First goal proves elusive on pitch

The women's soccer team finished last season on a high note, keeping opponents scoreless in the final 393 minutes, 13 seconds it played. The first two games of the new season, however, saw a role reversal as three consecutive opponents shut out the Tigers.

Though the team (0-2-1 overall) continued to play a strong defense at a season-opening tournament hosted by Boston University two weekends ago, inconsistent offense doomed Princeton to a winless showing. The Tigers took on Connecticut in their season opener, suffering a 1-0 loss before falling by the same score to the host Terriers two days later.

Based on preseason polls, the Tigers knew their first two opponents would be difficult matchups. In the NSCAA/Adidas coaches' poll released several weeks ago, Connecticut was ranked 16th in the nation, with BU receiving enough votes to finish 25th.

The rankings, however, didn't intimidate Princeton, only fueled its desire to finish the weekend on top. The Tigers came out with a lot of confidence against UConn (1-0-0), shutting down its offensive chances and disrupting play in the middle of the field. The Huskies were unable to develop a rhythm due to Princeton's excellent defensive play, led by senior captain Maren Dale in goal.

With last season's top two scorers, senior captain and midfielder Diana Matheson, who is in China representing Canada in the World Cup, and injured sophomore forward Vicki Anagnostopoulos, off the field, the Tigers knew they were going to have to work extra hard to put together serious offensive chances.

But it was the Huskies who were able to get their offense into gear first, with UConn maintaining more solid possession in the second half. Princeton fought off the Huskies for a full 83 minutes, with Dale making five saves, before Erin Clark was able to slide one into the back of the net. The Tigers were unable to answer, and the game ended in a 1-0 defeat.

Princeton, however, didn't dwell on its loss.

"There's a lot of positive energy," junior defender Taylor Numann said. "We really have the right attitude about making this a great season."

The Tigers tried to take this positive energy into the second game of the season when they faced tournament host BU on Sept. 2. The Terriers (1-1-0) came out firing and started the game with several strong scoring drives. They sliced through the Princeton defense quickly, scoring in the fifth minute.

The Tigers immediately buckled down and didn't allow another goal in the final 85 minutes of the game. The offense showed some life, with Princeton getting three shots on goal and controlling ball possession in the second half. But the effort wasn't enough, and the final whistle blew with the Tigers taking another 1-0 loss.

While Princeton was unable to capitalize on any of its chances, it was clearly able to improve its offensive connections. Passes and possession flowed better from the backfield up to the forwards.

"We've definitely concentrated on creating a strong defense as the foundation for this team, and we're working from there," Numann said. "So far we've faced some very strong competition, and I would say we're looking better with every game."

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After facing BU, the Tigers had a few days to regroup and get back to the practice field before they took on Villanova (2-0-1) on Sept. 7, another team receiving votes in national preseason rankings polls.

Princeton played well both defensively and offensively, battling the Wildcats to a 0-0 tie. For the third game in a row, the Tiger defense demonstrated its prowess and held fast against a nationally recognized team. While that first goal has proven elusive, Princeton continued to see offensive progress.

"Our next step is putting the ball in the net," Numann said. "We had a lot of great opportunities ... In our [next] games, we'll definitely be looking to capitalize on our chances."

A crop of young talent will help the Tigers pursue that goal. In the first three games, five freshmen saw playing time, with three others expected to get on the pitch during the season.

"As players and people, these freshmen have already made huge contributions to the team," Numann said. "They're adding speed, athleticism, hard work and a ton of laughs."

While having this many new players on the field may initially make establishing team chemistry and rhythm difficult, the young talent has dramatically improved the depth of the team.

"I think we're finding a lot of the intangibles that were missing from last year," Numann said. "This is definitely the best vibe I've gotten from the team in my three years."

Princeton's schedule doesn't get any easier in the coming weeks. Their next game is against Notre Dame at a tournament in South Bend, Ind., on Sept. 14. The Fighting Irish are ranked 2nd in the NSCAA/Adidas coaches' poll.