This Spring Break, women's lacrosse will attempt to hold onto its top national ranking while battling several other powerful squads.
The Tigers have been recognized by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association as the No. 1 team early this season. But this coming week's contests against No. 9 Virginia, No. 2 Duke and No. 14 Penn State pose serious threats to that top ranking.
Princeton (2-0) hosts the Cavaliers (3-1) in its home opener Sunday, March 14 in Class of 1952 Stadium. Though Virginia's hopes for a perfect record were shattered by an early 14-13 loss to No. 8 Syracuse, the team has several weapons on its side.
The Cavaliers have a dangerously fast offense fronted by one of the nation's leading scorers. Junior attack Amy Appelt has posted hat tricks in each of her first four games for an early-season total of 21 goals.
No team has found a way to shut Appelt down yet, but the Tigers could be the first. A solid performance in goal by junior netminder Sarah Kolodner, along with the continued defensive success of sophomore Lauren Vance and senior Mary Beth Hogan, could spell an end to Appelt's hat trick streak.
Virginia has proved itself capable of knocking down top teams already this year. The Cavaliers come into Princeton riding the high from a huge upset of No. 3 Maryland, 10-8, where Appelt put four of Virginia's 10 goals in the back of the net. It will be up to the Tigers to quell Virginia's momentum and force the Cavaliers to play the game on the host's terms.
No. 2 Duke (4-1) comes to town next, on Wednesday, March 17. The Blue Devils, who have also beaten Maryland, recently suffered a disappointing loss of their own to No. 12 Notre Dame, 11-9, to spoil their previously perfect 4-0 record.
The Blue Devils return nine starters from last year's NCAA Tournament squad for an experienced lineup.
One of those returning starters, sophomore Katie Chrest, led the team in assists, goals and total points last season. With a year's experience under her belt, Chrest again heads up the fierce Duke offense, where she is joined by an explosive freshman attack, Michelle Menser. The two have 14 and nine goals on the season, respectively.
No. 14 Penn St. (1-2) has had a disappointing start to its 2004 campaign. The Nittany Lions lost to James Madison and Vanderbilt, though they managed to slaughter Davidson.
Penn St. has returned nine players from last year's team, including a number of offensive weapons and several speedy midfielders. Its defense, however, is a weak area that Princeton will try to exploit.
The Tigers, already showing signs of a solid defense, are working to improve their offensive consistency. Junior attack Lindsey Biles and senior attack Theresa Sherry have given balance to the Tiger offense, while freshman midfielder Kathleen Miller has provided a new scoring threat for Princeton. In her two games as a Tiger, Miller has put up a total of five goals and three assists. This three-pronged attack should carry Princeton over the Nittany Lions.
The Tigers have already taken down Lafayette and No. 4 Loyola, but these Spring Break opponents might be less forgiving. Women's lacrosse needs to stand firm against Virginia, Duke and Penn St. to defend its place at the top.
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