Tops in Ivies, but weak outside, field hockey faces Old Dominion

The field hockey team stands poised to take home the Ivy League crown for the ninth straight year. Out of conference, however, the team has been anything but dominating.

The Tigers are 3-0 against their more familiar foes, annihilating Yale, Columbia, and Dartmouth by a combined score of 22-2. Yet, they are just 1-3 in non-league games, their only win coming in Wednesday's 10-1 thrashing of an overmatched Rutgers team.

Saturday, Princeton hosts Old Dominion, the No. 4 team in the country. Currently ranked 14th in the nation, Princeton has proved it can compete with top quality opponents. The Tigers have yet to prove, however, that they can beat an elite team.

Last week, the Tigers battled top-ranked Maryland and No. 5 Michigan State, dropping both games 2-1. The Monarchs represent a third shot for Princeton at knocking off a top-five team.

"We have had the games in control and let them slip away," head coach Beth Bozman said. "The games told us what we're capable of."

Old Dominion, a perennial national power, has looked strong so far this year, going 9-2 while playing a very competitive schedule. Bozman pointed to the Monarchs' experience as a strong asset, noting that they returned most of last year's squad. In addition, their season started two and a half weeks before Princeton's did this year.

"We're playing catch-up with our schedule," Bozman said.

Despite the three early losses, Bozman has been very impressed by her team's play.

"I think we're playing the best we ever have at this stage in the season," Bozman said.

Based on this, she felt the Tigers would have a strong chance of defeating Old Dominion if they maintained their high level of play. At the same time, she definitely sees room for improvement.

"We need to finish...take advantage of offensive chances," she said.

Princeton's challenging schedule is by no means an accident. According to Bozman, the difficult schedule is one major reason that the Tigers are consistently head and shoulders above the rest of the Ivy League.

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"I definitely think our tough schedule is beneficial to us," senior tri-captain Ilvy Friebe said. "Even though it does hurt to lose those games...losing shows us what we need to work on."

Last year the Tigers defeated Old Dominion at home twice — an unprecedented accomplishment — winning 2-1 on both occasions. The second victory propelled the Tigers into the Final Four, where they lost to Michigan. Based on these defeats, ODU "has something to prove," Bozman said.

Princeton has understandably high expectations for this season. It returns all 18 letter-winners from last year's squad, the fourth in six years to reach the Final Four. Bringing home the school's first national title is a "realistic goal," Bozman said. "Last year we surpassed expectations...we set the stage for this year."

"Right now the Ivy League championship is our closest goal, but no one would be happy with just that," Friebe said. "We have incredible talent and team chemistry, and we know we can achieve great things this year."

Princeton has already proved it is the team to beat in the Ivies this season.

With a victory against non-conference Old Dominion Saturday, the Tigers can continue building their confidence in their pursuit of their ultimate goal — a national title.