After dominant start to season, field hockey's Friebe takes place as leader

Two goals against Northeast-ern. Three against Syracuse. Three more against Drexel. And four more against Columbia. In just one week, and in only four games, junior attack Ilvy Friebe has scored twelve times, making herself one of Princeton field hockey's strongest offensive weapons so early in the season.

Right from the start of each game Friebe makes her presence known, and remains a force until the final buzzer. Friebe's speed and strong stick skills have led the team to a four game winning streak already this season.

The junior hits the turf with more intensity game after game. However, it is her ability to maintain this intensity throughout the full 70 minutes of playing time that has enabled her to crush the competition.

During the Tigers' fourth game of the season against Columbia Wednesday, Friebe netted one goal in the first period and kicked off the second period with another goal at 33:14. She didn't stop at that. Nearly ten minutes later Friebe scored for the third time bringing the Tigers to a 6-0 lead over the Lions. Friebe still didn't let up, and with only thirty seconds remaining on the clock she capped off her amazing performance with another goal to end the game with Princeton's lead at 7-1.

This kind of performance has been pretty much typical for Friebe so far this season. Last season's second-team All-Ivy forward, who has played for the United States Junior National Team, notched her second and third career hat tricks during her second and third matches this year.

"I feel a lot stronger this year. After playing in the spring and summer on the under-21 team I feel a lot more confident on the field," Friebe said. "My support around me is really great. Everyone is working together really well. The midfielders have been a really strong backbone for me and have handed me some great passes."

Intensity and endurance, in addition to a newer, more confident attitude has made Friebe one of the strongest attacks in the league. Currently leading the Tigers, Friebe has already earned herself last week's Ivy League Player of the Week honors, a distinction she also won during her freshman and sophomore years.

"Ilvy is definitely more aggressive this year," sophomore midfielder Claire Miller said. "I think she has more goals in four games than she did all of last year.

"I'm not sure exactly why she has gained so much confidence, but I do remember how pleased she was with her play on the U-21 national team this spring. She was really a force on that team, and I think she just carried that momentum into this fall. Looking at all her skill, she has no reason not to be confident."

That confidence has turned Friebe into the one player on the field for the Tigers that other teams have to key on. Even if competitors find a way to deal with the speedy attack later in the year, opportunities will be opened up for other players on the team.

"Playing behind someone as talented as Ilvy has been a great hockey experience for me," Miller said. "It's hard work to stay with her, but I know when I feed her the ball, she's going to do something amazing with it. She is so skilled that she pulls the people around her up to a better level. She demands excellence on the field, and I know I have improved just being near her."

The admiration from her teammates is shied away from by Friebe who prefers to look at team goals before her individual performance.

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"The team is already working really well together," Friebe said. "We're a young team this year but in terms of experience we're not young. Our freshmen have a lot of experience playing on national teams and that background has enabled them to adjust to the collegiate level much faster."

Now the Tigers just hope all the players on the team can advance with the same leaps and bounds that Friebe did this season. If so, Princeton might be in for more title runs in the future.