Dan Cocoziello, Alex Hewit and Bob Schneider will be Princeton's three captains for the 2008 men's lacrosse season, head coach Bill Tierney announced. Cocoziello and Hewit have been teammates since the seventh grade at Delbarton School in North Jersey. Cocoziello, a defenseman, and Hewit, a goalie, were named the top players at their positions in Division I lacrosse for the 2008 season by Inside Lacrosse. Schneider, a midfielder, is a veteran scorer from Malvern, Pa.

"Alex Hewit assumed the captain's reigns of of the 2008 team, shortly after our last game in 2007," said Princeton head coach Bill Tierney. "He took off with that role in amazing fashion and has led the team through its summer transition and into our successful fall campaign, both on and off the field. As great a player as Alex is, he will no doubt go down as one of the best captains we have had here at Princeton.

"Dan Cocoziello, despite playing all of his junior year with a broken foot and sitting out this fall while recovering, has demonstrated why he is an emotional leader of this team. He has been tireless in his efforts to meld the newcomers with the veterans, and he has remained enthusiastic while helping his teammates throughout the fall on the field, in the locker room and in the weight room.

"Bob Schneider has truly emerged since September. He has been a solid player for us throughout his career, despite some injuries. This year, however, he has shown the ability to be a dominant player and a tireless leader for the 2008 Tigers."

The three will lead the Tigers into the 2008 season beginning Feb. 23 against Canisius at the Class of 1952 Stadium. The following week, the Tigers will play in the Konika Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

The Face-Off Classic, now in its second year, will again pair the four teams who have combined to win each of the last 15 NCAA championships, though the schedule will be reversed from a year ago.

Virginia and Syracuse will play the first game at noon, followed by Princeton and defending NCAA champ Johns Hopkins at 2:30. Both games will be on ESPNU.

Ticket prices for the event will be $10 each for groups of 10 or more, $15 for Lower Level reserved seats and $25 for Club Level seats. All seats are reserved. Fans interested in ordering tickets for the March 1 event can call the Baltimore Ravens box office at 410-261-RAVE or go to www.ticketmaster.com. Lacrosse fans can also go online to Faceoffclassic.com to download a ticket order form and find out the latest information regarding the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic.

2007-11-07