Heeeeeyyyyyy, hey baby. I want to know if you’ll be my girl.
There were little more than two minutes to go in the NCAA men’s lacrosse championship game at Virginia’s Scott Stadium. The outcome had long been decided. All that was left was for Princeton to count down the final seconds to its seventh NCAA championship.
Heeeeeyyyyyy, hey baby. I want to know if you’ll be my girl.
From behind the Tiger bench, the playlist had only that one song, actually that one line, and it was playing on repeat, not from the speakers but from the throng of Tiger fans who were in full party mode. Nobody needed a reminder of the lyrics. It had been the Princeton goal song, and it had already been played 16 times.
Heeeeeyyyyyy, hey baby. I want to know if you’ll be my girl.
Princeton, the No. 1 seed, closed out its magical season with a 12th straight win, this one a 16-9 win over No. 2 Notre Dame to win the 2026 NCAA championship, the program’s seventh. By a nice twist of fate, it came on the same day that the most recent championship team was honored on its 25th anniversary.
THE MOMENT THEY BECAME CHAMPIONS ??#NCAAMLAX x @TigerLacrosse pic.twitter.com/3FzALusqg8
— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX) May 25, 2026
This game was essentially over by the time the 2001 team took the field for the halftime ceremony. After spotting Notre Dame a 3-0 lead in the first 4:49, Princeton then did what it has done all season — gone on a blistering run to bury its opponent. By halftime Princeton had ripped off 11 straight goals, turning that early deficit into an 11-3 edge at the break. Though Notre Dame twice got within five, the Tigers had all the goals they would need by intermission.
Heeeeeyyyyyy, hey baby. I want to know if you’ll be my girl.
It played three times in the first quarter to tie it at 3-3 and then an astonishing eight more times in the second quarter. Eight. It was an amazing barrage, with one impressive goal followed by another, not to mention a smothering defense that didn’t allow the Notre Dame to ever get into any sort of rhythm.
By halftime Chad Palumbo had four goals. Colin Burns would finish with three of his own. Both of them would make the all-tournament team, as would Nate Kabiri (1G, 3A) and Tucker Wade (2G). The Most Outstanding Player was goalie Ryan Croddick, who followed up his 20 save effort in the win over Duke in the semifinals Saturday with 13 more in the final against Notre Dame. All 13 came after those first three goals.
Notre Dame tried to make its run in the second half, but the mountain back was too steep. Any time it looked like the Irish would put pressure on the Tigers, Princeton answered with another goal.
And then all that was left was the celebration. The stands behind the Princeton bench were just jammed, and they all sang the Tigers to the finish line.
Heeeeeyyyyyy, hey baby. I want to know if you’ll be my girl.
It’s hard to imagine that any song ever sounded better.
