Women's lacrosse improves to 3-0 in Ivy League with thrashing of Yale

Not even the unanticipated gust of snow flurries on the mid-April day could blow the women's lacrosse team off its course.

Soaring to their ninth-straight victory, the Tigers trounced Yale, 11-5, at the Class of 1952 Stadium on Saturday afternoon, extending their winning streak over the Elis to 11.

Four minutes into the second half, one minute after sophomore midfielder Theresa Sherry slung Princeton's eight-goal off an assist from senior attack Lauren Simone, the Elis won the ensuing draw and thought they had a chance to retaliate.

But junior defender Rachael Becker intersected the oncoming attacker who, helplessly, dropped the ball and then, even more helplessly, watched as Becker scooped it up and connected with senior attack captain Charlotte Kenworthy for the team's ninth goal.

This was just one play among many that seared any hope that No. 12 Yale might have had going into this game against No. 2 Princeton.

The Tigers dominated from start to finish, beginning early at 1:48 into the match when Sherry netted the first goal. She would score three more times after that, including the last goal of the game with two minutes left to play.

Head coach Chris Sailer had known what to expect from the Elis, fully aware that the team was particularly adept at forcing turnovers and scoring off of fast breaks.

Before the game, she had predicted, "We'll need continued strong effort in causing turnovers and being able to control the draws."

Her foresight explains the statistical lopsidedness and Princeton's domination in those aspects of the game Sailer had feared the most.

The Tigers controlled four more draws than Yale, caused five more turnovers, and scooped up three times as many ground balls.

In addition to goals from the veterans – Sherry, Smith, Kenworthy, senior attack Mimi Hammerberg and junior midfielder Alex Fiore – the freshmen proved to be a threat as well.

Midfielder Lindsey Biles and defender Elizabeth Pillion each recorded one goal for the Tigers.

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Another freshman, goaltender Sarah Kolodner, played the whole game and registered 10 saves.

Yet, although from a fan's perspective a win is a win regardless of the margin of victory, the players themselves were not wholly satisfied with their performance.

Becker, despite her personal feat of causing five of Yale's turnovers, recognized that there is still plenty of room for improvement.

"I think [on Saturday] our transition, both defensively and offensively, wasn't as good as it has been the last few games.

"It was really great to win but I don't think we came away feeling really satisfied about the way we played."

While victory is always a sign of a team's greatness, it is bringing these consistently high standards to each game that wins championships.

The Tigers will take a short respite from conference play when they take on Temple in Philadelphia this Wednesday. Then on Saturday they will travel to Harvard with hopes of extending their Ivy League record to 4-0.

The Tigers have six remaining games, of which four are against Ivy League opponents. The most important conference game for Princeton is against Dartmouth April 20 at Class of 1952 Stadium. The Tigers and Big Green shared the league title last season and have had an intense rivalry over the last few years.

The last time Dartmouth came to New Jersey, Princeton was ranked second nationally and led the Big Green late in the game. But Dartmouth mounted an improbable rally on a blustery day and forced overtime, during which a demoralized Tiger squad could only watch as the Big Green clinched victory and another Ivy League crown.