During the women's lacrosse team's streak of dominance over the past few years, no opponent has consistently beaten the Tigers more frequently than Loyola. So it was no suprise that, on Mar. 13, the Greyhounds were able to do more than give Princeton just a tough time.
But despite trailing 9-8 early in the second half, the Tigers (3-1 overall) exploded for six straight goals over an 11-minute stretch while holding Loyola (2-4) scoreless. With the run, they claimed a 14-9 lead. Two late Greyhound goals were not enough to close the gap, and tight Princeton defense cemented the 15-11 win.
In other early action over break, the Tigers traveled to Durham, N.C., on Wednesday and defeated Duke (6-2), 7-4.
Senior attack Lindsey Biles was the star in both games. After scoring four goals in Princeton's season opener, Biles quickly outdid herself against Loyola, scoring six goals.
Three minutes, 25 seconds into the second half, the Greyhounds' Kate McHarg scored her second goal of the game to give her team a 9-8 lead. But the margin was short-lived, as the Tigers rebounded to take a five-goal lead. Senior attack Ingrid Goldberg started the run with her score, and freshman midfielder Courtney Bird put the Tigers on top for good 16 seconds later. The onslaught was capped by two goals from Biles, effectively shutting down any hopes for a Loyola comeback.
"We came up with some big plays when we needed them," said junior attack Jamie Sundheim, who was sidelined with an ACL injury.
Defeating the Devils
Against Duke in Durham, N.C., on Wednesday, a bitterly cold day coupled with intense rain kept both offenses largely in check because of the difficulty of controlling the ball.
"It was a pretty scrappy game," Sundheim said. "The attackers couldn't feel their hands. It was not the prettiest game to watch."
The 32 combined turnovers contributed to the 4-4 deadlock after almost 55 minutes of play. Then, with 5:22 remaining, Biles hustled to make her most important contribution of the break. She stripped the ball from Duke goalie Megan Huether, who was behind the goal. Biles had nothing but air between her and the goal and added her second score of the game to break the tie.
"The best aspect of Lindsey's game is re-defending," Sundheim said. "Half the time you watch her in practice and you can't believe what she does."
Senior goaltender Sarah Kolodner made an exceptional save moments later to keep the Tigers on top. After that, Princeton was in control. The offense controlled the ball until 2:15 remained in the game, at which point sophomore midfielder Kathleen Miller added her first goal of the game to give the Tigers some breathing room. Senior attack Leigh Slonaker added another goal with time running down to give Princeton the 7-4 victory.
The Tigers had started the game with a 3-0 lead against the Blue Devils, but Duke was able to get right back in the game, pulling within one before heading into the locker room at halftime. The Blue Devils' Leigh Jester tied the game just 1:32 into the second, slipping the ball past Kolonder. A goal by Biles that put Princeton up by one was quickly answered by Katie Chrest. The score remained deadlocked at four before Biles came through with the goal that started Tigers' final 3-0 run.
Kolodner came through with a solid defensive effort in the low scoring contest. After giving up 11 goals in her previous game, she made nine saves against Duke, including the late key stop to keep her team up by one.
"The defense played great," Sundheim said. "For 17 minutes in the first half we had possession of the ball and didn't let them score."
For her efforts in the first games, Biles was named Player of the Week. She now has 12 goals in her first three games.
Senior midfielder Elizabeth Pillion also posted solid numbers, recording two goals and three assists against Loyola.
The two wins were Princeton's 23rd and 24th consecutive regular season wins.
"It was nice to have two big wins against top-ranked teams," Sundheim said. "I think it gave us a lot of confidence."
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