Penn's Katie Cross, the Ivy League's leading scorer, netted three goals against women's soccer to lead the Quakers to a 3-2 victory Saturday.
While the Tigers' defense has been stellar all season, it was rendered powerless by Penn's determined junior.
"We've never had anyone score three goals on us," junior midfielder Catherine Byrd said. "Not many teams do that, so I think everyone was a little shell-shocked about that."
Early scores
With the weather frigid and windy and the sun glaring, Princeton's senior forward Theresa Sherry scored only one minute, three seconds into the game when she rocketed a shot past Penn's goalkeeper Vanessa Scotto.
But the Quakers' Cross returned with a goal four minutes later. Cross carried the ball down Princeton's right side and was met by junior defender Brea Griffiths, who attempted to confront Cross. But the feisty forward was able to fire a shot which, aided by a flukey bounce, slipped past sophomore goaltender Madeleine Jackson and into the open Princeton net.
The score remained tied until junior midfielder Elizabeth Pillion scored with only 2:30 left in the half. The goal, assisted by sophomore midfielder Maija Garnaas, gave the Tigers the lead after the first frame.
Head coach Julie Shackford advised her team at halftime that it should be especially mindful of the opening and closing minutes of the second half, as all of the first-half goals were scored in that period's opening and closing minutes.
Shackford's words would prove to be right. Only six minutes into the second half, Cross came up with her second goal of the game, which tied it at two.
Nearly 12 minutes later she found her third, the game-winner. Cross ripped apart Princeton's typically cohesive defense and, riding on her own talent, made the Tigers look like amateurs.
"For some reason we struggled to stay as a cohesive unit in the back," sophomore defender Romy Trigg-Smith said. "We didn't communicate as well as we usually do."
Even though Princeton struggled to control Cross, it dominated the second half but simply couldn't find the back of the net.
"We definitely dominated them," Griffiths said. "Cross was the only dangerous one. They looked to play her at all times."
In the last part of the game Princeton gave all that it had, with its defensive players taking a risk and pushing up to Penn's goal.
A final try
With fifteen seconds left sophomore midfielder Emily Behncke blasted a shot for a hopeful last second tie, but goalkeeper Scotto came up big and made a diving stop.
For the Tigers, more devastating than not being able to stop Penn's star forward are the repercussions of the loss. Princeton knew entering the game that it had to win to put it in the best possible situation for earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Now with the loss the Tigers must face the possibility of perhaps not making the tournament at all.
Living on a prayer
Princeton has made the tournament for the past four years, and in each of those three seasons there was no doubt that the team would earn a bid. If the Tigers do make the tournament, whose draw will be announced today, the first round game will most likely be against one of the top-ranked teams in the country.
The loss also ends the Tigers' hopes at winning their fourth-straight Ivy League Championship. Entering the season Princeton had won the league three consecutive seasons, and last year won the league title outright for the first time in its program's history.
The Tigers might find a bit of solace in the loss in the fact that Dartmouth defeated Cornell, 5-0. Had the Big Green lost, and the Tigers won, then the two would have split the league title.
But it wasn't meant to be.
"It is tough when the last game leaves such a bitter taste in your mouth," Byrd said. "There is a tendency to forget all the great things we've accomplished this season. We've competed well with some of the top teams in the country. Also, going the entire season with only two losses we have one of the best records in the game now."
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