Princeton continued its early-season surge on Sunday afternoon, knocking off No. 1 North Carolina 11–9 at Sherrerd Field in front of 2,404 fans. The No. 7 Tigers were powered by a historic performance from senior goalie Ryan Croddick, who made 25 saves — the most by a Princeton goalkeeper since 1985.
Croddick was the story of the day, anchoring a defense that held one of the nation’s top offenses to just nine goals. His biggest moment came late in the fourth quarter with the game tied, when he produced three rapid-fire saves in a span of about five seconds, robbing Dom Pietramala twice before denying Luke Bair on the rebound.
The Tigers then capitalized on the momentum shift.
Tucker Wade gave Princeton the lead with 3:56 remaining, and Nate Kabiri extended it to 11–9 with 2:38 left after finishing a feed from Colin Burns. Croddick sealed the win in the final minute with another save and a caused turnover after stepping into a passing lane.
The victory capped an impressive weekend for Princeton, which also defeated No. 6 Syracuse 11–7 in the ACC/Ivy League Challenge. Over the two games, Croddick totaled 39 saves while allowing just 16 goals for a remarkable .709 save percentage.
Princeton controlled much of the early action against the Tar Heels. The Tigers led 2–1 after the first quarter and built a 4–1 advantage early in the second before North Carolina responded.
Owen Duffy helped spark the comeback, assisting on a goal by James Matan before the teams traded scores. North Carolina then closed the first half with consecutive goals from Duffy and Luke Bair to cut the deficit to 5–4 at halftime.
The teams continued to trade momentum in the third quarter, with Princeton holding an 8–6 lead entering the fourth.
North Carolina surged to start the final frame, scoring three straight goals to take its first lead of the game with 9:28 remaining. But Princeton answered immediately.
Peter Buonanno tied the game with 8:14 left before Croddick’s highlight-reel save sequence swung the game firmly back in Princeton’s favor.
Kabiri finished with six points (3 goals, 3 assists) to lead the Tigers offensively, while Burns added four goals and an assist.
For North Carolina, Duffy paced the offense with four points (1 goal, 3 assists) and Pietramala scored twice. At the faceoff X, Brady Wambach went 13-for-23 while collecting seven ground balls. Goalie Josh Marcus made 12 saves.
The win moves Princeton to 3–1 on the season and marks the Tigers’ third straight victory over teams that have been ranked No. 1 at some point this year, following earlier wins over Maryland and Syracuse.
North Carolina falls to 5–1.
Princeton returns home Saturday to face Rutgers in the Meistrell Cup, while the Tar Heels will host Brown in Chapel Hill.