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Tigers hope to protect home field against Yale and Penn State

Heading into the fifth weekend of the field hockey season, No. 20 Princeton (3-4 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) will welcome Yale (2-5, 0-1) on Friday and then Penn State (4-5 overall, 1-2 conference) this Sunday. Coming off a dominant 7-3 victory over Dartmouth last week, the Tigers embark on yet another weekend of Ivy League play mixed in with difficult non-conference play.

Prior to last weekend’s win, Princeton field hockey had felt the full brunt of its schedule’s difficulty. While the Tigers have now won the Ivy League Championship for 10 consecutive years, this year’s schedule includes the top four teams in the NCAA: Connecticut, Syracuse, North Carolina and Virginia. In preparing for Yale, the Tigers hope to carry the momentum of last week’s victory.

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Fortunately, the Tigers hold a dominant history over Yale. In fact the Bulldogs have only defeated the Tigers twice in program history, with the last Bulldogs victory over 30 years ago in 1977. This season, the Bulldogs have continued to struggle, having won just two of seven games. A win for Princeton would mark the first time this season the Tigers have balanced their losses with wins.

However, the Tigers are far from comfortable as Penn State awaits on Sunday. While Penn State may not incite as much as the nation’s top teams, the Nittany Lions managed to oust Princeton last year in a 5-2 rout. At the peak of the Lions’ offense, Penn State scored four consecutive goals. A win for the Tigers would not only give the team a winning schedule but also a sense of redemption.

In terms of specific players to watch, freshman striker Sophia Tornetta has now won two Ivy League Rookie of the Week Honors just a few games into her young tenure as a Tiger. En route to her most recent award, Tornetta scored two goals and earned an assist over Dartmouth. As a freshman starter, the Pennsylvania native already ranks second on the team in assists and points.

At a national standpoint this far into the season, the Tigers rank 10thin goals per game (3.57). Furthermore, senior goalkeeper Anya Gersoff has been an anchor for the Orange and Black defense, ranking ninth in the nation in saves per game (6.71).

Talent and past successes abounding, the Tigers reach a crossroads this weekend. Two losses would put the Tigers on the path to an unusually short season. On the other hand, victories could prepare the Tigers for difficult non-conference games in the weeks to come.

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