Streaking Tigers host cellar-dwelling Crimson

Following two of the most decisive victories the women's lacrosse team has posted all season, the Tigers hope to continue this streak of dominance as they face off against league bottom-dweller Harvard at Class of 1952 Stadium on Saturday.

Princeton's last two wins over Yale and Penn have been by margins of seven and six, respectively. The squad will look to take that momentum into this weekend's contest against the Crimson.

Harvard (2-8-0 overall, 0-2-0 Ivy League), on the other hand, has dropped its last two, including a lopsided loss to New Hampshire. The Tigers (9-2-0, 4-0-0) will have ample opportunity to make a strong statement to the rest of the league this weekend, possibly removing any doubts that they may not be in top form.

Top form seems to be exactly what Princeton has been approaching lately. Memories of a pair of early losses have largely been erased by five straight Tiger victories.

The squad has begun to demonstrate some of its versatility. The stomping of Yale was largely a defensive effort, marked by the exceptional play of sophomore goalie Colleen O'Boyle. Beating Penn, on the other hand, was accomplished through a combination of defense and outstanding offensive production — at one point the Tigers had scored nine straight goals.

Senior attack Lindsey Biles has been a primary reason for the team's offensive success. Biles' 154 career goals place her fourth on the all-time record list at Princeton. She would need seven goals against Harvard to pass former teammate Theresa Sherry '04 for third on the list.

Biles should be able to add to her scoring total. Harvard has struggled on defense all season long, given up 124 goals in 10 games. Of the three Crimson goaltenders, only one, Kathryn Tylander, gives up less than 10 goals per game. Tylander's .474 save percentage also leads the team, but she has not seen significant playing time since early in the season when she started two games. The Crimson's current goalie of choice, Caitlin Cahow, allows 13.14 goals per game and only stops .357 percent of the shots she faces.

Offensively, Harvard is not much better. Four Crimson players have 10 or more goals, including the team's points leader, Natalie Curtis. Curtis has 15 goals and three assists on the year. Despite this sufficiently balanced attack, Harvard has put up only 82 goals on 266 shots. Its opponents, on the other hand, have needed only 258 shots to get their 124 goals.

Princeton boasts both balance and output. Five Tigers have more than ten goals on the year. Biles leads all scorers with 34 goals, and senior midfielder Elizabeth Pillion has scored 23 on the season. Look for both to use their speed to exploit the much weaker Harvard defense.

Defensively, Princeton has really started to gel. The unit, which at the beginning of the year was certainly the least experienced part of the team, has learned from some tough early matchups. The Tigers have allowed a respectable 6.5 points per game in their last four. Head coach Chris Sailer has also been employing both senior Sarah Kolodner and sophomore Colleen O'Boyle to give the squad a one-two punch in goal. The duo appears to have given Princeton a much-needed lift.

With five games remaining in the schedule, the Tigers will certainly look to make a statement before heading into the playoffs. Harvard will bring a variety of weapons to challenge Princeton, but if the Tigers can perform as well as they did against Penn on Wednesday night, firing on all cylinders, a decisive victory may once again be a distinct possibility.