Princeton could meet Johns Hopkins without McBride duo
Less than a week after No. 2 Virginia was forced to play against No. 5 Stony Brook without senior midfielders Shamel and Rhamel Bratton, Princeton could be in a similar pinch regarding Jack and Chris McBride.
The availability of the senior attackmen, who are cousins, for Saturday’s contest against No. 9 Johns Hopkins is unclear as both are nursing injuries. Chris McBride sat out the No. 8 Tigers’ 11-9 loss to No. 7 Hofstra last Saturday, and Jack McBride was forced to the sideline late in the game.
On Tuesday, coach Chris Bates characterized Chris McBride’s status as “to be determined.”
“He’s getting back out there,” continued Bates, who declined to elaborate on McBride’s injury. “We’re hopeful, but we just have to be cautiously optimistic. ... He is [back at practice], but it’s not full-go yet. So time will tell.”
Bates was similarly tight-lipped about Jack McBride’s injury, saying, “Not sure there either. That’s a little bit touch-and-go, and he’s to be determined as well. So I don’t know either way.”
Last season, Jack McBride (35 goals and 16 assists last spring), Rob Engelke (17, 21) and Chris McBride (16, 8) led the attack. With Engelke having graduated and Chris McBride out, Princeton started sophomores Forrest Sonnenfeldt and Luke Armour alongside Jack McBride, and junior Cliff Larkin got extended playing time, too.
Sonnenfeldt scored three goals, and Armour added two assists in the setback to the Pride, and Bates said the team is confident that that duo and Larkin could fill the void created by the McBrides’ absence.
“The three guys, Forrest, Luke and Cliff Larkin, have really had great falls and great preseason camps,” Bates said. “They’re learning by fire to some degree because now they’re being asked to play that many more minutes. I think that had an impact on the game. I think Forrest came out and played well early, and then in the second half, I don’t think we played as well or as experienced when we needed to in terms of our execution. Those guys have got to grow up quickly in order for us to be successful.”
