The referee pushed through bodies, burrowing down through sweaty, kicking legs and linked arms, furiously trying to find the bottom of the human pile. The official, however, was ignored.
It was Mar. 19, 1999, the end of a 74-minute marathon between the Princeton and Virginia women's lacrosse teams, the end of three overtimes. It was the end of the Cavaliers' domination of the Tigers over three years, during which they won all four of their contests against Princeton.
In the final minute, tied 8-8, attack Tice Burke '99 scooped up a pass and crept out from behind the cage. Rolling around the crease, she backhanded the ball crisply into the net. End of sudden death overtime. End of game.
As Virginia requested that the referee check Burke's stick to make sure it met legal requirements, Tiger players roared out onto the field, burying Burke — and her stick — and screaming.
"It's one of those victories you just can't describe," Cristi Samaras '99 said three days later. "Even now it's difficult to look back and really come to grips with just how remarkable a game it really was."
Today at 3 p.m., the Cavaliers (6-2 overall, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) will have an opportunity to file the nasty memory away — under "avenged." And, if they need it, there is extra motivation. Ranked as high as No. 2 earlier in the season, Virginia recently sunk to No. 8. Princeton, ranked as low as No. 9, has risen to No. 2. In the weekly fan poll on the Cavalier website, 75 percent of respondents voted that Virginia deserved to be in the top five — or No. 1.
Watch out.
"They have every reason to be gunning for us," senior defender Molly Hall said. "I don't recall them ever being that low in the polls. It heightens the excitement. I think our whole team is really, really fired up for this game."
This means the Tigers have played harder in practice, trying to simulate game intensity. If effort drops, they encourage one another with reminders about the team they are going to play: It's Virginia — step it up.
Princeton has had experience avenging tough losses this season. March 15, the Tigers powered past Duke, 11-10, after losing last year, 11-8. Ten days later, they captured an even sweeter victory, stomping on Penn State, which had eliminated them from the NCAA tournament last year.
But the Tigers (5-1) are careful to keep their success in perspective. They work with a sports psychologist on relaxation techniques, how to focus and the mental aspects of individual games. This week, they concentrated on how to maintain their strategy in the face of potential prodding by the Cavaliers. After every game — no matter how spectacular the victory — the coaches detail every mistake, each physical or mental breakdown.
Whitewash
After crushing Columbia, 18-0, for the first shutout in the program's history — the Tigers were still not entirely satisfied.
"That is pretty ridiculous," sophomore midfielder Mimi Hammer-berg said of the score. "But we weren't even playing that great. We were playing down to them a little."
It is an astonishing statement — all the more so because it is true. Entering the season seemingly crippled by the loss of players like Burke and Samaras, the Tigers were not expected to be this good. In fact, they were not expected to be very good at all.
"It's still sort of a shock," Hammerberg said. "I think we knew we were good but we didn't fully realize our potential until we came out and won the big games. I mean you always set high goals for yourself, like winning an Ivy League championship. But we made these goals with a bit of hesitation."
After wins against Duke and Georgetown, they began voicing goals more smoothly — as if they believed in them.
"We were like, 'Oh my God, this could happen,' " Hammerberg said.
The Tigers will find out more about how realistic their championship aspirations are this afternoon.
"This game is huge," Hall said. "Virginia is always a top team. At least the three years I've been here, they've been to the final four. If we're going to do that, we've got to be able to beat Virginia.
"Virginia could easily be back at No. 2 in a week," Hall said.
If the Cavaliers can beat Princeton, that is.
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