Princeton clings to hope of shared title

Last season the women's soccer team fell to Yale, 2-1, in its Ivy League opener, a defeat that started a stretch of four-straight conference losses. This weekend the Tigers (8-7-1 overall, 4-2 Ivy League) will try to avenge that loss, and with a little help from Harvard, perhaps grab a share of the Ivy League title.

Last Saturday the team faced Penn (12-3-1, 5-1) in a clash of the Ivy League's only one-loss teams. The Tigers and Quakers battled for over 90 minutes before Penn scored the game's only goal, two minutes and 35 seconds into overtime. The loss dropped Princeton into a second-place tie with Yale (10-6-0, 4-6), who the Tigers will host this Sunday at 1 p.m. in Princeton Stadium.

As heartbreaking as the loss was for Princeton, the Tigers have plenty of motivation to come out hard this weekend. Though they are currently in a tie for second, a victory over Yale will guarantee the Tigers second place outright, and if a tough Harvard team can upset Penn on Saturday, a share of the Ivy League title. The NCAA Tournament bid is not up for grabs, as the Quakers locked it up with their win over the Tigers.

"There is a ton at stake [against the Bulldogs]," senior goaltender and co-captain Maren Dale said. "Second place in the league, a possible first place-tie, a winning season and revenge for last year. Yale will definitely be pumped up, and while we are disheartened a little by last weekend, we are still excited to compete."

Having scored 13 goals in six conference games, Yale enters the game as the Ivy League's most potent offense. To combat that threat, the Tigers will need to continue their stingy defense. Princeton has given up only seven goals in league play this season, a number that can be attributed to Dale and the rest of the defense.

Against Penn, the Tigers only mustered three shots, none of which were on target. Head coach Julie Shackford has stressed the importance of ball possession all season, and while the Tigers have been successful for most of the year, they were unable to control the tempo against the Quakers.

On Sunday, the Tigers will need to establish possession early in the first half. This will also free up the field for the defense, which played on its heels for most of the game against Penn.

"It will be important for us to play with confidence [on Sunday]," Dale said. "It will also be important for our offense to hold the ball and defend hard if they lose it."

In other words, it will take a team effort to beat the Bulldogs. On offense the forwards and attacking midfielders will need to assert themselves from the opening whistle, but also contribute on defense. The same goes for fullbacks and defensive midfielders, who, on top of their defensive duties, will be called on to create pressure in the attacking third of the field.

If the Tigers can accomplish this, they will put themselves in perfect position to win Sunday. On paper the two teams are evenly matched, but if Princeton can sustain the flashes of brilliance that it exhibited in earlier games against Brown and Columbia, it could turn into a long day for Yale.

The game against the Bulldog will likely be the Tigers' last this season, and for the team's five seniors ? Dale, defender Melissa Whitley, and midfielders Diana Matheson, Ashley Beyers and Regina Yang ? that means an end to their Princeton careers. Still, the seniors are quick to put their final game in perspective.

"Since it is possibly the last game for our seniors, this game and the result of our final season carries a lot of weight," Dale said. "We want nothing more than to end on a high note, but whatever happens, it won't take away what we've gained in the last four years."