W. soccer heads to Harvard looking to erase bitter memories

Last year the women's soccer team won the Ivy League title outright for the first time since 1982. It was a major victory. The trophy sits in the soccer office this year, not to be shared and handed off to Dartmouth or Penn in the middle of the season. However, even with this great feat accomplished, a thorn still sticks in the Tigers' side. This thorn is Harvard, who defeated Princeton last season, 1-0, in double overtime.

"Last year's game was a heartbreaker," senior co-captain Elizabeth Bell said. "It was our first loss of the season, and it was on our home field."

Beyond this devastating recent history Princeton's overall record against Harvard does not fare much better. The Tigers are 5-18 overall versus the Crimson and 1-7 under head coach Julie Shackford. For Shackford the rivalry got personal in 1999 when Harvard coach Tim Wheaton decided to eat a hotdog during the game, exhibiting that he had lost interest due to the Crimson's 4-0 lead.

Needless to say, Princeton is determined entering Saturday's game, which starts at 11 a.m. on Harvard's Ohiri Field.

"I know people on the team are psyched to play them so that we can get revenge," Bell said.

Though the Crimson will have home field advantage, all those on Princeton's current squad have only fond memories of Harvard's field. It was on that field that Prinecton's then-freshman forward Emeralda Negron netted an overtime goal to lead the Tigers to victory over their nemesis. Princeton hopes that history repeats itself.

The Tigers will need to come into Saturday's game mentally prepared. Both teams will be coming off a difficult week of midterms, though Princeton is ready for the mental challenge.

"Midterms are always tough, but this team has enough mental toughness and maturity to deal with it," Shackford said.

Moreover, the team learned a lesson in its loss to Dartmouth — good mental preparation is a must when it comes to away, early-day games. The Tigers lacked focus in the contest versus the Big Green, and it showed. The Tigers plan to come out strong right away against Harvard.

"Our game plan for Saturday is to take them from the start," Bell said.

Results from this season suggest that the Tigers will come out on top. Harvard is perennially a talented team, but its mediocre record suggests some struggles this season. Harvard is 5-3-4 overall and 1-1-2 in the Ivy League, compared with Princeton's impressive 9-1-2 overall and 3-1-0 league record. To Harvard's credit, it has played a very difficult schedule, which includes one-goal losses to No. 12 Penn State and No. 2 Virginia. Nonetheless the Crimson have not performed well in the Ivy League, having poor performances against Yale and Brown, teams that the Tigers beat.

Shackford expects Harvard to be just as strong as in years past, despite its mediocre results this year.

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"They are still a strong team, and we expect another tight contest with them," she said.

Today the Tigers are en route to Boston. Following this weekend's game against harvard, the team will travel again on Wednesday of the break to face Syracuse in what could be an icy game, given the possible cooler weather. After that game, the team will head home for a matchup with Cornell, its second-to-last Ivy game.

However, the Tigers cannot overlook Harvard. While the rest of the school is away on break, Princeton will have to maintain its A-game in order to have dreams of another Ivy League championship.

However, as the team heads North, it does so with a determined spirit.

"We are primed and up for it," Shackford said.