Tigers visit Blue Hens tonight

The last time the women's lacrosse team faced Delaware, the Tigers dominated en route to a 15-8 win. But when No. 3 Princeton (10-3 overall, 5-1 Ivy League) travels to Newark, Del., tonight for a 7 p.m. matchup with the No. 17 Blue Hens (8-5), it will face a team that has made a complete turnaround, inspired by a new head coach and a stellar freshman.

After a dominating win over Temple last Wednesday, Delaware has guaranteed itself a non-losing regular season — its first since 2000.

Head coach Kim Ciarrocca especially enjoyed the win, since she had spent 12 seasons as the Owls' head coach before taking the reins for the Blue Hens this year. She has not suffered during the transition, wasting no time in making her mark on the program and leading it to its best record in years.

Blue Hens well-tested

Though Princeton will be its most challenging opposition so far, Delaware has not shied away from tough competition, tallying a 3-3 record against teams ranked in the top 20 this season. The Blue Hens' game against the Tigers will be their last contest before the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, in which they are making an appearance for the first time since 2001.

Delaware is led by freshman Casey McCrudden, who has adjusted quickly to the college scene. She currently leads the team in scoring with 27 goals and has hustled to 22 draw controls on the season. Though McCrudden has been key offensively for the Blue Hens, their offense boasts a balanced attack.

Four players have scored more than 20 goals on the season, including McCrudden, Katie Muth, Becky Rausa and Erin Edell. Rausa led the team with a hat trick against Temple, but her passing is what aids Delaware the most, as she has tallied a team-high 14 assists this year.

The Blue Hens are anchored defensively in goal by junior Patrice Hughes, who has dropped her goals against average from 12.57 a year ago to 8.55 this season. This is undoubtedly a mark of not only her improvement, but also the improvement of the entire defensive unit.

While Delaware is riding a three-game winning streak, Princeton is not the undefeated team it was last season when it crushed the Blue Hens. After a tough loss to Dartmouth on Saturday, the Tigers will be looking to bounce back and defeat their non-league opponent. Since the Big Green captured the Ivy League championship with its undefeated season, Princeton needs to play well in its final few games — the Tigers face Brown and Maryland after the Blue Hens — to ensure a high NCAA seed.

Need to spread it around

The Tigers have a decidedly more lopsided offensive picture, which haunted them against Dartmouth. Senior attack Lindsey Biles, Princeton's leading scorer with 42 goals, was the focus of a Big Green defense that effectively clamped down on her.

Senior midfield Elizabeth Pillion, the only other Tiger with more than 20 goals on the season, suffered a hamstring injury that kept her out of much of the second half. Her status for the Deleware game is questionable.

With these two players not able to contribute as much as usual, Princeton was forced to use other scoring options. Freshmen midfielder Katie Lewis-Lamonica and attack Ashley Amo, who have become consistent scoring threats for the Tigers, had to step up. Lewis-Lamonica led the Tigers against Dartmouth with a hat trick. Sophomore midfield Christine Dobrosky was a presence for Princeton as well, coming off the bench to score two goals.

Defensively, the Tigers continue to look to junior Lauren Vance, who leads the team in caused turnovers with 26 and is second in ground balls only to senior goalie Sarah Kolodner.

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The last time Princeton and Delaware met, it was a sloppy game. In that contest, Biles put up a stellar performance for the Tigers, who easily pulled out the win.

Against last year's Blue Hen team, Princeton could get away with a mediocre game. This year, though, the Tigers will not be able to guarantee a win without solid performances across the field.