Field hockey hosts Northeastern in first round of NCAA tourney

Some people like to say that the best teams are those that treat every game the same and that play as hard in practice as they do in the most important game of the season. Others might argue that the best teams are those that rise to the occasion and play better when the season is on the line.

As the field hockey team prepares to host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament this weekend, it is looking to follow the latter model and bring its game to a new level. The Tigers have had a great season so far, as their 15-2 record indicates, but they know that getting by their next two opponents will demand a little bit more.

The momentary mental lapses and occasional sloppiness that have crept into a few of Princeton's games and, with two exceptions, have been overcome, will spell doom against top-ranked Old Dominion on Sunday and, possibly, against Northeastern tomorrow.

One of the Tigers' worries as they head into these weekend games is that their recent stretch of games might have been too easy. The last time the Tigers lost — 2-0 to Penn State — was more than a month ago, and since then, they have rarely been pushed.

"Our last three games have not been very challenging, which is to our disadvantage. We are still learning as a team, but playing against teams that we can beat without playing our best does not necessarily help," Friebe said.

The near disaster against Yale this past week is a case in point — if a team as hapless as the Elis could come so close to knocking off the Tigers, what about a powerhouse like Old Dominion? The sloppiness that was forgiven by Yale and other Ivy League opponents will not be without repercussion this weekend.

Saturday's opponent, Northeastern, was the second team that Princeton faced this year. The Tigers won that game, 4-2, but, since then, Northeastern has gone 16-5, and is a much improved team.

"They have changed, very much to their advantage," Friebe said.

If the Tigers manage to get past Northeastern, which will be no easy task, they will then square off against Old Dominion, the reigning national champion and No. 1 seed.

The Lady Monarchs are not unbeatable, as`the Tigers demonstrated in their 2-1 victory on Sept. 30, but they are extremely formidable opponents.

If there is one certainty about these next few games, it is that the results are extremely hard to predict. This season has been up and down for a number of teams, and any of the 16 teams that have made it this far are capable of beating any of the others.

For instance, Princeton lost to Penn State and Maryland but beat Old Dominion, which twice beat Maryland, which beat everyone else except Virginia, which did not make the tournament.

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In the end, the Tigers' presence in the Final Four will be determined by how well they compete and whether or not fate is on their side.

From the Tigers themselves, who probably know best, there are no bold predictions or frightened excuses, only cautious optimism:

"I feel that if every single person on the team plays their best and works hard, we have a fair chance of advancing to the Final Four," Friebe said.

"A lot is riding on these games but we understand that, and it only motivates us more. On our good days we can be the best team in the country, which is more than most teams can say," junior attack Emily Townsend said.

The Tigers can be a great team. Whether they will be remains to be seen.