LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — The No. 14-ranked Princeton University Tigers picked up a split during day two of the SoCal Invitational hosted by the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) and Loyola Marymount University as the team dropped a thriller to the No. 13 host Lions, 15-13, but picking up a victory over the United States Air Force Academy Falcons, 12-10 .
Competing at LMU’s Burns Aquatics Center, Princeton was not able to cage the host Lions in dropping a two-goal game.
The first quarter had a furious pace with 11 combined goals between the two Top-15 squads. Neither team led by more than a goal in the frame as Mitchell Cooper’s tally put the Tigers ahead, 6-5. The home squad was in front by two before Pierce Maloney‘s attempt cut the Princeton deficit to one, 9-8, entering halftime.
Loyola Marymount ran off the first three goals of the second half and scored with just 16 seconds left in the quarter to take a 13-9 lead after three frames.
A staple of their season so far, Princeton did not go away. Goals from Wyatt Benson, Ryan Neapole and Cooper closed the gap to one, 13-12, at the 4:44 mark. Loyola Marymount put the contest away with the next two goals for a 15-13 final.
Competing against Air Force for a berth in the invitational’s 13th Place game against Division III No. 1-ranked Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Sunday, September 29, the Tigers registered three of the first four goals in the first quarter and extended their advantage to six, 7-1, at the 4:22 mark of the second frame. Princeton held an 8-2 lead at halftime. The Falcons closed within four before the Tigers took a 12-7 advantage into the fourth stanza.
Air Force made a push with three consecutive tallies to cut the deficit to two, 12-10, with 3:06 to go. The Falcons took five shots over the final few moments, but Princeton tightened up defensively and held on for the victory.
Release courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
