Women's lacrosse dominates Columbia

For women's lacrosse over the past seven seasons, games against Columbia have adhered closely to a satisfying script — the Tigers win their opening game of the Ivy League season and score at least 15 goals in the process. Princeton (6-0 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) continued this trend while cruising to a 17-6 victory in New York last night.

The script of Tigers vs. Lions, Part VIII, was an artfully-crafted showcase of Princeton's complete team effort featuring superior speed, defensive prowess and ball control. Every single Tiger team member recorded playing time, and 11 different players scored at least one goal en route to Princeton's 15th consecutive victory over two seasons.

"We really played well," head coach Chris Sailer said. "We dominated in all aspects, limited their ability to take any shots on cage in the first half and moved well across the field."

Any faint hope Columbia (5-2, 0-1) held of pulling off the upset began to evaporate in the game's opening three minutes as Princeton capitalized on two free position shots. After 27 minutes of play and nine Tiger goals, that hope had completely vanished.

In Princeton's outstanding first half, the team outscored the Lions, 11-0, outshot Columbia by a 25-2 margin and controlled 10 draws to the Lions' two.

Both senior attack Theresa Sherry and junior midfielder Lindsey Biles recorded three goals in the first half before resting in the second. They led both teams in scoring on the night. As the starters sat in the second half, the Tigers' depth was on display. Although the Lions outscored Princeton, 6-5, in the final 24 minutes of the game, the substitutes were able to gain valuable playing time. Freshmen midfielders Caitlin Reimers and Alex Gangler both notched their first career goals, and sophomore attack Olachi Opara recorded her first goal of the season. Freshman attack Mary Minshall led the bench with two goals and one assist.

Approaching history

As the Tigers edge increasingly closer to their goal of eclipsing the team record for consecutive wins, which currently resides at 20, they face their toughest competition of the season this Friday. Georgetown, Princeton's primary challenger for the top national rank, is a formidable foe.

"The early part of the season is over, and we're well into the heart of our season," Sailer said. "Playing the top competition early is critical for shaping our season. We're confident because we like the way the team is playing right now."

The Hoyas (5-0) seem indomitable in almost every respect. Not only have their players commanded either the Big East offensive or defensive Player of the Week honors every week since the season started, but four of their five victories have come against nationally-ranked opponents. After being placed sixth in preseason polls, Georgetown has steadily climbed up the ranks and currently rests at No. 2 in the nation. All signs indicate an extremely close final score when these two teams face each other. The Tigers have faced the Hoyas nine times in program history, and seven of those games have been decided by two or fewer goals. Last year, Princeton barely escaped with a 13-11 overtime victory.

Georgetown's offensive load has been shouldered primarily by attacker Sarah Oliphant, the only Hoya to have a double-digit scoring total. Although the team enjoys a balanced attack with seven players who have five or more goals on the season, shutting down Oliphant also yields the probability of shutting down the heart of the Hoya offense. In Georgetown's closest game this season, a 9-8 victory over Duke, Oliphant notched only one goal. If the Tigers can prevent the Hoyas from establishing their offensive rhythm, their victory should be assured.

"We need to play good individual defense and good team defense," Sailer said. "With Georgetown, any player is a scoring threat. We'll have to put forth another complete team effort."

Georgetown goalie Sarah Robinson may be the toughest obstacle that the Princeton offense has had to overcome so far this season. Boasting a .611 save percentage, her solid, dominating presence in the net has foiled her opponents and bolstered the Hoya defense.