Turning the Tide

The Princeton coaching career of women's soccer's head coach Julie Shackford, coming into the 2001 season, was far better than average. In her sixth season at the helm, Shackford is the second-winningest coach in Princeton women's soccer's history, has led to the team to the NCAA tournament the last two seasons, and led the team to the Ivy League title last season, its first since 1982. But with all this success Shackford has never been able to achieve one thing — a win over Harvard.

The team, since its inception in 1980, hasn't had too much luck against the Crimson either. In the 21 full seasons played since that time – and 21 games played against Harvard — the Tigers have beaten the Crimson just four times, with the last victory coming nine years ago, in 1992.

So when Princeton squared off against Harvard Saturday in Cambridge, Mass., there was this history of bad luck and a long losing streak on the line. But there were more important things, too — there were memories of last year's loss to Harvard, 2-0, at home, a loss which blemished the Tigers unbeaten Ivy record at the time. There were visions of another Ivy League title and the first undefeated season in the team's history and, of course, there was the desire just to finally beat Harvard, if only because it is Harvard.

And so the Tigers did just that. In storybook fashion, freshman forward Esmeralda Negron netted the game winner in overtime to give the Tigers a 2-1 victory over the Crimson, ending Princeton's losing streak to Harvard and placing them atop the Ivy League alone for the first time this year.

But it wasn't pretty.

Princeton won a game in which it committed 27 fouls, in which it surrendered 13 corner kicks, and in which it was outshot 21 to four. But a victory is still a victory.

Harvard controlled most of the play in the first half. The ball was continuously in the Princeton defensive zone, and on more than a few occasions Princeton's goalkeeper Catherine Glenn made a big save to keep the game tied. Princeton escaped the first half unharmed, though, with the score tied, 0-0.

"We were disappointed with our showing when we came off at half time," junior midfielder Alex Fiore said. "We knew that if we kept up that kind of play we were going to have a long bus ride home."

The Tigers jumped out to an early lead in the second half off the goal of junior fullback Lynn Ariss. The goal, Ariss' first as a Tiger, came off a cross from the left corner from senior captain Linley Gober. Gober's pass soared over the heads of the Crimson defense and found Ariss, who was playing midfield at the time, open at the far post. But she wasn't alone. Her twin sister, Krista, a forward, was also positioned on the far post, and met the Gober pass with her foot just as her sister did. The ball rolled through the keeper's legs, and Lynn Ariss was credited with the goal.

"After it went in we just looked at each other in shock," Lynn Ariss said. "I think we should share the goal but they decided to give it to me, probably because I've never scored before."

Princeton held onto the lead late into the game, but the Crimson continued to attack. With under five minutes to go in regulation play, and the Tigers up, 1-0, a victory seemed imminent. But Harvard didn't think so. With time winding down Harvard forward Joey Yenne went in alone on Glenn and launched a rocket that found the back of the net to tie the game at one with just under four minutes to play. The score remained tied until regulation expired, and the teams went into overtime deadlocked at one.

Two seasons ago Princeton found itself in the same situation. With the score tied, 0-0, after regulation, the game went into overtime. Harvard took that one, 1-0.

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"The juniors and seniors were all reminded of the overtime loss at Harvard two years ago," Fiore said. "Getting scored on late in the gamewasn't easy. The difference was that we had been in situations like that before."

But ironically it was a freshman that would win this one for the Tigers. Ten minutes into the first overtime period Harvard was whistled for a foul. Sophomore midfielder Liz Bell took the free kick from the left side and played a cross towards the front of the Harvard net, finding Negron who vollied it in to the back of the net. The goalie never had a chance.

"This was the biggest goal I've ever scored," Negron said.

The 100-minute game tested not only the endurance and muscle of this Princeton squad but also its heart and character.

"After Harvard's goal, going into OT, everything that was said was motivational. We knew what was at stake," Fiore said. "We had a chance to do something that so many teams before us hadn't done. We were playing for ourselves and our seniors, but we were also playing for all those who had come before us."

Unbeaten and atop the Ivy League, alone, the Tigers are more than halfway on the road to a perfect Ivy League season never before achieved "by all those who had come before."