Field hockey opens with 2-0 record

Stepping onto the field this past weekend for the first time since a season-ending loss to Maryland in the NCAA Tournament last November, the field hockey team made quick work of non-conference rivals Northeastern and Syracuse.

The Tigers first dropped the Huskies, 4-2, on Sept. 7, and then wiped out the Orangemen, 5-1, the next day.

Friday's meeting with Northeastern began and remained all Princeton.

With 16 minutes, 12 seconds left in the first half, junior attack Ilvy Friebe received a pass, deftly crept through the Northeastern defense, and placed the ball into the back of the net to put the Tigers up 1-0.

The Tigers dominated the rest of the half but were unable to build on their lead until freshman Ashley Sennett scored a goal with four seconds remaining off of a pass from fellow freshman attack Natalie Matirosian.

The tense atmosphere changed for good in the beginning of the second half, as goals scored by Friebe and junior Rachel Becker in the span of a minute gave the Tigers a four goal advantage.

The Huskies managed to creep within two goals late in the game, but it was far too little, far too late.

On Saturday against the Orangewomen, the Tiger attack was again led by Friebe. The junior scored three goals, bringing her total on the weekend to five and establishing her as a player to fear for whatever opponents await the Tigers this season.

Friebe began her barrage at the 29:27 mark of the first half, and then continued the onslaught with two second half goals that put an end to any hope Syracuse might have had for a comeback.

Sophomore attack Cory Picketts and junior co-captain Emily Townsend also added one goal apiece, providing more than enough cushion for stingy junior goalkeeper Kelly Baril, who allowed only one goal on the day and only three balls to get past her on the weekend.

According to head coach Beth Bozman, this weekend's performance was nothing out of the ordinary for an early-season performance: "For a first game, we had a decent showing."

Baril seconded her coach's opinion, explaining that, "our first two games were not our best showing, but we won, and that is what is important."

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

For a young team like the Tigers, even run-of-the-mill victories are significant and can give confidence to a young team that needs to start out on the right foot.

"These games showed us what we need to work on in order to improve. We won't make the same mistakes again," said Baril.

With these two wins behind them, the Tigers now begin to move into the heart of their schedule, facing Drexel on Thursday and Ivy League rival Yale on Saturday.

So long as Friebe and company continue to have the hot hand, though, the Tigers quick start just might keep rolling.