October is the perfect month for field hockey. Crisp fall air, the comfort of season experience and the relief of playoffs still being fairly far away. Adrenaline is high and everyone is getting pumped. While most October games are played under sunny, fall skies, the field hockey team's (6-5 overall, 4-0 Ivy League) evening game against the University of Maryland (12-1, 3-1 ACC) at Class of 1952 Stadium on Tuesday was no less exciting.
Standing under literal and metaphorical lights, Princeton scored the game's first goal, but could manage no more as Maryland went on a four-goal run to cruise to victory, 4-1.
The first half was a flurry of quick passes and precision stickwork in both ends of the field. Maryland wasted no time in taking control, working the Tigers around the field. Yet Princeton anticipated the Maryland tactics well, and fought hard against the Terrapins' pace.
Watching for chances to intercept Maryland's long, crossfield passes, the Tigers frequently found themselves in the Terrapin defense zone. Once in Maryland's defensive circle, Princeton combined precision stickwork with crisp lateral passes to unnerve the Terrapin goalie, and off one such lateral pass sophomore defender Holly McGarvie knocked in the first goal of the game.
Even though the Tigers found themselves on the board first, it was Maryland's game from then on, as McGarvie's goal only seemed to spur the Terps toward the net. Beginning with one second left in the first half, Maryland went on to score four unanswered goals through the rest of the game.
Corners proved to be Princeton's downfall. The Terrapins employed strong offensive tactics in the circle, varying hit styles and drive positioning on each corner. While in the midfield, the Terps looked lengthwise and focused on long passes. In the offensive circle, they used short taps, moving the ball across the Tiger zone as quickly as possible. Their ball control kept the normally rock-solid Tiger defense at bay.
The Tigers matched the Terrapin passing strategies well throughout the game, looking across the field and back to defenders in order to maintain ball possession. Only at the 50-yard line did the passing tighten up, and there both Princeton and Maryland found themselves battling stick-to-stick, as well as face-to-face. Late in the second half, junior midfielder Nicole Ng was taken off the field after a ball reflected off an attacking stick and shot up into her face.
Senior goalkeeper Allison Nemeth, who played the whole game, splayed strong in the net, throwing herself down onto the turf numerous times during the game. As is her strategy, Nemeth stacked the pads on every Maryland corner, sacrificing her body to maximize save-space. Early in the first half, she took a vicious corner drive to the stomach, drawing sympathetic moans from Tiger and Terp fans alike.
Maryland fans cheered "Right here! Right now!" after each called corner, and ultimately it was living up to this motto which gave Maryland the edge. Capitalizing on corners and quick inner circle play wins games, a strategy that Princeton recognizes only too well.
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