A New Stage for Cornell-Princeton Rivalry
by Brian Delaney | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online
John Glynn's prowess at the faceoff 'X' reared its head for Cornell on April 18, when the fifth-year senior midfielder won 13 of 18 draws to spearhead a three-goal victory over Princeton at Schoellkopf Field.
In three games since then, Glynn, whose .589 percentage ranks fourth in Division I, hasn't been nearly as effective. He's won just 19 of 43, and was switched out at halftime of Saturday's NCAA first-round win over Hofstra in favor of junior Michael Howe.
And Howe delivered.
The 6-foot-1 junior, who started the season as a backup longstick midfielder to Pierce Derkac and then started in place of injured close defenseman Matt Moyer against Hobart on May 2, won eight of 12 in the second half against the Pride as Cornell surged to an 11-8 win.
Glynn's talents weren't wasted, though. The 5-foot-8 sparkplug joined Derkac as nuisances on the faceoff wing, and each scooped six ground balls. A similar tactic could be employed against fourth-seeded Princeton on Saturday should Glynn again struggle in the early going.
The Ivy League rivals will play for the 71st time, but first in the postseason, in an NCAA quarterfinal game at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium following the Syracuse-Maryland game.
"That made all the difference in the world," said Cornell coach Jeff Tambroni, who lost backup faceoff man Tommy Schmicker to an ACL injury in March. "We pointed to one thing, and there's a lot of different plays being made throughout the course of the game both offensively and defensively by both teams, but Michael Howe coming in that second half and winning the faceoffs he did was essential. From our standpoint, that was the key to the game without question."
History is unlikely to repeat itself in that category Saturday, considering Princeton is well-aware the role that faceoffs played in round one with the Big Red.
The then-No. 1 ranked Tigers' 11 ground balls in that game were their fewest ever under head coach Bill Tierney.
"That was a big part of it," said senior midfielder Mark Kovler, who scored five goals in Princeton's 10-7 first-round win over Massachusetts. "Again, it goes back to the level of intensity and things we did that maybe we didnt bring in the first matchup."
Princeton's defense is considered one of, if not the, best left standing. Freshman goalie Tyler Fiorito has the best save percentage (.591) of any remaining starter, and the Tigers have allowed exactly one goal in the first halves of their last three games combined.
Cornell's embattled and banged-up defense was sound in its last two performances, generally funneling Hofstra and Hobart shooters to preferred spots on the field in improving to 9-0 when holding opponents to single-digit goals. Senior goalie Jake Myers shrugged off a slow start and made nine saves against the Pride.
Cornell (11-3) has won five of its last six games against Princeton, and the Big Red points to energy as a deciding factor.
"It's unlike any game we play throughout the year," junior close defenseman Andrew MacDonald said of Princeton. "I would say it is our number one, biggest game of the year, no matter what each team's record is coming into the game. Last year, Princeton struggled a little bit before they got to us, and you could tell they took it like it was their biggest game last year, the same way we took it as our biggest game of the year this year. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced in terms of regular season games."
Cornell hopes faceoffs can once again tilt the scales in its favor. Over his career, Glynn has won close to 74 percent against Princeton.
If his recent slide continues, Tambroni knows Howe is now a viable backup option.
And the Big Red is a confident bunch.
"I think it helps that we have played them, that we can beat them, but I think we're going to see a different team on Saturday," Cornell captain Max Seibald said. "We came out the first time and it was probably the most excited, the most prepared, the most passionate we came out to play all year."
"When we do play like we can, we believe that no team in the country can beat us," he added. "There are games where if we don't do what were supposed to do, if we don't stick to the game plan, then any team in the country can beat us."
