With the women's soccer season winding down, a 2-0-1 Fall Break is something to be proud of.
True, but Princeton's target of the Ivy League title remains elusive.
At the beginning of the break, Harvard, Syracuse and Cornell each looked to spoil a successful Tiger season.
Princeton first faced the Crimson (5-5-5 overall, 1-2-3 Ivy League) in a tough league match in Cambridge, Mass. The Tigers sought revenge for the only blemish on last year's Ivy record, a 1-0 overtime loss to Harvard.
The Crimson got on the board first in the 12th minute. For the rest of the game, Princeton had to play not to lose against Harvard because a defeat would mean losing any chance to stay in the race for the league championship.
Fortunately for the Tigers, with just 20 minutes left in the game, sophomore forward Maura Gallagher finally found the back of the net after finding the goal post on two other occasions.
Neither team could convert in overtime, so the final score remained even, 1-1.
Dartmouth's tie with Columbia the next day prevented this Princeton-Harvard tie from knocking the Tigers out of the running for the Ivy title.
Relieved by this information, Princeton traveled to Syracuse, N.Y., on Wednesday to take on the Orange (9-8-1).
Gallagher fed the ball to junior forward Esmeralda Negron less than six minutes into the game for the Tigers' first goal, Negron's 12th on the season. Princeton got a little help from Syracuse on its next goal — an Orange defender accidentally headed a cross by junior forward Janine Willis into her own goal.
A Syracuse score early in the second half by Shana Thomas brought the Orange within one. But sophomore midfielder Emily Behncke's goal off an Elizabeth Pillion assist ended both the scoring and any chance for a Syracuse comeback.
The 3-1 victory meant double-digit overall wins for the Tigers this season. It also gave them confidence going into Saturday's match against Cornell, their final Fall Break contest.
This game featured the two top offensive teams in the Ivy League. Going into the game last weekend, Princeton had tallied 34 goals on the season, while the Big Red had chalked up 29.
If the Tigers had converted more of their chances into goals, they could have walked away with a blowout. However, Cornell escaped from Princeton with only a one-point loss despite being out-shot by a 24-1 margin.
The Big Red had only one good look at the Tiger goal in entire game, but that look was good enough for an early 1-0 lead. Cornell's Kara Ishikawa lofted the ball over the head of sophomore goalie Emily Vogelzang to start the scoring.
The Tigers were quick to answer, however. Three minutes later, Negron took the Big Red to school with a textbook goal. Junior defender Rochelle Willis sent a line-drive cross into the box for Negron to head in right over Cornell's goalie.
Negron's goal was her 13th on the season, tying her with Susan Mooney's single-season record set in 1981. But her team still had work to do for the win.
Princeton kept the pressure on the Big Red and pushed for another goal 15 minutes later. Negron headed a ball straight to junior forward Kristina Fontanez, who sent yet another header into the net. Going into halftime, the Tigers held onto their one-goal lead.
Princeton again kept the ball down arond their opponents' goal in the second half, but they did not add to their tally. A scoreless second half kept the final score at 2-1 in favor of the Tigers.
Essentially, Cornell fell victim to Lourie-Love Field, a death trap for every team Princeton has faced this season. The Tigers finished their home games with a 7-0-0 record.
The Harvard tie and the two Fall Break wins improved Princeton's record to 11-1-3, 4-1-1. But will that record be good enough for a share of the Ivy title?
A Dartmouth loss to Cornell and a Tiger win over Penn — the two teams' only remaining games — could mean a piece of the pie for Princeton. But at this point, the Tigers' goal of a championship appears unlikely.
All would not be lost in the worst-case scenario, however. Even if a share of the league championship is out of the picture, Princeton could earn an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament.
It was a successful Fall Break. Still, the Tigers can only watch and wait to see if their main goal for the season stays within reach.
Read More
Preview: No. 3 men’s lacrosse plays No. 5 Syracuse in NCAA quarterfinals
Hayk YengibaryanShould the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.
Should the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.
Six for six: men’s and women’s track and field both complete triple crown
Luke StocklessMen’s and women’s track and field each won the Ivy League title this past weekend, capping off a dominant season in which both teams won the triple crown — a feat not seen in 14 years.
Men’s and women’s track and field each won the Ivy League title this past weekend, capping off a dominant season in which both teams won the triple crown — a feat not seen in 14 years.
Nation’s No. 2 miler Mena Scatchard ’25 to transfer to Stanford for graduate year
Luke StocklessThe Tigers’ most decorated distance runner ever has decided to use her final year of eligibility at Stanford after graduating from Princeton this May.
The Tigers’ most decorated distance runner ever has decided to use her final year of eligibility at Stanford after graduating from Princeton this May.