NCAA Lacrosse: Princeton Beats Harvard 14-6, Clinches Spot in League Tournament

It was a humid night in Princeton, NJ, and these teams had a lot more on their mind than lacrosse. A moment of silence was held during the pregame ceremonies to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon tragedy, which obviously hit close to home for the Harvard Crimson.

These two teams were tied in Ivy League play entering the game, with the winner clinching a spot in the league's postseason tournament. Essentially a must-win for both teams, it seemed that this would be a close game.

Unfortunately for Harvard, it was a long day away from home. Princeton jumped out to a 5-1 lead early, with Harvard making it 5-3 by the end of the first quarter. After those three goals, Harvard would not score for 31 minutes, allowing Princeton to coast to a big win.

Mike MacDonald shined on offense for Princeton, scoring four goals on the evening. Jake Froccaro had another excellent game on national television, as he and Kip Orban both recorded hat tricks. All-American Tom Schreiber was an assist machine, showing his superb vision by initiating his dodge from up top and pulling off seemingly impossible passes through the Crimson defense.

Carl Zimmerman scored two goals on the night, while Crimson goaltender Harry Krieger made 10 saves in the losing effort.

For Princeton, Eric Sanschagrin got the start in goal, replacing Matt O'Conner who had started every previous contest. Sanschagrin played well, making eight saves in the win. He was active in his communication with the defense, which was a good sign for a young player getting only the second start of his career.

Princeton struggled in their clears Friday night, something they must improve on before facing Cornell next weekend at Met Life Stadium in New Jersey.

With the win, Princeton clinched a spot in the postseason tournament. The tournament is hosted by the winner of the regular season title. Cornell will look to take that crown as they face Brown today. If Brown can pull off the upset, the winner of the Princeton-Cornell game will host the Ivy tournament.