With two minutes, 14 seconds left in regulation, sophomore midfielder Katie Lewis-Lamonica made one of the most clutch plays of her career thus far. With the score tied at seven apiece, Lewis-Lamonica sent a bullet past Virginia goalkeeper Ginger Miles to give the women's lacrosse team the lead. Not done with her heroics for the day, Lewis-Lamonica then picked up a ground ball with 40 seconds left to run out the clock, sending the Tigers to a shocking win over the No.2-seeded Cavaliers and propelling the team into the quarterfinal round of the NCAA tournament.
The unseeded Tigers (12-5 overall, 6-1 Ivy League) upset the No. 2-seeded Cavaliers (15-3) in the opening round of the NCAA tournament in Charlottesville, Va., on Sunday afternoon by a score of 8-7. With the win, Princeton avenged a regular-season 16-3 blowout loss to the Wahoos when it mattered most.
In a strong offensive and defensive showing, the Tigers took an early lead and never looked back. Along with scoring the game-winner and four total goals on the day, Lewis-Lamonica also drew first blood in the game. With 6:04 gone in the first half, she scored an unassisted goal to put Princeton ahead, 1-0.
Shortly after Lewis-Lamonica's goal, sophomore attack Ashley Amo gave the Tigers a two-goal lead. After receiving a pass from freshman midfielder Katie Cox, Amo quickly found the back of the net.
Virginia was able to tie the game at two apiece with goals by attacks Blair Weymouth and Kate Breslin. But Princeton jumped back on top when Lewis-Lamonica scored her second and third goals of the game within a span of four minutes to put Princeton ahead, 4-2. Her third goal was assisted by junior attack Kathleen Miller, while sophomore defender Alison Murray was credited with the assist on goal number four. With 24 seconds remaining in the half, Murray scored a goal of her own to give the Tigers a three-goal lead heading into the locker room.
In the first half, the Tigers held Virginia to only three shots. They also outshot the Cavaliers overall, 22-17.
Amo started off the second half with two goals, earning a hat trick on the day. Her first goal came a mere 20 seconds into the second half. The second goal, which gave Princeton its largest lead of the game at five, came at 13:02.
With a 7-2 lead midway through the second half, it looked as if Princeton could run out the clock and coast to victory. But the Cavaliers would not go away without a fight. They went on a five-goal scoring spree of their own to tie the game at seven.
The first of these goals came from attack Megan O'Malley on a free position shot, the only such opportunity for Virginia during the day.
Virginia continued its comeback by scoring four goals within a span of under four minutes. Midfielder Kim Connors cut the Princeton lead to three on an unassisted goal. Then Breslin got her own hat trick with two more goals of her own. Finally, O'Malley scored a goal with 4:10 left in regulation to tie things up at seven.
But Lewis-Lamonica's goal, her 37th of the year, shattered the Cavaliers' hopes of a comeback. Virginia had some last-minute attempts, but junior goalkeeper Colleen O'Boyle made some key stops to ensure that the Tigers would go on to victory.
This game was rare because it cast Princeton as the underdogs. But the Ivy League champions played the role of spoiler well, eliminating the second-seeded Cavaliers in a thrilling fashion. The tournament was familiar territory for both teams, as at least one of the two has appeared in the last seven of eight championship games. Virginia obviously won't have the chance now. The victory also gave Princeton its 28th win in the NCAA tournament, second all-time.
The win, the Tigers' fourth straight, should give the team confidence heading into the quarterfinal round of the tournament. Princeton will travel to seventh-seeded Dartmouth on May 20, looking to avenge yet another regular season loss, as the Big Green beat the Tigers, 15-5, on April 22. Dartmouth will be coming off of a 9-4 victory over Boston University.
Certainly if Lewis-Lamonica has anything to do with it, vengeance will belong once more to the Tigers, who will be headed to the semifinals of the tournament.
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