Early scoring helps field hockey dominate Cornell

On a cold and dreary day that seemed more appropriate for upstate New York than for beautiful central New Jersey, the field hockey team made sure its visitors from Ithaca did not feel too at home.

Princeton (6-2 overall, 4-0 Ivy League) dominated Cornell (2-7, 1-3) in the early going, scoring two quick goals in the first fourteen minutes. Although the Tigers wouldn't score again, the early cushion was all they needed in the 2-0 win. A combination of staunch defense and solid goaltending kept the Big Red off the scoreboard.

The Princeton offense controlled the action early on, posting eight shots in the first 10 minutes. On the other hand, Cornell could not get the ball across midfield on offense until eight full minutes into the game.

Only the strong play of Cornell goalkeeper Kaitlin Tierney kept the game from turning into a rout. The senior repeatedly made acrobatic stops from her back. Although the Tigers were fully aware of her tendency to hit the ground, they could not take advantage.

"We had no vision on the first touch," head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn said. "Right on the reception we should have been lifting the ball right over her."

Trouble converting on scoring chances did not prevent Princeton from continuing to create them. Quick attacks up the right side proved particularly potent. Several times junior midfielder Natalie Martirosian received long passes — often from sister Alexis, a junior attack — which started breakaways.

"In practice we worked on 'space balls' — passes into the open field rather than hitting the sticks," Holmes-Winn said. "The speed of our forward line makes us dangerous and lets us open up the field."

Eureka

At the 23:25 mark, the 'space ball' strategy finally paid off. Natalie Martirosian got behind the defense and pulled Tierney to the right. She then sent a perfectly-placed pass to sophomore attack Maren Ford, who was streaking down the left side unguarded. Ford had no trouble tallying the game's first score.

Just two minutes later, Princeton stretched the lead to 2-0 in a déjà vu moment. Once again, Martirosian got behind the defense and found Ford. This time, Tierney stopped the initial shot, but her flopping tendency finally caught up with her. Senior midfielder Claire Miller hopped over the sprawled Tierney, collected the rebound, and deposited the ball into the empty cage.

Although the Tigers continued to threaten throughout the remainder of the half, they could not manage to add to their lead. Statistics tell a story of dominance. Through the first 35 minutes, Princeton out-shot Cornell 15-2 and drew eight penalty corners to the Big Red's three.

The Tigers' early defensive success was mainly due to their not allowing Cornell — a quick team — any breakaway opportunities.

"We played them very tight and didn't allow them to generate any speed," Holmes-Winn said.

The second half

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The second half would not go as smoothly for Princeton. The Big Red played much more aggressively than they had in the first half, while the Tigers' offense began to sputter.

"We played a good 37 minutes — but games last for 70," Holmes-Winn said. "We were disciplined in the first half, but we lost structure at about the fortieth minute. And give Cornell credit — they picked up their game in the second half."

As the half progressed, the Big Red picked up more momentum. Overall, Princeton still out-shot its foes, 8-5. But, by the last 15 minutes, as desperation kicked in, Cornell turned up the pressure.

Luckily for the Tigers, freshman goalie Allison Nemeth came through in the clutch yet again. She made three tough saves, including one on a breakaway with just under five minutes to play.

Even more impressive was the save made by junior attack Lizzie Black, who found herself in the right place at the right time with nine minutes left in the game. After a shot got past Nemeth, who had been drawn out of the goal, Black found herself on the goal line. As the ball sped towards the empty cage at her shoulder-level, she calmly batted the ball out of harm's way.

By no means did Princeton play a perfect game. But, with the help of a little bit of luck, what the Tigers did do right was enough for a win.