Field hockey wins Ivy League play, loses to No. 1 UConn Huskies

On Monday, the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches' Poll placed Princeton field hockey at No. 14. The Tigers also have earned a No. 11 spot in the Division I RPI rankings. These standings come after a 1-1 weekend for the Orange and Black with games against the Colombia Lions and the UConn Huskies.

On Friday, the Tigers had the home field advantage at Bedford Field in Princeton. The game started off with strong Princeton offensive play at the 12th minute when freshman striker Emma Street scored her first collegiate goal, snagging a loose ball and slapping a reverse shot right past Colombia’s goalie. Princeton’s defense completely shut out any threats made by the Lions and freshman Marykate Neff followed Street’s first goal with two more to claim the Tiger victory. It took the Tigers three attempts after the freshman’s first goal to add to the board; but, with 13:18 to go, Neff brought the team back to life with a goal off a pass from freshman midfielder Clara Roth. Then, just 25 seconds later, Neff contributed another goal off a pass from freshman midfielder Julianna Tornetta. This game leaves Princeton undefeated in the Ivy League, with a stunning 3-0 record.

While the Tigers didn't see the same success on Sunday, Princeton played strong against the No. 1 team in the country, losing by only two goals to the UConn Huskies. The Tigers managed to get three shots off the Huskies — the most that UConn has allowed since Oct. 30, 2016. Princeton ended the game with a 16-8 advantage in shots and 7-3 lead in corners. The team’s goals came from junior striker Sophia Tornetta and senior captain Ryan McCarthy, who scored two.

With the loss, the Tigers fall to 6-6 for this season, while the Huskies maintain their status as the lone Division I undefeated team at 13-0. Next weekend, Princeton will hit the road again with a trip to Brown on Saturday at 12 p.m. and then a jaunt to Northeastern on Sunday at 1 p.m.