413wire

Photo by Dylan Belot – db.visualss

Riding the momentum of a top ten win 2 days earlier, Princeton defeated #1 UNC 11-9 at home. The Tigers were led by senior goalie Ryan Croddick, with 25 saves against a powerful Tarheels offense led by Dom Pietramala and Owen Duffy. The Tigers were led in scoring by Colin Burns with 3 goals, with UNC’s Pietramala tallying 2 himself. This win marked Princeton’s 3rd top ten win in a row after being upset by Penn State in their first game of the season.

Princeton regained the lead later in the first quarter as Colin Burns found the back of the net for the second time, giving the Tigers a 2–1 lead heading into the second. The early connection between Colin Burns and Nate Kabiri helped Princeton settle into the game offensively while North Carolina continued to look for answers.

The Tigers created separation early in the second quarter with goals from John Dunphey and Chad Palumbo to extend the lead to three. North Carolina answered midway through the period as James Matan finished off an Owen Duffy assist, but Burns responded soon after to complete his hat trick. Late goals from Duffy and Luke Bair, including a man-up opportunity in the final minute of the half, cut the deficit to 5–4 entering halftime.

Both teams traded goals throughout the third quarter as Nate Kabiri extended Princeton’s lead before Anthony Raio answered less than a minute later. Burns and Kabiri combined again during a key stretch to push the Tigers ahead 8–5 before Luke Macaluso scored late in the quarter to keep North Carolina within reach heading into the fourth.

North Carolina mounted its biggest run early in the final quarter as Dominic Pietramala, Gary Merrill, and Brevin Wilson scored three straight to take a 9–8 lead. Princeton quickly responded with Peter Buonanno tying the game before Tucker Wade restored the lead with under four minutes remaining. Kabiri added the final goal with 2:38 left to secure the 11–9 win.