Princeton wins Ivy 3rd place with 59-0 win over Penn
Following a disappointing loss to perennial powerhouse Dartmouth in the Ivy League semifinals the previous week, Princeton arrived in Philly for the Ivy 3rd place playoff game against Penn. The Tigers spent the previous week working hard to prepare for the game
The last time the two sides had met on Penn’s home field in the fall, the game had ended in a highly contested draw. Princeton knew that Penn had also come very close to beating a very strong Brown team in their Ivy League semifinal, losing narrowly 39-33.
Princeton scored off of its very first possession and remained totally focused the whole game, which ended in a Princeton win. Senior co-captain and Man-of-the-Match fly-half, Phil Halsey chalked up this result to “a whole team effort” in which all positions took care of their assignments on offense and defense.
Senior co-captain Matt Hepburn added, “We scored really early on, and for most of the entire game, we were in their half of the pitch.”
The Tigers scored nine tries and seven conversions while allowed zero points, unlike the previous 33-33 draw against Penn. Freshman scrum-half Mike Rice noted that Princeton failed to capitalize on its halftime lead in its previous fixture.
“We’ve worked really hard this off-season and in-season, doing a lot of extra fitness and lifting,” Hepburn said of the steps the team has been taking. He added that the spring break trip to the Cayman Islands helped build skills and camaraderie among the squad.
Princeton Head Coach Richard Lopacki said, “We just caught Penn on a bad day as we know they are a very tough team with gifted athletes, great coaching and a deep roster of players." He went on to say, “Finishing strong meant a lot to our seniors. They led from the front all day and put their bodies on the line in every encounter."
Princeton closes out its season against Yale next Saturday in New Haven. The winner of this annual matchup receives the Koranda Cup, named in memory of Rob Koranda ’02. The Orange and Black won last year’s matchup ending a two year run of Yale victories. According to Halsey, in preparation for this opponent they will “keep to what’s been working.”