Women's lacrosse looks to rebound after loss

While most Princeton students get a vacation, the women's lacrosse team embarks on one of its toughest weeks of the year. Facing all ranked teams, the Tigers will have a full week ahead of them, as they go to Charlottesville, Durham and play Penn State at Princeton, all in the span of seven days.

Coming off a disappointing 13-9 loss to the No. 3 Loyola Greyhounds, the Tigers have slipped in the rankings from No. 2 to No. 6.

Princeton had better get used to playing against the top teams in the country, as there are only five unranked teams on its schedule. And none of those games are next week.

In what they hope will be their first step toward a complete recovery, the Tigers will spend their first weekend of spring break in Charlottesville, Va., for a game against the University of Virginia.

The ninth-ranked Cavaliers (3-1) are coming off a loss of their own, a heartbreaking 8-7 defeat at the hands of the top-ranked Maryland Terrapins Tuesday. This loss should have the same effect on the Cavaliers as the Tigers' loss to Loyola. Both teams want to get back on the winning track.

A taste for redemption is not the only trait the two teams share. Both teams rely more on speed and strategy than muscle. Knowing this will be a hard-fought game, the Tigers anticipate a large contribution from every player on the team. With its share of stars, UVA will be a good test for the Tigers.

Three days after tangling with Virginia, Princeton will continue moving south until it hits Durham, N.C. In the second game of the week, the Tigers will face No. 4 Duke (1-1).

In another big matchup, this game will be a true test for Princeton. The travel-weary Tigers will be facing a well-rested Blue Devil squad also aching for redemption —looking to avenge an 18-11 loss to Maryland.

"Both UVA and Duke are strong teams and we're looking forward for the chance to get right back into the fire," head coach Chris Sailer said. "They are both well-balanced top 10 teams, and they'll give us a great opportunity to prove ourselves as a team."

Following the trip south, the Tigers will return home to regroup before taking on No. 15 Penn State on the final weekend of the break. The Nittany Lions (1-2) are coming off an 11-4 win over UMass. The return to 1952 stadium should provide the Tigers with a boost after the long road trip.

Princeton is optimistic about its chances for success during Spring Break. Having made good use of a one week layoff from competition, Sailer expects the team to play a tougher, more fundamentally sound game than it did in the Loyola loss.

"We're continuing to work on all phases of the game, especially our individual and team defense and ball movement on offense," Sailer said. "Our goal is to compete for the entire game, to stay mentally tough for the full 60 minutes and focus on the things we can control like effort, resilience and confidence."

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If the Tigers can improve upon their performance against Loyola, they could reasonably expect to be successful in the coming week. But the extensive travel and strength of the opposition will give Princeton little room for error.

The squad's veterans will have to provide much-needed leadership for the first tough road trip of the season. The Tigers will have to look to senior captain Dayna Federici and midfielder Julie Shaner. Junior attack Lauren Simone will need to contribute on offense.

If the week is in fact a success, Tiger fans can expect big things from this team.

"We're expecting solid games out of all our players next week," Sailer said. "I know that if our team comes ready to compete we can match up well against any team in the country."

This may not be the only time the Tigers face these teams. Duke, UVA and Penn State are all expected to make the NCAA tournament.

But the Tigers are not thinking that far into the future. Looking for strong wins in every game in the coming week, Princeton will have to remain calm and play its style.