When No. 16 Temple comes to face the women's lacrosse team tonight at 7:30 p.m., it'll be bringing its "A" game to Class of 1952 Stadium. The Tigers (6-2 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) have come to realize that every team they play is motivated by Princeton's tradition and prestige — so much so that many opponents play their best game of the season against the Tigers. The Tigers have no easy games, and to win they must play at the highest level each time out.
"Every team that comes to play us brings their best to the table," sophomore defender Caitlin Reimers said. "We realize that [the game against Temple is] not going to be an easy fight, and we can't take it for granted."
Owls on the prowl
The Owls (4-2) are not to be overlooked, as they beat then-No. 2 Penn State, the team that ended Princeton's regular-season winning streak with an overtime victory in March. In light of that disappointing loss, the Tigers will be even more motivated to dominate against Temple.
The past two years, Princeton has clinched its victories courtesy of insurmountable early leads — last year the score was 13-1 in favor of the Tigers at halftime. Against this improved squad, the Tigers have to hope they will be able to jump out to a similar cushion.
"We're looking to come out really hard against them," Reimers said. "We need to play our own game and not lose focus."
Wanted: easy wins
Though fans may have enjoyed the Tigers' thrilling overtime victories against ranked teams in their last two games, the team itself knows that they shouldn't have been in that situation to begin with. Too many turnovers and poor execution early on have caused the team to allow its opponents to hang on in games in which they should be dominated. At the same time, the number of close games Princeton has faced has given them the confidence that they can pull out the victory against any opponent.
"Being able to pull off big wins is important for us later," Reimers said. "We have been able to make up for some poor performances early on and come up big when it really matters."
In addition to focusing on execution in the midfield, the Tigers have also been working hard to focus on regaining the ball when turnovers happen.
"We want to be able to have the foresight and urgency to make up for it [a turnover]," Reimers said. "We're not fighting hard enough to get it back."
Princeton has been anchored by the steady play of senior Sarah Kolodner in net. Kolodner was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week for her stellar play against Georgetown and Cornell. She made 16 total saves in the two contests, including a game-saving stop against Georgetown when she dove on the ground to block the Hoyas' final attempt and secure the win for the Tigers.
"She's so strong in net," Reimers said. "It's really encouraging for the defense — she's saved us so many times."
Glevin, Frengs dangerous
Temple is led by attacks Patty Glevin and Allison Frengs, who have combined for 26 goals this season. In the Owls' last game, a 14-5 victory over LaSalle to open Atlantic-10 conference play, Frengs notched five goals. Temple was also impressive in overcoming an 8-1 deficit against Old Dominion. Led by Glevin's four tallies, the Owls prevailed, 13-12, in overtime.
Against Cornell last week, Princeton continued its balanced offensive attack, as five players netted goals. Both experience and youth shone as freshman attack Ashley Amo scored a hat trick and senior Lindsey Biles tallied twice, one of which was the game-winner.
When no game can be taken for granted and the Princeton tradition must be preserved, the Tigers have no shortage of pressure on the field. Then again, that pressure is exactly the reason the Princeton players chose to play for the Orange and Black.
"We hoped to be under that intensity and the work ethic that demands." Reimers said. "That's why we came to play here."
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