Connecticut will clash with field hockey in battle of top 20 teams

The field hockey team spent the majority of last season ranked in the Top 10, bulldozing their opponents out of the way to the NCAA quarterfinals. This year, under the leadership of a new coach, Kristen Holmes-Winn, the Tigers (6-2 overall, 3-0 Ivy League) seem to be headed for the same green pastures.

For the second week in a row, they clinched the No. 10 spot in the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association Division I National Coaches Poll — not as high as the recent past, but enough to maintain name recognition in the league.

This weekend they will be taking a short break from fellow Ivy League competitors to defend their turf against a pair of Big East opponents, Connecticut (8-4) and Rutgers (6-7) at Class of 1952 Stadium. The team will wrestle the Huskies on Saturday at 1 p.m. and complete the weekend with a clash against the Scarlet Knights on Sunday at the same time.

Last Saturday, Princeton registered a 2-0 victory over Cornell, boosting their overall record to 6-2, and furthering their Ivy League winning streak.

Early this week, Connecticut was trailing closely behind the Tigers at the No. 13 spot. After the Huskies' heartbreaking loss, 2-1, to No. 8 Boston on Wednesday, the Tigers are looking to pounce on the demoralized team.

Princeton has the power to go head-to-head with Connecticut. This non-league competition is a great opportunity for the team to gauge itself.

"UConn plays the prototypical, New England big-ball, aggressive style of field hockey that teams like Dartmouth, Harvard, and BU usually show us," sophomore attack Lauren Ehrlichman said. "I don't anticipate this game being any less physical, competitive, or fast-paced than our match with them last year." Last year, Princeton narrowly emerged victorious in a 4-3 double overtime nailbitter against the Huskies.

"If we let up for a second, UConn will surprise us and take us into overtime again," senior midfielder and co-captain Cory Picketts said.

So what does Princeton need in order to finish on top this weekend?

With a team like Connecticul, Princeton's fate seems to rest on mental discipline. They need to concentrate on using the space, working the triangles, and making the simple pass. In the past few games, the Tigers had difficulty executing this smart, fast-paced style of field hockey for a full 70 minutes.

Dominating, but improving

"The team has been dominating, but we are still having a hard time in the circle," senior attack and co-captain Claire Miller said. "We are outshooting our opponents, but need to put more shots in the cage." The Tigers need to capitalize on their scoring opportunities, work on shot precisioin and clean up their basic fundamentals.

The Huskie hype has no doubt captured the spotlight from Rutgers this weekend. Princeton's national rank and current record boasts a clear advantage over the unranked team. Regardless of the Tiger's domination last season, Sunday's game against these underdogs cannot be taken lightly, lest an improved Scarlet Knight squad surprises Princeton.

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"We had an opportunity to watch some film of Rutgers, and they are a much-improved team from last year," Ehrlichman commented. "They have a great first-year leader, Liz Tchou, who coached in the [Atlantic Coast Conference], probably the most competitive league in Division I.

"So, I think we can expect some new things from them in terms of corners and set pieces, their attacking style, and even their mentality. We need to play them as hard as anyone else on our schedule."

Victories against Connecticut and Rutgers will serve as a measuring stick for future matchups. This game will provide excellent competition for the following back-to-back weekend when the Tigers visit Brown, and then host NCAA semifinalist Old Dominion.

"We have all the necessary components of a championship team," Ehrlichman promised. "The skill, extraordinary chemistry, work ethic, desire to win — but what we have lacked so far is the ability to play consistently. The fate of this team is in our own hands."

Before they can look to their opponent, they must first look within themselves. The game must be won on the practice field before the first whistle blows this Saturday.