Down early, women's soccer storms back for OT win

It was another one-goal game, but Princeton will take this one. After trailing in the competition — a position the Tigers have been in only once this season — Princeton stormed back, scoring late in the first half and then netting one in overtime to take the win, 2-1, last night over William and Mary.

Princeton found itself down early. Just 20 minutes into the first half, William and Mary slipped a shot past senior goalkeeper Catherine Glenn. Playing a free kick 30 yards outside of the Princeton goal, William and Mary sent the ball high and at the net. The ball found the head of a Tribe forward, and beat an out-of-position Glenn.

Though the Tigers have only been down one other time this season — against the second-ranked UCLA Bruins, a game they eventually lost, 2-0 — they didn't lose their cool and quickly came back to tie the score at 1-1.

Just three minutes after William and Mary found the back of the net, sophomore midfielder Theresa Sherry scored on a corner kick, her second goal from that position this season. Looking to save a possible shot, the William and Mary goalkeeper misplayed the curving ball and barely got a hand on it.

Princeton dominated play from that point on, though it wasn't until four minutes into the first overtime that it finally showed on the scoreboard. With 20 remaining in the second half, the Tigers crashed the net play after play.

With 15 minutes to go in the game, freshman forward Kristina Fontanez received a cross from the right corner in front of the Tribe net. The ball, ricocheting off the diving keeper, found the foot of junior midfielder Alex Fiore on the other corner, who sent the ball in to Fontanez. Again the ball was saved.

But the feisty Fontanez, who scored the game-winner in Princeton's Sept. 23 win against Dartmouth, would have her revenge on this pesky keeper.

Receiving the pass from her freshman counterpart, fullback Janine Willis, Fontanez tipped the ball in past the William and Mary goalie, who let the crossed-ball slip through her outstretched hands.

The win, Princeton's seventh of the season, was particularly special for Princeton's head coach Julie Shackford, as she played at William and Mary and found herself against her former coach for the first time.

"It was nerveracking," Shackford said.