Field hockey clinches 10th consecutive Ivy League title

For the field hockey team, Fall Break was a tale of two weekends.

Ranked eighth in the country heading into the break, the Tigers (11-5 overall, 6-0 Ivy League) would embark on two road trips. While the first weekend was one of Princeton's best of the season, the second was unquestionably the worst. If Boston was the Tigers' prosperous London, then Norfolk was their war-torn Paris.

With a 3-2 victory over Harvard (11-5, 4-2) on the first Saturday of break, Princeton clinched its tenth consecutive Ivy League title, extending its reign of dominance to a full decade. Losses by Harvard and Penn later in the week would hand the Tigers the outright NCAA tournament berth.

Although Princeton came away with the win in Cambridge, it was the Crimson who dictated play for much of the game. They outshot the Tigers, 18-10, and earned a 10-4 penalty corner advantage.

Harvard scored first, putting a rebound by freshman goalie Allison Nemeth roughly 13 minutes into the game. But sophomore attack Maren Ford tied the game just before halftime, blasting a bouncing pass from junior midfielder Kelly Darling into the cage.

Although the Crimson continued to control play, taking seven second half penalty corners to Princeton's one, the Tigers were able to convert on the few opportunities they could create. Meanwhile, Nemeth quelled the Harvard onslaught. She would be named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for an astounding fourth time in recognition of her performance.

Native help

Ironically, it was the team's two Massachusetts natives who came through. Sophomore attack Lauren Ehrlichman scored on a rebound off her own shot five minutes into the second stanza to give Princeton its first advantage. Junior attack Lauren Quinn pushed the lead to 3-1 less than two minutes later with an unassisted tally of her own.

The Tigers would need the insurance, as the Crimson pulled within one with 11.9 seconds to play. But it was too little, too late, to prevent Princeton from clinching the title on its archrival's home turf.

The Tigers' momentum easily carried across the Charles, as they thrashed Boston University (8-9) the next day, by a 5-1 margin.

Again Princeton fell behind early, as the Terriers scored just 1:17 into the game on a wide-open shot in front of the net. It would be all Tigers thereafter, however. Off a penalty corner opportunity six minutes in, junior attack Alexis Martirosian evened the game at one.

Just a few minutes later, junior attack Ashley Sennett beat the Boston goalie on a breakaway, giving the Tigers a lead they'd never relinquish. A goal just before the break from junior midfielder Shahrzad Joharifard made it 3-1.

Princeton dashed any comeback hopes, preventing the Terriers from taking a single penalty corner — let alone a shot — in the second half. Meanwhile, Sennett and Quinn each notched their second goals of the weekend.

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Unfortunately for the Tigers, they forgot to pack their good fortune for their second road trip. Much to their dismay, their southern hosts would be most inhospitable.

Friday afternoon, Princeton's five game win streak was snapped with a 3-2 loss at the hands of No. 14 William & Mary (12-4). Once again, the Tigers saw their opponents control the first half action. The Tribe out shot them, 11-4, en route to an early 2-0 lead. Unlike the games in Boston, this deficit would be too much to overcome.

Princeton narrowed the gap to 2-1 when junior attack Lizzie Black converted a penalty corner with time expiring in the first half, but the Tribe bumped the lead back to two seven minutes into the second.

The Tigers would dictate play throughout the final 35 minutes, earning nine penalty corners and firing eight shots. But they could only convert once, on an unassisted goal from Ford with eight minutes left, and departed disappointed.

It only got worse. Entering Sunday's contest with No. 12 Old Dominion (11-9), the Tigers seemed to be favorites. The Monarchs were riding a five-game losing streak, including a 2-1 loss at Princeton just two weeks before.

Evidently, the Monarchs were amply motivated by their recent struggles, as they walloped the Tigers from start to finish. Old Dominion led 4-0 at the end of the first half and continued to pummel Princeton throughout the second, for a 8-2 romp.

Three Monarchs scored twice, including Jenna McLane, who also added two assists. Goals by Joharifard and Quinn pulled the Tigers to 5-2 with 30 minutes to play, but that would be as close as they would get.