Even while they played what head coach Julie Shackford called "an ugly game," No. 12 women's soccer (8-1 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) defeated cross-state rival Rutgers (6-7 overall) by a score of 1-0 last night on a chilly New Jersey evening under the lights of Lourie-Love Field. A late charge in the final minutes by the Scarlet Knights wasn't enough to prevent Princeton from taking its 10th consecutive home victory, tying a school record.
The lone score for the Tigers came on a header from senior forward Esmeralda Negron in the first half from a corner kick by freshman midfielder Diana Matheson.
Keeping the ball in Princeton territory for almost the entire last 10 minutes, Rutgers missed opportunity after opportunity to even the score, including an open header chance in the final minute.
The first half was a struggle for control, which the Tigers wound up winning more often than not.
"It's always a battle with [Rutgers]," Shackford said. "It's pretty much always a one-goal game."
The goal by Negron came with 12 minutes, 40 seconds remaining in the first half, and puts her eight away from the all-time record at Princeton.
Coming out of halftime, each team was charged up, manifest in an increasingly physical game, heightened by the presence of vocal fans from both sides, a rarity in the friendly confines of Lourie-Love Field. By the end of the game, the Tigers had totaled 14 fouls to Rutgers' 13. This came to a head in a yellow card given to star Rutgers midfielder Carli Lloyd with 18:35 left in the second half.
As time wound down, Rutgers began to show its Jersey fighting spirit. With just under 10 minutes left, Rutgers forward Dominique Esposito had a strong shot that missed high by inches, jump-starting the Scarlet Knights offense, which outshot Princeton in the second half, 4-3.
In the last five minutes of the game, Princeton just couldn't get the ball to its offense and had its hands full just keeping the rock out of the net. Yet somehow the defense did just that and managed to dodge a bullet to end up with the win.
Despite coming away with the victory, the team wasn't pleased.
"We really didn't assert ourselves enough, didn't go at them enough. We need a more aggresive mentality," Shackford said.
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