Big Green Return Home to Host No. 20 Princeton on Alumni Day

By: Justin Lafleur

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GAME 10
Dartmouth (6-3, 1-2 Ivy League) vs. Princeton (4-5, 2-1 Ivy League)
Dates: Saturday, April 15, 2023 – 1 p.m.
Location: Hanover, N.H. – Scully-Fahey Field
All-Time Series: Princeton leads, 59-8
Watch Live | Live Stats
 
Today’s Game
After playing seven of its first nine games on the road, the Dartmouth men’s lacrosse team returns to the friendly confines of Scully-Fahey Field for two of its last three regular season games, beginning with a big matchup vs. No. 20 Princeton on Saturday. Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+. Saturday is also Alumni Day, which will include the 2003 Ivy League Championship team returning to campus 20 years after its 11-3 season. The present-day Big Green stand 6-3 on the season, 1-2 in league play, just half a game out of fourth place.
 
Dartmouth has lost two straight games on the road, at Cornell and Yale. Most recently against the Bulldogs, Yale scored eight times in the first and second quarters, and the Big Green couldn’t dig themselves out of the hole. Dartmouth outscored the Bulldogs 4-2 in the fourth quarter and 6-5 in the second half, but it was too little, too late in a 21-11 loss.
 
One bright spot was the Big Green offense, which scored double-figure goals, for the eighth time in the first nine games of the season, the first time that’s happened since 1995. Sophomore Quinn Moore led the offensive effort, tying a career-high five goals, four coming in the first half. Two  classmates scored twice as well in Brandon Ventarola (two goals, two assists) and Colin McGill (two goals, one assist). McGill has recorded three or more points in all but one game so far this season and he’s up to 24 goals, 14 assists and 38 points on the year. McGill is quickly coming up on the most points scored by a Big Green player under head coach Brendan Callahan (whose first season was 2015). The distinction currently goes to George Prince, who recorded 25 goals and 19 assists for 44 points last season.
 
An impressive distinction for Dartmouth has come on the man up. The Big Green were 1-for-4 at Yale, giving them an extra man goal in each of their first nine games of the season. It’s the first time that’s happened under Callahan. Dartmouth and Syracuse are the only remaining Division I men’s lacrosse teams to have scored a man-up goal in every game played this season. Dartmouth, Syracuse and Marquette are the only three to begin the season with nine straight games with a man-up goal (Marquette had 10 straight games with one to start its year).
 
Transition play, along with faceoffs hurt the Big Green on Saturday, with the Bulldogs winning 22-of-34, marking the third straight game Dartmouth has won fewer than its opponent. In goal, freshman Sam Cooper made a career-high 15 saves while in front of him, fifth-year Peter Rizzotti and sophomore Griffin O’Neil each caused two turnovers.
 
With a Win…
– Dartmouth would win its seventh game of the season, marking its most wins in a season since 2008.
– The Big Green would clinch a winning regular season record for the first time since 2006 (when they were 8-7).
– Dartmouth’s 7-3 record would be its best mark after 10 games since 2004 (when the Big Green were also 7-3).
– The Big Green would win a second Ivy League game in a season for the first time since 2010 when they finished 2-4 with wins over No. 6 Cornell (8-6) and Penn (15-11).
– Dartmouth would improve to 2-2 or better in the Ivy League for the first time since 2005 (the Big Green were 3-1 after four league games that season).
– The Big Green would snap a seven-game losing streak against Princeton and beat the Tigers for the first time since Apr. 13, 2013, a 10-9 win in Hanover.
– Dartmouth would win its ninth all-time game against Princeton, making the all-time series 59-9.
 
Scouting Princeton
 
Princeton is in the midst of an up-and-down season, currently standing 20th in the USILA Coaches Poll and 19th in the USA Lacrosse Magazine Poll. The Tigers are 4-5 overall, but 2-1 in Ivy League play, with wins over Yale (23-10) and Brown (16-12). Princeton was ranked No. 6 in the preseason Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and reached as high as No. 3 after two early-season wins.
 
Princeton is led offensively by Coulter Mackesy, who leads the team in goals (33) and points (47). Alexander Vardaro is second in points with 33 via 16 goals and a team-leading 17 assists. Included was a 10-point effort against Yale behind eight goals and two assists. Sam English has added 20 points for the Tigers via seven goals and 13 assists. Faceoff specialist Koby Ginder leads Princeton in groundballs (27) while winning 57-of-124 faceoffs (46.0). He has split time with Tyler Sandoval, who has won 44.9 percent (48-of-107) with 16 groundballs. Beau Pederson’s seven caused turnovers lead the defense.
 
As a team, the Tigers stand fourth nationally in fewest turnovers per game (13.78), sixth in saves per game (14.56), seventh in man-up offense (50.0) and eighth in assists per game (8.78). Mackesy is third nationally with seven man-up goals.
 
All-Time Against The Tigers
Princeton leads the all-time series with Dartmouth, 59-8, which includes seven straight wins. The last Big Green win came on Apr. 13, 2013 via a 10-9 final in Hanover. Last season, Dartmouth gave the No. 3 ranked Tigers a scare, falling 12-10 on the road. The Big Green took a 10-9 lead behind a Colin McGill goal with 12:27 remaining, but Princeton ended the game with three unanswered goals.
 
Drought Over
Dartmouth came back from a 9-5 fourth-quarter deficit vs. Harvard on Mar. 25 for its first Ivy League victory since 2015. The Big Green beat the Crimson, 10-9, behind a Colin McGill goal with 1:35 left in overtime. In regulation, the Big Green scored four goals in the span of 5:23 to force the extra session. Ironically, the 2015 win also came at home vs. Harvard, with that coming in double overtime. The Mar. 25 win marked Dartmouth’s first overtime win of any kind since that 2015 Harvard victory.
 
Surging Offense
Dartmouth’s offense has impressed this season, currently standing 29th nationally in scoring offense (12.89) with 116 goals through nine games. The Big Green already have almost as many goals as they did all of last season. Here’s a rundown of Dartmouth’s goal totals since 2008 in full seasons (excluding 2020 and 2021) for comparison.
 
2023: 116 (9 games)
2022: 123 (13 games)
2019: 101 (13 games)
2018: 110 (13 games)
2017: 92 (13 games)
2016: 89 (14 games)
2015: 114 (13 games)
2014: 99 (12 games)
2013: 109 (14 games)
2012: 123 (14 games)
2011: 131 (13 games)
2010: 113 (13 games)
2009: 121 (15 games)
2008: 150 (14 games)
 
Other items of note:
– The Big Green have reached double-figure goals in eight of the first nine games of the season, the first time that’s happened since 1995.
– Dartmouth has scored 17 or more goals three times: at Holy Cross (17), at Hobart (20) and at Hampton (18). It’s the first time that has happened since 1996.
– The Big Green have scored an extra man goal in each of their first nine games of the season. Dartmouth and Syracuse are the only remaining Division I men’s lacrosse teams to have scored a man-up goal in every game played this season. Dartmouth, Syracuse and Marquette are the only three to begin the season with nine straight games with a man-up goal (Marquette had 10 straight games with one to start its year).
 
Myers Named Midseason All-American
Off to an impressive start to the season, senior faceoff specialist Mitchell Myers was named an honorable mention Midseason Media All-American on Friday, Mar. 31. After the Cornell game on Apr. 1, Myers stood among the nation’s best in faceoff percentage (61.8) and groundballs per game (7.88). Myers was 16th nationally in groundballs per contest, and 17th in faceoff percentage, which are also good for first and second in the Ivy League, respectively. Myers began the season by winning 17-of-26 at Merrimack before winning 17-of-21 at Holy Cross and 19-of-23 vs. Siena. He won 21-of-39 at Hobart with a career-high 13 groundballs, one of four times this season with double-figure groundballs. At Cornell, Myers bounced back from a tough start to win 14 of his final 24 faceoffs. Myers also won five of his last six faceoffs taken in a comeback, 10-9 overtime win over Harvard.
 
Paradine Named Rookie of the Week Again & Named to USILA Team of Week
One day after earning Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors, freshman Emmett Paradine was named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) National Team of the Week on Tuesday, Mar. 14. Paradine is one of 10 student-athletes nation-wide recognized. He follows senior Tommy Rogan as Big Green named to the team this season; Rogan received the honor following the season opener at Merrimack.The two honorees are tied with Cornell for the most in the Ivy League through four weeks this season. Brown, Penn and Yale have all had one honoree thus far.
 
The honor came after Paradine was named Dartmouth’s fourth straight Ivy League Rookie of the Week to begin the year (and Paradine’s second in a row). He finished the 20-16 win at Hobart on Mar. 7 with 10 points via seven goals and three assists. Paradine became the first freshman nationally to reach double figures in a game this season and the first Ivy League freshman to reach 10 points in a game since Jeff Teat of Cornell during the 2017 season. Paradine had a hand in half of Dartmouth’s 20 goals for the game, with all of his points proving important in a high-scoring affair. Following a goal and two assists in the first half, Paradine exploded for six goals and an assist in the second half. There was one stretch in which he scored four goals in the span of 9:32 bridging the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarters, helping the Big Green turn a 9-9 tie into a 16-12 lead.
 
Road Warriors
The Big Green are road warriors in 2023, with eight of its 12 games coming away from home. Five of Dartmouth’s six nonleague contests were on the road, with the exception of the home opener vs. Siena on Saturday, Mar. 4.
 
Follow Along
Saturday’s game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Matt Corsetti on the call.
 
What’s Ahead
Following Saturday’s game, the Big Green hit the road for the final time this regular season, traveling to Penn on Saturday, Apr. 22 with opening faceoff set for 1 p.m.