LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Despite a hat trick from Matt Payne, the No. 12-ranked Princeton University Tigers fell to the No. 6 Long Beach State University 49ers, 11-8, at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center on the campus of the University of Southern California to begin the 2017 Mountain Pacific Invitational.
Long Beach State scored four straight goals between the first and second quarters to take a five-goal advantage. Princeton closed within three (9-6) in the third frame, but the 49ers posted the next two tallies. The Tigers again got as close as three with 3:30 to go, but couldn’t register another goal.
Jordan Colina‘s tally with 2:03 left in the first quarter got the Tigers on the board and cut their deficit in half. However, the 49ers would keep them without a goal off until Colina’s penalty shot with 3:15 remaining in the half to make it 6-2.
Princeton found itself trailing by six (8-2) as the clock read 6:39 in the third quarter. The Tigers put on an offensive push as Payne would score 10 seconds later. Over the 2:27 of game action, the No. 12 nationally ranked squad clawed back, setting the score at 9-6.
Long Beach State countered, going back ahead by five, but the Tigers didn’t go away in the final frame. Ryan Wilson and Christopher Xi registered consecutive goals, but Princeton could not get any closer than three over the final 3:30.
Release courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
