Updated: Villanova got out of the gate to a quick 2-0 lead, but that buffer wouldn't be enough to hold off the Tigers' attack. Princeton junior Jeff Froccaro burned the Nova defense for five goals and two assists, and Tom Schreiber added another six points through five goals and one assist to lead the way for a 14-8 upset of the No. 10 Wildcats.
After trailing by a point, 5-4, at halftime, Princeton went on a 6-3 run in the third quarter to get ahead.
The Wildcats lost five of the first six face-offs and went 14-of-25 for the game. Thomas Croonquist had 10 wins from the X, while senior Nolan Vihlen went 4-of-10.
Defensively, goalkeeper Dan Gutierrez made six saves while Princeton's Tyler Fiorito posted 11 stops.
Up next for Villanova, is a road trip to Byrd Stadium at No. 7-ranked University of Maryland this Saturday in College Park, Md.
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Coming off of a dramatic last-second comeback win on Saturday against the University of Pennsylvania, the Wildcats will take on another opponent from the Ivy League tonight at home. The win on Saturday propelled the 'Cats back into the USILA top-10. Their opponent, Princeton dropped to 16th this week in the same poll after losing to number-8 North Carolina, 8-7, at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic in Baltimore.
The Wildcats enter Tuesday's contest with a 4-1 record while Princeton carries a 2-2 record, with their other loss coming at the hands of powerhouse Johns Hopkins.
Senior Dan Gutierrez has started in goal for Villanova in each of the five games this season, averaging 9.58 goals against and a .529 save percentage. He is helped by defenders Chris Creighton, Ryan McDonagh and Chris Conroy, who have combined for 27 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers so far.
Creighton was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after collecting a career-high seven ground balls and four caused turnovers against Penn.
The Wildcats will have to key in on Princeton's Tom Schreiber, who leads his team with 18 points (8g, 10a). Tucker Shanley, Alex Capretta and Mike Grossman follow closely behind with eight points on the year, respectively. Princeton averages 10.25 goals per game on offense.
Princeton also surrenders 10.25 goals per game on defense, and a bad game by goalkeeper Tyler Fiorito over the weekend didn't help that number. Fiorito made only two saves against UNC, but is otherwise considered among the nation's best at his position, posting a 8.33 goals against average and a .432 save percentage.
His close defensemen, Chad Wiedmaier, Rob Castelo and Johathan Meyers have combined for 30 ground balls
They will have their work cut out for them, with Villanova's offense averaging 12.20 goals per game and a 64.5% shot on goal percentage. Will Casertano has been a potent offensive force with 19 points via eight goals and 11 assists while Kevin Cunningham, C.J. Small and Jack Rice have 15 and 14 points apiece. Rice leads the team with 14 goals.
Rice scored 4 goals in last season's match-up with the Tigers.
It will be the 5th-ever meeting between the two schools, with Princeton taking the first three games, before 1989. The most recent meeting was last season and was a 10-9 victory for the Wildcats in New Jersey. They will meet for the first time on the Main Line since 1989.