After loss, Tigers take it to Columbia

They say practice makes perfect; if you find yourself down and out you've got to get back on the proverbial horse. And this is exactly what the field hockey team (3-0 Ivy League, 4-3 overall) was forced to do after its 5-0 loss to No. 3 in the country, Old Dominion (0-0 CAA, 8-1 overall), on Saturday at Class of 1952 Stadium.

While a shutout is always a difficult hurdle to overcome, Princeton took the lessons learned from Saturday right into its Sunday game at Columbia (0-2, 2-5) and salvaged its weekend with a 4-1 victory over the Lions.

As dark clouds covered the field and rain drops came and went, Old Dominion posed as much of a threat to the Tigers as the weather, if not more so. While scoring didn't start until well into the first half, the Lady Monarchs wasted no time controlling the ball and made sure that Princeton had to work for every possession opportunity.

Old Dominion pounded senior goaltender Allison Nemeth, forcing her onto the ground and into numerous stacked-pad saves. Ironically, after spending so much time down, it was Nemeth's standing save attempt which resulted in the first goal, as Old Dominion attack Caroline Nichols' lofted shot deflected off Nemeth's blocker and over her shoulder into the goal.

Though the Lady Monarchs managed just one goal in the first half, they began a four-goal run in the second half that persisted without a Princeton response until the final whistle.

Even though the score seems to reflect a shocking loss, the Tigers and head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn, were glad of the opportunity.

"We've got to play these high-ranking teams," Holmes-Winn said. "Watching how we react against them shows us what we need to work on so that we're able to learn and build on our weaknesses now."

Old Dominion capitalized on every element of the game that could bring the Tigers down, especially finding ways around Princeton's solid defensive line. The Lady Monarchs' second goal, which came on midfielder Dana Sensenig's penalty stroke, was neither fancy nor overly strategized. Sensenig's shot found its way straight to the back of the net.

Old Dominion also used the entire field effectively, a skill that Holmes-Winn hopes the Tigers can improve upon. Lateral passes and quick field changes made up the majority of the Lady Monarchs' plays.

While the Tigers will be looking to improve on many of the issues faced yesterday, they will also be looking to maintain the defensive strength and effective field use that have worked for them so far in the Ivy League.

"Dominating in the Ivy League is our first priority," Holmes-Winn said. "We're always looking there first."

The lessons learned from the Old Dominion game helped Princeton extend its league winning streak to three the following day with a 4-1 win against Columbia.

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The Tigers first took advantage of an early penalty corner shot. Junior defender Micaela Vie Brock opened the play by passing the ball to junior midfielder Nicole Ng, who quickly handed it junior midfielder Paige Schmidt, effectively scoring the first goal of the game for Princeton less than three minutes into play.

Though Columbia successfully returned eight minutes later to bring the score to 1-1, the Tigers strengthened both the offense and defense, with sophomore attack Katie Kinzer leading the team. Kinzer wrapped up the first half by scoring on a rebound, putting Princeton up 2-1 – all they would really need.

The Tigers returned to dominate the second half, putting in two additional goals in a short span of 2:20. Vie Brock began the exciting second half when she deflected a corner shot to bring the score to 3-1. Kinzer returned for her second goal of the game, ending the game with a strong Princeton win.

With this strong rebound performance after the loss a day before, the Tigers have returned to their dominance over the Ivy League, which they won last season.