

-- Rob Garver

Setter Jason Morrow lifts men's volleyball

With a lineup full of seniors, a No. 14 preseason national ranking and, most importantly, a greatly weakened Penn State squad standing between Princeton and the Final Four, the men's volleyball team (5-4 overall, 3-2 EIVA) entertained high hopes at the start of the season.

But thus far the Tigers' season has not gone exactly as planned. Through February 17, they had played four ranked teams and an equal number of unranked squads. Despite some strong showings, equally painful losses have resulted in an unfamiliar .500 record.

Jason Morrow '00 (pictured, setting to middle Derek Devens '98) has done his best to make the most of Princeton's scoring opportunities, but much to his dismay, there just aren't enough of them. "We're not digging balls at all," Morrow said. "It's killing us." As befits his position, the setter has emerged as one of the team's most intense new leaders, and the second-year starter has no desire to let the energy and high expectations of last season slip away.

"Right now, the intensity and effort to be a good defensive team aren't there," Morrow said. The added challenge of integrating a veritable sideshow of six freshmen means the team must work hard "every chance we get."

Outside Jeff Cooper '98 and opposite Scott Birdwell '98 -- cocaptains who were also high-school teammates -- have borne the offensive brunt, and with decent passing from freshmen Steve Cooper, a 1997 Volleyball Magazine "Fab 50" selection, and Jeff Cooper (no relation) the team has been able to side-out, but has had "a lot of difficulty" scoring points, says Morrow.

Through the middle of the season, Princeton expects to decimate the majority of its league competition, but after two second-place finishes in the EIVA, the Tigers know this year provides their best opportunity ever to finally vault into the Final Four, a task that traditionally would require a long-sought victory over Penn State.

It never rains in California?

Traveling to rainy California in January, Princeton showed two vastly different sides of its game. In a three-game loss to California-Irvine (considered the program's worst defeat in years), the team shanked its way to utter embarrassment. But two nights later, the Tigers proved they could hang with the nation's best in a 15-4, 15-13, 15-12 loss at Long Beach.

In February, a hard-fought, four-game loss at Penn State was followed five days later by the Tigers' first home defeat in three years, a 15-1, 157, 515, 15-13 loss to Rutgers-Newark, on February 11. The Rutgers match again showed Princeton's tenacity (in the third and fourth games) after showing its capacity for total breakdown in the first and second games.

On February 14, Newark proceeded to hand Penn State its first league loss in five years, leaving the two current beasts of the East to fantasize about beating each other's brains out at the end of the season. Meanwhile, the Tigers can quietly take some calculated measures to make it a three-way race by the time New Jersey thaws out from this winter's chill (or lack thereof).

Coach Glenn Nelson would like to see his team display more efforts like the one at Long Beach, but a frantic early-season schedule and limited practice time suggest his team will hit its stride later rather than sooner.

"Early in the year you have to give the edge to teams like Penn State and Newark, because we've had only 15 [preseason] practices," Nelson said. Princeton needs to regain the tenacious defense and poise in big plays it's used in the past to frustrate bigger, stronger opponents.

The Tigers still aim to reach the Final Four, but right now they just want "to secure the third seed [in the EIVA playoffs] and get some momentum going," said Morrow. Added Birdwell, "It's how you play in April that matters."

-- Josh Stephens '97

Veterans will lead lacrosse

A blond ponytail, bobbing along in the spring sunshine: it may seem an idyllic image to some, but when opponents of the women's lacrosse team see one particular ponytail this year, they may start to hear the Jaws theme song in their heads. Though harmless off the field, Cristi Samaras '99 (above) is dangerous when she has a stick in her hands; her return and the growth of the team since last spring will help put Princeton back in the hunt for a national title. The squad's campaign begins on March 15 versus Duke at 1952 Stadium.

Once a relatively inexperienced team, the Tigers are now a seasoned one. Samaras -- first-team all-America and first-team all-Ivy two years ago -- will be key to their success, but Princeton will also rely on the leadership of cocaptains and senior midfielders Melissa Cully (last year's high scorer) and Brent McCallister.

After a great year in 1997, Cully, McCallister, and the team's other offensive weapons should flourish with Samaras; her imposing presence should free them up if defenders double-team her. When the offense gets hot, it'll be bad news for opponents: "You could close your eyes, pick any 12 people, and win games," says Samaras of the team, high praise from someone who's played with the U.S. National team since 1994.

On defense, the Tigers welcome back another Samaras, Cory '98 (Cristi's sister), who returns after injuring her knee last season. In addition, the nine sophomores who shared playing time last year are now veterans, increasing the team's depth. They have become "key players instead of support players," says coach Chris Sailer. "That's going to make a big difference for us."

Another difference this year is a trial rule that introduces a restraining line 30 yards from each team's goal. Only seven players from each team, excepting the goalie, may be between the goal and the restraining line. The rule is intended to create more space for teams to spread out when they're near the goal, which could lead to higher-scoring games. The rule will change the way Princeton plays defense, says Sailer, but will be "great for our attack."

In addition, a change to the NCAA tournament format will give 12 teams an opportunity to compete in the postseason. (It had previously had an eight-team field.) The Tigers want to make the tourney -- they missed it last year for the first time since 1991 -- but their first goal this year will be an Ivy title.

If that's accomplished (Dartmouth will be the team's main rival), Princeton will change its focus to making the Final Four. The Tigers have been there six times, and they won a national title in 1994. Their depth and focus make them strong contenders for another championship.

The disappointment of last year has whetted Princeton's appetite. Samaras is back, and the Tigers are hungry. Come March 15, it's feeding time.

-- Sarah Slonaker '98

Kate Thirolf's "pops" stop Harvard

That Kate Thirolf '00, perhaps Princeton's most versatile offensive threat, didn't start for seven of the women's basketball team's first eight Ivy League contests says something about coach Liz Feeley's approach to the game. Defense and rebounding are the keys to victory, according to Feeley. So when Lynn Makalusky '98 proved she could bring defensive intensity, Thirolf began games on the bench, despite her scoring prowess. According to the coach, Thirolf needed to "learn the intensity Makalusky brought right from the get-go." Watching from the bench, "she had the opportunity to see what was needed," said Feeley.

Thirolf, a guard and team cocaptain, struggled at first with the sudden transition, but focused on remaining confident and enthusiastic. "Getting benched was a real wake-up call," said Thirolf. "I realized I needed to be working harder, doing more things for the team." Thirolf had been a three-sport star throughout her high-school career in Rockville, Maryland, and at Princeton had earned all-rookie honors as a freshman. Could she now make the change to playing in a backup role?

The definitive answer came versus Dartmouth on February 6 (Thirolf's eighth game on the bench). She entered the game two and a half minutes in, when there was already considerable evidence that Princeton (12-9 overall, 6-3 Ivy) would struggle on offense. The Tigers couldn't seem to set up shots, much less make them, and fell behind by as many as 11 before halftime. Then, down 25 with about seven minutes left in the game, the team stormed back -- led by Thirolf, who tallied a career-high 26 points and had eight rebounds. In the waning seconds Princeton nearly pulled out a win despite playing well for only "the last five minutes of the game," according to Feeley; they lost by just four, 7268.

The next night Princeton faced Harvard, the Ivy's powerhouse-cum-dynasty; the Crimson had won 32 straight league contests coming into the game. Allison Feaster, the Ivy's all-time leading scorer, led Harvard and showed her prowess, scoring 34 points. But at night's end, the Tigers had notched an upset victory, 56-53.

Thirolf and the rest of the bench were a big reason why. The guard scored a team-high 21 points, as time and again she found gaps in the defense and drove toward the basket for layups or pulled up for short jump shots. Leigh Washburn '99, playing in relief of center Lea Ann Drohan '99, also excelled, getting with two blocks and seven rebounds.

The efforts of Thirolf and Washburn -- combined with a team defensive showing that squelched every Crimson player but Feaster -- demonstrated the level of skill the team must have to win an Ivy title.

Feeley, who has often praised Thirolf's "instant offense" and ability to "stop and pop" (shoot quick jumpers), wanted the guard to be more consistent, a trait she probably hoped to see from the whole team. Unfortunately, the Tigers wouldn't show it to her at Brown on February 13; a season-high 32 turnovers and a late defensive collapse helped the Bears to a 7156 win.

The loss dealt a serious blow to Princeton's hopes for an Ivy title this year, but just days before a difficult game at Harvard, Thirolf was positive the team would win the rest of its games, keeping its hopes alive: "I really believe we're that good," she said. "They have to stop us first, and no team in the Ivy League has done that."

That's the attitude the team must have adopted for its game at Yale on February 14. With Thirolf starting for the first time since January 3, the Tigers dominated, giving up only 13 turnovers en route to a 60-42 victory.

To emerge on top, whether this year or next, Feeley's team will need more than the solid defense they've shown this year; they'll need a consistent offense as well. With her versatile, deadly shot, and more important, her confidence, Thirolf may be just the one to give that to them.

-- Paul Hagar '91

Sports Shorts

Skaters slump: Perhaps the women's ice hockey team should have taken it as a sign when a game with hockey alumni celebrating the pro-gram's 25th year turned out to be tougher than expected (photo). In February the team (11-12-1 overall, 8-10 ECAC) has suffered from what center Danya Marshman '00 (at left) calls "a motivation problem"; at press time Princeton stood seventh in the ECAC.

Name games: When the lawyer for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is through with his current case -- suing Miami Dolphins running back Karim Abdul-Jabbar for profiting with the same name as the former NBA star -- Mark Sabath '98, a writer for The Daily Princetonian, thinks he should turn his focus to Old Nassau: "He could make a fortune just by flipping through the Princeton phone directory," wrote Sabath in a column for the paper. "This year's student body includes such prominent sports names as Mike Piazza, Michael Chang, Lisa Leslie, Jack Dempsey, Will Clark, Dave Brown, Scott Hamilton, Matt Morris, Eric Young, Colin Campbell and, with different spellings, Brad Doherty and Andrew Jones.

Scoreboard

M. basketball