A Thursday Catch-Up

TigerBlog had lunch with Craig Sachson yesterday, and that alone was enough to make yesterday an excellent day. 

It's been nearly five years since Craig left Princeton and the world of college athletics, one he'd been in for more than 20 years. He started as an intern at Princeton when TB called him out of the blue at the Trenton Times, where Craig had been working and where TB had first become impressed with his work.

At the time, Craig knew nothing about what athletic communications was. In his years at Princeton (and two at Cornell) he became one of the very, very best to ever do it.

TB was saddened when Craig left athletics. He understood it. Craig has two kids who somehow now are in 10th and sixth grade, and it's not always easy to be a parent when you have so many nights and weekends that require you to work. 

Like anyone who comes back after some time away, he was struck by how different the campus looks, especially the parts right around Jadwin Gym, and how many people who used to work here don't anymore. 

When you're here all the time, it's a gradual process, to the point that it's not something you necessarily notice. When you go away for five years, it's radical.

Anyway, having him back at Princeton was nice, even if only for a day. 

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The ECAC women's hockey playoffs come to Baker Rink this weekend as Princeton hosts Dartmouth in the opening round. Gametime Saturday is 3 pm.

In past years, the top eight teams in the regular season all advanced directly to the quarterfinals, while the other teams didn't make the tournament. This year, all 12 league teams are still competing, with the top four in the quarterfinals and the others in the opening round.

Princeton is the No. 7 seed, taking on the No. 10 seed Big Green. It's not best of three; instead, the winner of this game will advance to the quarterfinals, which will be best of three. The matchups for the quarters will be determined by the winners of this weekend's games, with the lowest remaining seed to play the No. 1 seed and so on.

All three games next weekend will be on the home ice of the higher seed, which makes this the final Baker Rink appearance of the Tiger seniors, including Olympic gold medalist Sarah Fillier, the nation's leader in goals per game.

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Speaking of Princeton women athletes who've won Olympic gold and then come back to compete for the Tigers, the other one won the championship at the World Aquatics Championships recently. Not shockingly, that Princetonian — Ashleigh Johnson — was named the top goalie of the tournament.

Johnson has already won two Olympic gold medals and has been named the top player in the world on more than one occasion. She made 12 saves in the final, which the U.S. won 8-7 over Hungary.

Princeton had two representatives on the team, along with Jovana Sekulic, who is taking the year off from school in hopes of being in the Olympics as well. Sekulic scored four goals in the tournament.

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How often does Princeton play the No. 1 team in the country? It depends on the sport. 

This weekend, the Princeton women's tennis team will be in Stillwater, taking on No. 1 Oklahoma State. The match in Oklahoma is the first of six non-league matches before the Ivy League opener at home against Penn on March 30.

Between now and then? It looks like this: Old Dominion at home (March 1), at Penn State (March 3), vs. Navy and Duke in Orlando March 11-13 and then Maryland at home March 20. 

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This weekend is also opening weekend for Princeton baseball and softball. 

The baseball team will be at UNC-Wilmington tomorrow through Sunday, while the softball team has five games at the Charleston Cougar Classic in South Carolina.

Your weather forecasts: Wilmington will have temps in the 60s, with the only chance of rain early Friday. Charleston will be the same, with temps about five degrees higher per day. 

If you are planning ahead, the baseball team will be at North Carolina next weekend, with games Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The men's lacrosse team will be in the area as well, at North Carolina Friday night and Duke Sunday afternoon. Of course, before then, it's Princeton at Maryland this Saturday.