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December 6, 2000: Sports Football
ends season with two nail-biters Duke
gives Princeton a royal whipping Sports Web Exclusives! Matt Golden's From the Cheap Seats column Football
ends season with two nail-biters Casual followers of Princeton football may focus on the 2000 season's 3--7 record, remembering the year for its failures. But once the wounds have healed, those who were there week after week are likely to view this season as a turning point. Team records and statistics are highly scrutinized in sports, but, in this case, numbers fail to tell the whole story. Princeton dropped a heart-breaking, 42--37 decision to the visiting Dartmouth Big Green in the 2000 season finale. The loss dropped the Tigers' overall record to 3--7 (3--4 Ivy League) and was a microcosm of the Princeton season: It featured explosive offense, back-and-forth action, and a fourth-quarter rally by the Tigers. But in the end, Princeton fell just shy of victory. The Tigers' record may be disappointing, but the intensity, resolve, and emotion that permeated their play has given fans reason to believe that a return to the top of the Ivy League may now be within reach. Princeton's resilience - throughout a season riddled with disappointment and injury - speaks to the team's renewed confidence. The Tigers believed, and rightly so, that they could win every game they played. "I'm very disappointed with the loss," said head coach Roger Hughes after the game. "I wanted this game very badly for our seniors. They have built a great foundation for this program. Any success that we have in the future is certainly the legacy they have left. "We're playing with great emotion and great determination. We're not coming out on the high end of the score right now, but it's those types of characteristics that are necessary to turn things around. Our kids never quit, and I'm very proud of that. There were a lot of tears shed a few minutes ago in that locker room, and that tells me something. We are playing with passion; we're playing with unbelievable intensity; and we've gotten tougher." Emotions ran high as the Tiger seniors took the Princeton Stadium field for the final time in their collegiate careers. Princeton was looking to avenge last year's season-ending debacle - a game in which the Tigers watched an 18-0 fourth-quarter lead evaporate into a stunning, 19--18 Dartmouth victory. Hughes was hoping to establish momentum for the future by finishing with a winning record in the Ivy League, and he was facing the team for which he had served as offensive coordinator for the past eight years. Add to that Princeton's thrilling, 19--14 triumph over Yale a week earlier, an upset that gave Princeton its shot at a winning league record, and the Tiger sideline was coursing with adrenaline. Princeton jumped out to a 3--0 lead when junior Taylor Northrop followed a Kevin Kongslie '03 interception by booting a 42-yard field goal. From there, the offensive units played a ping-pong match between end zones. Down 21--10 midway through the second quarter, Princeton found the end zone twice in just over three minutes. The second score was set up when Paul Simbi '03 blocked a punt deep in Dartmouth territory. The Tigers capitalized with a Chisom Opara '03 five-yard touchdown run and took a 24--21 lead into the locker room at the half. Hughes said, "I thought we executed our game plan very well. We just can't turn the ball over, and we can't have penalties. In a close game, that is going to be the difference." The fireworks continued in the second half, and several defensive lapses in the Princeton secondary led to three Big Green scoring passes from the arm of junior Greg Smith. (Smith completed 20 of 27 pass attempts for 308 yards and four touchdowns.) Down 42--31, the Tigers clawed back into contention when senior Jon Blevins scored on a quarterback sneak with 3:19 remaining. But time was simply not on Princeton's side. Dartmouth was able to convert a first down and run the clock out. As the final seconds
ticked away, the Big Green needed to run one last play to seal the
victory. When the ball was snapped, senior captain Mike Higgins
dove over the offensive line in an attempt to strip the ball from
Smith before he could kneel down to end the game. The desperate
leap, though unsuccessful, was symbolic of Higgins's never-say-die
style. His inspiring leadership should have a significant impact
on the returning Tigers. Higgins said, "I think, without question,
the program is on the rise. Every time we take the field, players
believe we're going to win, no matter what the situation is. That's
part of the new attitude here, and I think that will undoubtedly
translate into good things for the future of this program."
By Mark Gola
Duke
gives Princeton a royal whipping The Princeton men's basketball team traveled down to Durham, North Carolina, to face the Duke Blue Devils - ranked number one nationally in many polls - in the preseason NIT on November 14. Princeton, whose roster has been decimated by injury, illness, transfer, and one professional-contract signing, got handed an old-fashioned, 87--50, somebody-please-stop-the-fight beating. The Tigers took some heavy blows during the fray at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium: All-America Shane Battier pummeled the Tigers from long range, hitting nine of 12 three-point attempts in totaling 29 points, six rebounds, and three assists; Jason Williams, Duke's dynamic point guard, peppered the Tigers with his dazzling ball-handling and passing while tallying 17 points and seven assists himself; and the Duke full-court press delivered the knockout blow late in the first half when the Tigers were fatigued and reeling. But the Tiger who got the worst of this scuffle never put on a uniform. Princeton point guard Ahmed El Nokali '02 had surgery in early November to repair a tendon in his groin, forcing him to sit out for a month and keeping him sidelined for the Tigers' season opener. Watching El Nokali fidget in his seat on the Princeton bench during the game was even more painful than following the debacle unfolding on the court. With each Princeton miscue, an anxious El Nokali contorted his face, changed position, or gnawed on his knuckles. He was suffering, and it was clear that his savvy play was exactly what the Tigers needed. Not flashy or much of a scoring threat, El Nokali still makes a big difference for the Tigers. He plays ironclad defense and runs the Princeton offense with composure and precision. El Nokali calls the plays, makes sure his teammates are in the proper positions, and almost never commits a turnover - he is averaging only one turnover every 23.4 minutes for his career. So when the Blue Devils turned up the heat on the Princeton backcourt of freshman Ed Persia and senior C.J. Chapman, forcing 14 first-half turnovers, Nokali's gut was in knots. After the game he admitted, "I was dying to get out there. You could see the guys were playing so hard, but they were just missing direction." Duke started fast, hitting a three-pointer on its first possession and racing out to an 18--6 lead. The Tigers weathered the early storm and, behind several crisp offensive trips that produced open three-pointers and back-door lay-ups, pulled to within 22--20 at the 10:12 mark of the first half. But without its floor general, El Nokali, the offense struggled to find a rhythm. El Nokali noted, "I guess it was a combination of being young and inexperienced. Guys were playing roles that they weren't used to, like C. J. He only got four shots up, but he was the guy bringing the ball up and handling the pressure most of the time. He had too many responsibilities. We need him shooting the ball." In fact, the Tigers only managed 16 total field goal attempts during the entire first half. When Princeton sputtered during the last eight minutes of the opening stanza, the Blue Devils exploded for a flurry of baskets that made the score 49--25 at the intermission. Princeton coach John Thompson '88 said, "I think we got tired at that point. Once fatigue sets in, the mental part of the game goes too. Their pressure wore us down." The onslaught continued during the second half, and the Duke fans entertained themselves with various chants and barbs - many of which were actually directed at their hated rival, the University of North Carolina. Despite the lopsided score, the crowd maintained a fever pitch until the final horn. Duke's pressure defense was more relentless than the fans until head coach Mike Krzyzewski cleared his bench during the final minutes. The Tigers never did establish an offensive rhythm and looked flustered and confused at several points. Thompson said, "[El Nokali] doesn't turn the ball over. He's comfortable with the ball in his hands at those points where it gets kind of ratty out there and we're not sure what's going on and the guys are kind of bumbling around. Ahmed's the calming influence, and we missed him tonight." El Nokali summed up his
emotions by saying, "I just wanted to be out there running
the team. That's all I could think about." By M.G. For more on the peculiar brand of Cameron craziness, see From the Cheap Seats at www.princeton.edu/~paw.
The field hockey team continued its dominance of the Ivies by winning a seventh consecutive league championship. The team completed a 13--3 regular season with a perfect 7--0 Ivy League record. The Tigers then defeated Penn State in the first round of the NCAA tournament before losing to Maryland in the second round. Several individual players were recognized for their outstanding play. Senior Hilary Matson was named the Ivy League Player of the Year, and freshman Claire Miller earned league Rookie of the Year honors. Senior Melanie Meerschwam and sophomores Emily Townsend and Kelly Baril joined Matson in garnering first-team, All-Ivy accolades. Senior Kellie Maul and sophomore Ilvy Friebe were named second-team, All-Ivy, and Cory Picketts received honorable mention. The women's soccer team joined field hockey as Ivy champs when the Tigers defeated the University of Pennsylvania on November 11, earning a tie with Dartmouth at the top of the league. As a result, the Tigers earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Princeton fell to the University of Wisconsin in double overtime in the tournament's first round. Senior Jenny Lankford and sophomore Heather Deerin were named first-team, All-Ivy. Second-teamers included seniors Julie Shaner and Jordan Rettig and junior Kelly Sosa. Freshmen Theresa Sherry and Liz Bell received honorable mention. The women's volleyball team continued Princeton's winning ways by capturing its fifth Ivy League championship in the last seven years. The Tigers boasted a 20-8 record and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by winning the Ivy title. There were several other
notable performances by Princeton teams this fall. Men's tennis
entered the ECAC Championships as the third seed and emerged with
the title. Women's tennis came within two matches of equaling the
men, but fell in the ECAC semifinals to the University of Pennsylvania.
The women's golf team won the Georgia State Invitational. Four Tigers
placed in the top 11 at the tournament. The men's water polo team
enjoyed a successful season, but fell to Navy in the title game
at the Southern Championships. And the men's cross-country team
finished second at the Heptagonal Games. The Tigers had won nine
consecutive titles before falling to Dartmouth.
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