Field hockey set to take on national power UConn on Sunday

Hoping to continue its ascent in the national field hockey rankings, Princeton (10-3 overall, 5-0 Ivy League) will head to Storrs, Conn., this weekend to take on No. 10 Connecticut. The Huskies, who recently earned the Big East regular season crown for the fifth consecutive year, have continually been a challenge for the Tigers.

This year, however, Princeton will be entering the game with the higher slot in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I National Poll — at No. 6, the Tigers hold the exact slot UConn did when it faced Princeton last year.

In last season's game, the Tigers outshot UConn 17 to 13 and took 10 corners to the Huskies' six. Princeton, however, came up short on the scoreboard, 3-1. Earlier this season, the Tigers consistently found themselves with possession of the ball, yet they struggled to score. In recent games, however, they have managed to overcome this obstacle.

In last weekend's victories over Ivy rival Harvard and national powerhouse Penn State, Princeton upped its intensity and got to the goal faster, earning a lead it did not squander. Crucial to these kinds of wins are the Tigers' veterans, senior captains and forwards Hilary Matson and Melanie Meerschwam.

Matson is undoubtedly among the best forwards Princeton field hockey has ever seen, serving as the Tigers' offensive backbone. She leads the team in both goals (10) and assists (10). As a two-time All-American and NCAA all-tournament team member, she adds experience to a young squad that starts several underclassmen.

The Tigers, who currently rank No. 9 offensively, will also need Meerschwam to perform as strongly as she has in the past. As last year's leading scorer with 14 goals and 31 assists and a 1999 second-team All-American team, Meerschwam has proven herself a reliable offensive player.

Dynamic duo

In order for the Tigers to defeat this UConn team, they will have to contend with the Huskies' star senior forwards, Amy Herz and Laura Klein.

Both All-Americans, Herz and Klein, lead one of the strongest front lines in field hockey. Last year, Klein and Herz combined for 79 points and were integral components of the team that won a school-record 23 games.

Klein was lauded as the Big East Offensive Player of the Year this season after racking up 50 points on 17 goals and 16 assists. Herz also continues to prove herself offensively as she currently holds the No. 15 slot in the nation with 11 assists on the season. Matson ranks just behind Herz in 19th place.

UConn suffered a surprising 2-1 overtime loss to underdog Northeastern last week amid heavy rain showers. Failing to keep their heads in the game, the Huskies allowed an early lead to vanish and turn into an eventual upset. Narrowly outshooting Northeastern, 13-10, UConn still failed to come out on top.

Like the Tigers, the Huskies will be hoping to better their performance Sunday by maintaining their energy for the entire 70 minutes of playing time and turning out more shots on goal. UConn ranks just behind the Tigers in offensive scoring, in 13th place.

After Sunday, Princeton will look to the following week with hopes of solidifying its seventh consecutive Ivy League championship and a subsequent bid to the NCAA tournament. The Tigers will travel to Ithaca, N.Y., Oct. 31, where they will compete with Cornell before heading home to host Penn on Friday night.