-- [ From: Adam Wodon * EMC.Ver #2.10P ] --
 
> One possible factor in the race for the final 2 playoff
> spots - the Tigers are 9-7 in the last four games of the
> regular season since Cahoon took over (never worse than
> 2-2). For whatever reason, Cahoon's teams always start
> slowly and finish well.
 
This year, that can be attributed to losing 8 players to graduation or
otherwise, and playing 8 freshman on a regular basis, most of them up
front.
   To add some more fuel to the fire -- Princeton has played relatively
well against the league's top 8 except Clarkson and Harvard. They are 3-
4-3 against the other 6, including wins at Brown, and SLU, and home to
Colgate -- they have tied Cornell, RPI and Brown.  Harvard, however, is
a totally different team now (i.e. worse) then when Princeton played
them.
   Admittedly, however, it is absolutely atrocious that Princeton is 0-
4 against the league's other bottom 3 teams. A win in any of those
games and Princeton is in a tight battle for 8th (which they can still
get) instead of fighting for the playoffs.
   But, they know it, and get a chance at redemption with games against
Union and Dartmouth coming up.  They are 2-2-1 since coming back from
exam break, with wins over SLU and Colgate, and an OT loss to Cornell.
 
   I won't get excited until they beat Dartmouth and Union, as they
should, but Princeton will be tough in the playoffs.
 
   This has been a disappointing year, for sure, but thanks to 10 teams
making the playoffs and a weak bottom half of the league, this year is
still salvagable.  I think Princeton is no worse then equal to Brown in
overall ability, and they are 1-0-1 against them this year.
 
   The future is even brighter.  Princeton loses its best player in
Jonathan Kelley, HOWEVER, he's the ONLY loss up front, and Princeton
returns two players that sat out the year, plus some recruits up front.
They actually gain forwards over this year. Defense could be a problem
at first next year, but the way freshmen Acosta and Steve Shireffs have
come along, Princeton should be OK back there.
   The offense could be real fun, however.
 
AW
 
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