Penn State tops Tigers

What began as the perfect season came to a disappointing end on Friday afternoon when the women's soccer team was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Tigers lost to No. 12 Penn State, 2-0.

The Nittany Lions came out firing and broke through the Princeton offense right after the kickoff, taking their first shot just 10 seconds into the game. Penn State continued to dominate offensively throughout the first half, outshooting the Tigers 14-0.

Christie Welsh scored the game's first goal just 12 minutes, 51 seconds into the game, with a hard shot into the top left corner of the net.

Just 39 seconds later, she did it again, with a chip shot from ten yards out that went over Princeton junior goalie Jean Poster's head. It was the first time all season that the Tigers had given up more than one goal.

The second half was somewhat more balanced, and Princeton was able to get some shots off. But though the Tigers were only outshot 8-6 in the second half, they were unable to convert any of their opportunities.

"They were very sharp, and when they scored two goals early it threw us off," head coach Julie Shackford said.

"I thought we played with a lot of character, especially in the second half."

"I think we were all disappointed to see the season end. One of our goals was to make it to the sweet 16," senior defender Kelly Sosa said.

"I think we had a difficult draw, and we knew that. Penn State was a very talented opponent and I think they have a lot of very gifted individual players."

Penn State went into the game ranked No. 12 nationally, with a 16-3-1 overall record (9-1 Big Ten). The Nittany Lions defeated host Maryland, 2-1, on Sunday in second round action, and will play Virginia in the third round next weekend.

Welsh, the Nittany Lions' leading scorer, won the 2001 Hermann Trophy, awarded annually to the top player in collegiate women's soccer, and is a candidate for the award again this year.

"We did our best to keep up the energy," sophomore defender Jan-ine Willis said.

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"We didn't let up. Things just didn't go our way. We have no complaints about our season. We're happy with what we did. [Welsh] is a great player. She did things that other players can't do."

For the seniors on the team, though, the loss took on an added meaning. "It's difficult to know this is it, and it's your last chance," Sosa said. "I think it makes it a little harder and a lot more final at the final whistle.

"It was a very disappointing loss, but I think we have to be proud of what we've accomplished this year."

The Tigers finished the regular season with an overall record of 13-3-1 (6-1-0 Ivy League) to win their third consecutive Ivy title. And for the first time in program history, the Tigers captured the title outright instead of sharing it.

"Obviously our first goal is always to win the title outright, which was a first this year and very special," Sosa said.

Princeton defeated every Ivy team except for Harvard in regular season play, and in addition to their title, the Tigers got plenty of recognition for their efforts. Senior defender Heather Deerin and sophomore forward Esmeral-da Negron were both first team All-Ivy selections. Freshman midfielder Emily Behncke earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors.

The Tigers also gained a lot of national recognition this season. Their 12-0 opening — the second-best in program history — made them the only unbeaten and untied team in Div. I women's soccer before they lost to Harvard over fall break.

Until that loss knocked them out of the national rankings, they had been climbing steadily. They reached as high as No. 15 in the coaches' poll and No. 9 in the SoccerBuzz.com poll.

"Even though we didn't come out with the best results at the end of the season, we were playing our best soccer at the end of the season," Sosa said.

"We had a very good year," Shackford said. "I know it's disappointing, but we hope to get back next year."

In other Ivy League tournament action, Yale upset No. 20 Villanova, winning on penalty kicks in a shootout following two scoreless overtime periods. The Elis lost their second round game to No. 18 Nebraska, 1-0.

No. 25 Dartmouth lost its first round game to Rhode Island, 2-1, in double overtime.