Princeton to host Broncs tonight

Last weekend, women's soccer faced the prospect of hosting a tough league foe riding a winning streak on a swamp-like field under menacing storm clouds. Yet, in a deus ex machina of which any member of the English department would be proud, the game was cancelled, and the sun broke through the seemingly ever-present storm clouds. Now, the Tigers (3-6-2 overall, 1-2-0 Ivy League) prepare to give a warm welcome back to Rider (2-12-1 overall, 1-6 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference), as Princeton takes on the Broncs at 7 p.m. Lourie-Love Field.

The game marks the first matchup between the two Mercer County schools since 1999, and only their fourth meeting overall. The Tigers hold a 2-1 lead in the overall Route 1 series.

For Princeton, tonight's game offers a chance to find its rhythm against a team that, while not exactly a pushover, allows more room for error than the top five national squads against which it has dropped one-goal games this season.

Despite Rider's lowly record and poor play this season, the Tigers are taking this game just as seriously as any other, especially since a strong performance in the five games still remaining this season could give them a fighting chance to make the NCAA tournament for the seventh year in a row.

"We're definitely not taking it for granted," senior forward Maura Gallagher said. "We had a tough practice yesterday and we're ready to play."

The Tigers can expect strong efforts from their captains and offensive leaders, sophomore midfielder Diana Matheson and senior forward Emily Behncke. However, the rest of the team, and especially the defensive unit, must find the consistency and intensity that have eluded them in so many games this season. The squad must use the contest against the Broncs as more than just training if they are to have any hope of salvaging their season.

Rider and Princeton are similar in more than just geography. Both had very successful winning seasons in 2004, with Rider advancing to the finals of the MAAC tournament and finishing with a 12-7-2 record and Princeton winning the Ivy League title and reaching the NCAA Final Four on a 19-3 record.

Broncs struggling

But the Broncs have had a difficult season so far, to say the least. In their most recent game against Saint Peter's, a team with which it shares the cellar of the MAAC, Rider outshot its opponent, 18-7, but still fell, 2-1, in double overtime at home. The loss is the Broncs' third in a row and their third loss in double overtime this year.

This year, both teams have been repeatedly frustrated while racking up loss after loss. Additionally, despite the fact that each team has very clearcut losing records, both the Tigers and the Broncs have outshot their opponents by a fairly wide and decisive margin.

Rider's leading scorer this year is Stephanie Madden, a dangerous forward who also has two assists. Forward Amanda Scully may be the most potent member of the Rider offense, however, as her two goals this year were game-winning goals in each of the Broncs' two wins.

The Rider defense has a number of holes that Princeton may exploit. Their goalkeeper, Kim Carter, has put up less-than-stellar numbers this year, offering the Orange and Black attack a goals-allowed average of greater than two per game.

The Tigers' game against Columbia that was originally scheduled for this past Saturday has been rescheduled for Nov. 1, at a time to be announced. Princeton resumes league action on Saturday when it travels to Cambridge to face Harvard.