No. 18 Big Green Drop Slim 11-8 Final to No. 4 Princeton

Saturday, March 29

Hanover, N.H.

12:00 PM

Dartmouth College

7-2, 1-1Ivy

Princeton

6-2, 2-1Ivy

Princeton

Dartmouth

No. 18 Big Green Drop Slim 11-8 Final to No. 4 Princeton

3/29/2025 4:02:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Postgame Reaction

Mason Morel tied a career-high 21 saves in the defeat

By: Justin Lafleur

HANOVER, N.H. — The 18th ranked Dartmouth men's lacrosse team jumped out to a 4-1 early second-quarter lead, but No. 4 Princeton responded with a 7-1 run and wouldn't relinquish the lead as the Tigers downed the Big Green, 11-8 on Saturday afternoon. The Big Green made a late surge to within one, but couldn't come all the way back. Mason Morel was sensational in goal, tying a career-high 21 saves, which was originally set at Princeton last season.

After nearly 30 minutes without a goal, Dartmouth scored two straight and 3-of-4 to pull within one, but the Tigers scored the game's final two goals for the 11-8 final.

"Credit to Princeton," said Dartmouth head coach Sean Kirwan. "That's a heck of a program. Coach Madalon does a great job with that crew, so we knew we were going to have our hands full. I thought our guys competed. I thought there were some self-inflicted wounds that let the game get a little bit out of hand in the third quarter, but our guys rallied and kept it close throughout. Just really proud of the effort and their ability to stick together."

Three Big Green players scored a pair of goals, with Thomas Power recording two goals and an assist. Alex Jessey and William Stahl each had two. Colin McGill scored a second-quarter goal to extend his goal-scoring streak to 37 dating to the end of his rookie season.

Joe Azelby enjoyed a strong effort defensively with five groundballs, along with an assist. Spencer Reagan won 12-of-22 faceoffs with three groundballs.

Power opened the scoring at the 8:01 mark before the Tigers answered just 21 seconds later.

Jessey finished a nifty goal in front, assisted by Julian Navab, a the 2:29 mark, to give the Big Green a 2-1 lead. That began a stretch of three goals in 3:36. Stahl scored at 1:54 of the first quarter before McGill got on the scoreboard just 1:07 into the second, good for a 4-1 Dartmouth lead.

First-years connect! Jessey from Navab gives the Big Green a 2-1 lead against #4 Princeton!

Gameday Central ➡️ https://t.co/F5AtN4uAHo #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/Q9vnu5WBKI
— Dartmouth Men's Lacrosse (@DartmouthMLax) March 29, 2025

Princeton responded with seven of the next eight goals, capping off with three straight Colin Burns goals: with 2:48 left in the second quarter, 32 seconds into the third and midway through the third. That gave the Tigers an 8-5 lead with 8:09 on the clock.

That score held until almost a quarter later when Power scored his second of the day off a. nifty dodge and finish. Jessey from Azelby pulled Dartmouth within 8-7. Princeton's Nate Kabiri responded, but Stahl answered only 26 seconds later to make it 9-8.

Alex Jessey from Joe Azelby gets the Big Green back within 8-7!

Gameday Central ➡️ https://t.co/F5AtN4uAHo #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/N7HDqKEFpj
— Dartmouth Men's Lacrosse (@DartmouthMLax) March 29, 2025

The Tigers won the ensuing faceoff and scored the game's final two goals, however, for the 11-8 final.

Final shots were 60-34 in favor of Princeton while the Tigers held a 37-29 edge in groundballs. Tigers' goalkeeper Ryan Croddick finished with 13 saves, six in the fourth quarter, including an incredible point-blank stop of Jessey with just over a minute remaining. Morel's 21 saves gives him 14 or more in each of his last four games.

"It starts and ends with Mason Morel in the goal," said Kirwan. "He's been able to keep us in a lot of games all throughout this year. While we're trying to figure things out, he's still been making saves to keep us in the game."

How about Mason Morel in that first quarter?! This was his sixth save of the stanza, with the only goal coming on the 10-man ride.

Gameday Central ➡️ https://t.co/F5AtN4uAHo #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/FYzWo2LbcN
— Dartmouth Men's Lacrosse (@DartmouthMLax) March 29, 2025

The Big Green return home next Saturday to host No. 13 Harvard at 1 p.m.

"Today is a really humbling reminder that if we don't come and we don't play our style of ball and play up to our potential, the teams in our league are very talented and will make you play," said Kirwan. "Certainly not a lot of smiles in that locker room, no moral victories. We've got to get back to work, we've got to get better. But to see our guys compete and fight until the end is definitely something I'm proud of."