Princeton's coronation as the NCAA Division I men's lacrosse tournament's top seed almost slipped through their fingers before the senior class wrestled it back, a 14-10 quarterfinal win over Penn State at Sherrerd Field punctuated by a decisive Tucker Wade scoring spree and the kind of game-deciding fourth-quarter goal John Dunphey has built his career on.
The Tigers entered Sunday's contest as unanimous No. 1s, but Penn State arrived without a hint of deference. The No. 8 seed pressed Princeton's offensive sets through the opening quarter, conceding ground in possession but not on the scoreboard, and the first half ended closer than Princeton's regular-season form had suggested it should.
Wade was Princeton's relief valve through the first three quarters. The senior attackman finished with four goals, including two in the third quarter that re-established the Tigers' lead after Penn State drew within a goal. His ability to feed off ball movement at the top of the offensive arc kept Princeton's attacking patterns from going stale even as Penn State's slide packages tightened.
The back-breaker came in the fourth. Dunphey, who has spent the season operating as the Tigers' clutch finisher, planted himself in the high-percentage zone behind the cage and turned a sweeping run-to-the-cage into the go-ahead goal that finally separated the teams for good. From the moment Dunphey's shot crossed the goal line, Princeton's offensive tempo shifted and Penn State could not keep pace.
Penn State's senior class deserves credit. The Nittany Lions had finished the regular season as a fringe seed and arrived at Princeton without the ride-management package Princeton had picked apart in midfield during the regular season. Their first-half stand turned the contest into the closest fight Princeton had been involved in since February.
In the end, however, depth told. Princeton's third-line midfield held its own in transition, and Penn State's substitution rhythm — already disrupted by the long, frequent runs Princeton built off cleared possessions — frayed in the second half.
The result sends Princeton into Final Four play on May 23 at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Tigers will face Duke, who powered past Georgetown 16-6 on Sunday, with the noon ESPN2 broadcast slot already locked in. The other semifinal pits No. 2 Notre Dame against No. 6 Syracuse at 2:30 p.m. on the same network.
Duke arrives at the semifinal stage as a quietly assembled threat. The Blue Devils' 16-6 dismantling of Georgetown — built around four goals from Max Sloat, a Benn Johnston hat trick, a Cal Girard coast-to-coast highlight off a faceoff, and ten saves from goalie Buck Cunningham — sent a tournament-wide signal that Duke is not just along for the ride.
For Princeton, the path to a national title comes down to two games against the deepest field assembled in recent NCAA tournament history. The Tigers cleared the first hurdle. The hardest two are still ahead.
