Slip sliding away


Monday, March 23, 1998	Slip sliding away On a rain-soaked field, No. 4 Princeton dealt Penn State its third loss By CHRISTY ROLAK Collegian Sports Writer The Penn State men's lacrosse team encountered a new type of poison ivy this weekend. The 15th-ranked Nittany Lions' (2-3) latest irritation was not caused by a toxic plant but by the Ivy League and national powerhouse Princeton. On Princeton's saturated and muddy field, the No. 4 Tigers handed the Lions a 13-5 loss.
`Penn State Men's Lacrosse Home Page`	Sparked by last weekend's upset win over Georgetown, the Lions charged the field with intensity and scored in the first 20 seconds of the game. The unassisted goal by attacker Chris Killoren gave Penn State its only lead of the game. For the remainder of the first half, the Lions played catch-up with the Tigers. Whenever Princeton (3-1) gained the lead, Penn State would respond to tie it. Tied at 5, with 2:16 left in the half, the Tigers scored two goals to take the lead that would last the duration. "Princeton just capitalized on our mistakes," Penn State defenseman Chris Schaller said. "We turned the ball over a few times. It got the flow going their way in the third quarter."
Penn State's Chris Killoren looks for an open teammate in a game against Hobart last season. The No. 15 Nittany Lions were dealt a 13-5 loss by No. 4 Princeton in New Jersey. (Collegian Photo/David S. Spence - click for full size image)	The Tigers outscored the Lions 5-0 in the third quarter. The combination of Tiger attackers Jon Hess, Chris Massey and Jesse Hubbard proved too powerful for the Lions' defense. With three goals in the game, Massey's home field goal total reached 122, and he took second place on the Tiger career scoring list. "They possessed the ball very well," Penn State midfielder Tim Eldridge said, "and they took advantage of our defensive breakdowns. They basically picked up and took possession." By denying the Lions any scoring opportunities in the third quarter, the Tigers were on the path to complete domination. Although the Penn State defense allowed just one Tiger goal in the fourth quarter, the Penn State offense remained passive.
*"We turned the ball over a few times. It got the flow going their way in the third quarter."* - Chris Schaller, Penn State defenseman	"We protected the ball too well," said Schaller. "We didn't take enough shots. We didn't want to make mistakes. We didn't take the risks we probably would have taken against a team of lesser caliber." The intimidation of the two-time defending national champion Tigers coupled with the inclement New Jersey weather prevented the Lions from taking advantage of crucial scoring opportunities. But overall, Eldridge believes the rain and cold helped the Lions. "I think the weather would favor us," Eldridge said. "We'd rather play in weather like that. They are more into style and finesse. They don't prefer to play in sloppy weather." Whether or not the Tigers enjoy playing in the mud, they played well enough to hand the Lions their third defeat of the season. Despite the loss and their 2-3 record, the Lions returned to Happy Valley with strengthened confidence. "The score isn't reflective of the game," Schaller said. "We can definitely play with teams ranked in the top 10. I don't think we will lose another game this year."

Slip sliding away

On a rain-soaked field, No. 4 Princeton dealt Penn State its third loss