Temple left praying for mercy by women's lax

The women's lacrosse team can finally be satisfied with itself. Following several disappointing performances over the last two weeks, Princeton ransacked the Temple defense on its way to a 19-6 victory Wednesday night.

Although the Tigers have yet to lose a game this season, they had not played up to their potential recently. Last week's win over Delaware was by no means pretty, as Princeton posted 22 turnovers. Against Cornell last weekend, the Tigers allowed a scrappy Big Red team to find its way around the crease much too often in the first half. Though Princeton is still No. 1 in the nation in Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association polls, the Tigers were unhappy about their spotty play.

Both of these previous games raised questions about whether Princeton could stop "playing down" to unranked opponents. But the Tigers gave a clear answer to these questions earlier this week.

Princeton (10-0 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) traveled to Philadelphia to take on the struggling Owls (3-6, 1-1 Atlantic 10). The Tigers showed no signs of the slow starts that had been plaguing them recently. An explosive opening let them dominate the pace of the game.

Princeton dissected the Owl defense like a seventh-grade science project. Junior attack Lindsey Biles kicked off the scoring drive practically at the first whistle, sending three goals into the back of the net in the first five minutes.

Temple goalie Megan McLouth was powerless against Princeton's offensive onslaught. Senior attack Liza Hillenbrand — back in action for the Tigers after a pair of injuries — fed her teammates for goal after goal, providing assists on five of Princeton's 13 first-half goals.

Tiger goaltender Sarah Kolodner and the rest of the Princeton defense did not allow Temple to get on the board until nearly 18 minutes into the first half. Kolodner split time in goal with freshman keeper Coleen O'Boyle, who played in the second half.

With a comfortable 13-1 lead at halftime, Princeton was able to coast to victory in the second frame. Though the Owls scored nearly as many goals as the Tigers in the second half — five to Princeton's six — the insurmountable halftime lead buried Temple for its sixth loss of the season.

Nine Tigers scored goals in Wednesday's contest, and Biles, senior attack Tara Hardiman and junior attack Leigh Slonaker each posted hat tricks on the night. Biles now leads the team with 32 goals this season. The team's 19 goals was a season high.

Princeton hopes to bring that offensive momentum back to New Jersey as the team hosts Yale (7-3, 2-1) at Class of 1952 Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

With a win over Yale, the Tigers could match their previous record of 20 straight wins. Princeton's current streak of 19 victories dates back to last April. The last team to beat the lacrosse powerhouse? The Elis.

Yale handed the Tigers their only Ivy League loss last season, quelling a Princeton comeback for a 7-6 win.

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The No. 1 Tigers are prepared to prevent such an upset against the No. 14 Elis this time. Both teams come into the game on winning streaks, as Yale has defeated its last three opponents. The Elis posted two-goal wins over Harvard and Rutgers after rolling to a 25-3 victory over Fairfield.

The Yale offense could pose a threat to Princeton. Senior Miles Whitman represents the Elis' most dangerous offensive weapon. She chalked up six goals against Rutgers to increase her season total to 29. Her unselfish style of play has led to 18 assists for a team-high 47 points on the season.

Whitman's teammates, especially senior Sophie Melniker and junior Katherine Sargent, are also threats to Kolodner.

Yale goaltender Lonnie Sarnell has her work cut out for her. The Tigers have been able to find and exploit the weak spots of each of their opponent's goalies in their recent games. Against both Delaware and Temple, the Princeton onslaught was so intense that its competitor had to bring in a reserve keeper.

If the Tigers can continue the consistent offense they displayed against Temple, chances are good that they can deny the Elis a repeat of last year's upset.