For the field hockey team, this weekend could be the most important one of the season. On Saturday, the team will go head-to-head with nationally-ranked powerhouse Old Dominion University, and on Sunday its undefeated Ivy League record will be put to the test against Columbia.
On Saturday, Princeton (3-2 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) faces the Lady Monarchs (7-1), ranked No. 3 nationally, at Class of 1952 Stadium before traveling to face the Lions (2-3, 0-1) the following day.
Though these games are early in the season, they have postseason implications. To earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, the Tigers need to win the Ivy League title. If this happens, they could very well face the Lady Monarchs again.
For Princeton to be successful in its weekend games, it needs to have more offensive production from its starters. The three wins this season have all been one-goal decisions, and the team has yet to score more than three goals in a game.
Sophomore defender Leah Hoagland recognizes that scoring goals has been a problem this season.
"We need to find the back of the cage," Hoagland said. "Our offense has been doing a great job of generating shots and penetrating the circle, but without points on the board we'll have a tough time winning."
Fortunately for the Tigers, there are players with the potential to step up and score more goals. Their leading scorer, freshman attack Tina Bortz, has racked up three goals and two assists thus far, and has already won the Ivy League Rookie of the Week award twice this season. She notched both a goal and an assist in last Saturday's 2-1 overtime victory against Dartmouth (1-4).
Other players who could rise to the occasion are Hoagland and sophomore midfielder Katie Kinzer. Hoagland has two goals and an assist thus far, and Kinzer has two goals , including the game winner in Princeton's 1-0 victory over No. 17 William and Mary.
The Tiger defense has been solid thus far, and senior goalkeeper Allison Nemeth has played especially well. She has let in only nine goals in five games, and has a .700 save percentage. The dominating defensive play will be needed, especially against the offensive firepower of the Lady Monarchs.
Hoagland says that the team has been stepping up its play during practice to gear up for the test against the talented Old Dominion squad.
"This week, we have been working really hard," Hoagland said. "The only way to get ready for a team like ODU is to train as hard as possible and to push yourself every minute in practice. Our team has been doing a great job of pushing each other, and our practices have been really intense and game-like."
The Lady Monarchs are led by senior defender Caroline Nichols, who is a two-time Colonial Athletic Association player of the week. Midfielder Dana Sensenig is tied for 18th in the nation in goals scored per game, with a .88 average. Thus far, Old Dominion has beaten highly ranked opponents such as North Carolina, Duke and Penn State. The team's only loss came at the hands of No. 1 Maryland.
The fact that Princeton has a victory against William and Mary under its belt gives the team some confidence heading into the Old Dominion matchup, but Hoagland says her team is not taking anything for granted.
"It definitely doesn't hurt to feel a little momentum, but we are not counting on it," Hoagland said. "No matter what our record, ODU is going to be an incredible challenge for us."
On Sunday, Princeton travels to New York to face Ivy League rival Columbia. Though this seems like an easier test than the game against Old Dominion, two-game weekends are always tough and the Tigers will be playing the second on the road.
The Lions' leading goalscorer is senior attack Ramie Merrill, who has notched two goals and two assists. Another bright spot has been freshman attack Ariel Leon who, like Bortz, was honored with Ivy League Rookie of the Week. Columbia lost to Cornell, 3-0, in its only Ivy game so far this season.
If Princeton can win both games this weekend and keeps its Ancient Eight unbeaten streak intact, the team will have nowhere to go but up.
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