Field hockey faces Ivy foe, national power

Opportunity.

It has been a recurrent theme of the field hockey team's season thus far. Three times this season, Princeton (7-3 overall, 4-0 Ivy League) has faced teams ranked in the top 15 nationally, gunning to pull off an upset and establish itself as a national contender.

This weekend, the Tigers have yet another opportunity to establish themselves on the national stage. Sunday when they host No. 7 Old Dominion (10-4) in their final regular season home game.

First, however, they need to take care of Ivy League business Saturday. Princeton travels to Brown (7-4, 2-1), looking to strengthen its stranglehold upon the league race.

In each game, the Tigers played well, even dominating for stretches. Princeton controlled the flow offensively, creating a plethora of scoring chances. Nonetheless, after each game, the Tigers found themselves on the losing side of a one-goal thriller.

So why can't Princeton break through? Simple: the Tigers haven't taken advantage of their opportunities.

The most egregious example came last Sunday against No. 13 Connecticut. Despite out-shooting the Huskies, 23-11, the Tigers still lost, 2-1. Clearly, creating scoring changes has not been the issue — converting upon them has.

"We're not getting many high quality shots," head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn said. "It comes down to making choices in the circle. We're not recognizing what the goalie is doing at all, which is a huge problem."

Not surprisingly, Holmes-Winn stressed finishing techniques throughout the week during practice. The focus has been on improving "first touch" skills — when the attacker first receives a pass — and deciding which skill to apply.

For example, in some instances, it's crucial that the attacker gets the shot off as fast as possible, requiring a quick push shot. On the other hand, if the attacker has plenty of time to work with, she might wind up for a powerful blast. Or, if the goalie has dropped to the ground, a simple lift would do the trick.

Making the right decision often comes down to awareness, both before and after the pass is received. Attackers must keep their heads up to see the defense develop, in the same way that a point guard must do so to see the full basketball court.

"Physically, we have all the skills, but we need to be smarter with our decisions in the circle," senior captain midfielder Claire Miller said. "Mentally, we need a stronger sense of urgency."

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That same sense of urgency must also be applied to big games. The three tough losses haven't knocked out the Tigers, but the repeated body blows are beginning to take a toll.

"I can't deny emotionally it was a really tough weekend," Holmes-Winn said. "You start to think you're cursed."

The Bears, led offensively by Lizzie Buza and defensively by Meaghan Harwood, are not pushovers. Their aggressive play generally leads to close games.

The Tigers will attempt to attack with speed. Brown uses a 2-4-3-1 formation that is vulnerable to being stretched apart and beaten downfield by quick passing.

If Saturday's contest is another step in the long-road to a tenth straight league title, then Sunday's match-up is very much a statement game — and the Tigers know it.

"We definitely have the skill of a top-five team — we just need to prove it," junior midfielder Alexis Martirosian said.

The Tigers and Monarchs have a longstanding rivalry, thanks to an annual home-and-home series. Last season, Old Dominion took both games, after Princeton swept the previous year's. If the Tigers want to get back on top, they'll need to bring their 'A' game.

"ODU is traditionally very fundamentally sound," Holmes-Winn said. "Against teams that skilled, you need to make good skill decisions on defense."

The Tigers fully understand what they must do to accomplish their goals — both this weekend and over the rest of the season. But with each passing game, one fewer opportunity for perfection remains. Still, the Tigers are far from giving up hope.

"I have full confidence in this team and believe we are going to take the nation by surprise," senior captain Cory Picketts said. "Its more fun that way."