Women's lax to battle Dartmouth on Sunday

In what they hope will be an inexorable march toward lacrosse history, the women's team can now chant, "one down and three to go." Resolved to make their date with three-peat destiny, the Tigers took the first step in their personal four-step program to lacrosse excellence by vanquishing Colgate in their first-round NCAA championship tourney match, 18-6.

After jumping out to an early lead courtesy of five goals in the first 15 minutes, Princeton (17-0 overall, 7-0 Ivy League) used unrelenting defensive pressure to force Colgate turnovers and prevent the Raiders from establishing a rhythm to get back into the game. The Tigers' convincing win propelled them into second-round NCAA action and set up a repeat match with perennial league rival, Dartmouth (11-5, 6-1), who advanced after defeating New Hampshire by a 14-12 margin.

The Big Green scored three straight goals with less than ten minutes remaining to push the score to 14-10 and then withstood a late charge by New Hampshire to pull out the victory.

Dartmouth will look for revenge when they travel to Class of 1952 Stadium on Saturday to challenge Princeton. At the end of the regular season, the Tigers rolled over the Big Green by a decisive 17-8 score. The loss ruined Dartmouth's chances for an Ivy League title tie, and the team only made it into the NCAA tournament with the help of an at-large bid.

In their previous meeting, although the Big Green did an admirable job of shutting down senior attack Theresa Sherry and junior attack Lindsey Biles early, Princeton received crucial production from senior attacks Liza Hillenbrand and Tara Hardiman to ensure that the final score was never in doubt. Biles and Sherry soon found their rhythm and contributed greatly to the win, recording seven and five points, respectively. On the defensive end, Princeton absolutely stifled Dartmouth's primary scoring threat, Lana Smith, who notched only two goals.

Still, Smith will be the Big Green player to watch. She has recorded 11 more goals and assists than any of her Big Green teammates and her on-field leadership has been unparalleled.?

Although few teams have had success containing the depth of the Tiger offense, Dartmouth may have the ability to do so. The Big Green are fourth in the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing 7.27 goals per game. They are also known as one of the most physical teams in the nation, something Princeton found out the hard way last time they met. The Tigers were, however, able to exploit Dartmouth's reliance on the double team. Princeton spread the Big Green defense across the field and then displayed amazing vision to feed the open player.

Goaltender Devon Wills, last year's Ivy League Rookie of the Year, has anchored the impressive Dartmouth defense. She is currently third in the nation in goals against average. Wills singlehandedly protected the Big Green lead against New Hampshire with several saves on pointblank shots.

The goaltender the Big Green will face, however, has had an even more impressive season. Junior goalie Sarah Kolodner leads the nation with an impressive 5.93 goals against average. Added to her .551 save percentage, she is a formidable foil to any opponent's attack.

In order to continue their tournament reign, the Tigers will need to control the midfield region. Dartmouth has demonstrated its speed in transitions and proficiency in capitalizing on those opportunities, and Princeton is traditionally strong at defending set plays. Still, it is highly doubtful that anything the Big Green does will be enough to break the Tigers' drive to the championship.