For the women's basketball team, the pre-conference season will be anything but a warm up. It'll be a trial by fire. To open the non-conference schedule, Princeton will make its first-ever appearance at the Preseason Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) where they will play No. 4 Maryland, the 2006 national champions.
Princeton will later battle No. 3 Rutgers — the runners-up in the 2007 NCAA Tournament — in their annual New Jersey rivalry match. The Tigers will also host No. 23 Vanderbilt and No. 13 California, two other teams that reached the Big Dance last season.
In mid-January, Princeton will begin to fight for the Ivy title and an NCAA tournament berth. The former slipped out of the Tigers' hands in 2006 after they finished in a three-way tie for the Ivy League title. Last season Princeton tied for fourth with Penn, and it looks to return to the top half of the league this winter. The Ivy League pre-season media poll picked Harvard to repeat, and the Tigers to tie for second with Cornell in the standings.
Harvard
The reigning Ivy champion Crimson should lead the pack again this year with four returning starters. After the 2006-07 season began with a 1-10 out-of-conference record, Harvard finished with a 15-12 overall mark and a nearly perfect 13-1 league record.
Unanimous first-team All-Ivy pick junior guard Emily Tay returns to lead the Crimson. As the team's high scorer last season, Tay led both Harvard and the Ivy League in steals and assists. Junior point guard Lindsay Hallion, who garnered second-team All-Ivy honors last season, will run the offense.
Dartmouth
Dartmouth was the only Ivy team besides Harvard to complete the season with an overall record above .500. After taking the Ivy title in 2005 and 2006, the Big Green finished a distant second to Harvard in 2007 with a 9-5 Ivy record.
Adjusting to the graduation of Ashley Taylor will be Dartmouth's biggest challenge this season. In her senior season, Taylor was the Ivy League Player of the Year, and she led the Big Green in scoring, assists, blocked shots, steals and free-throw percentage.
Senior Sydney Scott, a second-team All-Ivy pick last season, and sophomore Margaret Smith, a member of the All-Ivy Rookie Team, will have to fill her shoes. With seven returning members and six new freshmen, the new recruits will likely play a large role in the outcome of the season.
Cornell
The Big Red rounds out the top three from last season. With four returning starters and a standout rookie, Cornell looks to build on last season's success.
Six-foot forwards junior Jeomi Maduka and senior Moina Snyder will lead the team and the frontcourt. Last season, Maduka garnered second-team All-Ivy honors and led the team in points, steals and rebounds. Snyder landed a spot on the honorable mention All-Ivy team and finished with the second-highest tally of blocked shots in the league.
The Big Red welcomes two freshmen, including Susie Doyle, a star from across the Atlantic. Doyle has played for the Irish junior national teams and was voted MVP of the U18 team.
Penn
Penn was hit hard by graduation, as it lost its top three scorers after last year. The Quakers' two returning starters each garnered fewer than five points and five rebounds per game. It will take a great effort to break free from last year's even league record.
Penn will receive some fresh energy from West Virginia in the form of sophomore transfer Sarah Bucar, who has become eligible after she sat out last year. The team also added five rookies, including 6'2'' Caroline Nicholson, who is expected to contribute at the post.
Yale
Team captain and senior Stephanie Marciano, who started all 28 games last season and finished with the second-most assists in the Ivy League, will hold down in the backcourt, while sophomore Melissa Colburne will add versatility to the lineup. In her freshman season, Colburne played three different positions, shot .765 from the free throw line and was voted All-Ivy Rookie of the Year.
Colburne also led the team with 11 points per game. The Bulldogs will depend on these two to keep the team together and look for others to step up.
Columbia
Though the Lions finished last season with a 4-10 Ivy record and a seventh-place finish in the league, Columbia has the potential to find a spark this coming season. Senior Brittney Carfora made headlines last season by becoming the nation's top three-point shooter with 51.9 percent accuracy behind the arc. Two members of the All-Ivy Rookie Team — Danielle Brown and Chelsea Frazier — return to the court with Carfora to try to pick up the Lion's record.
Brown
The Bears settled at the bottom of the rankings last season after a dismal 3-11 league tally. With last spring's graduation of Ashley King-Bischoff and Lena McAfee — the team's top scorers and rebounders — prospects are dim for improvement this winter.
In addition, Lindsay Walls, a pick for last season's All-Ivy Rookie Team, is not on this season's roster. Sophomore guard Courtney Lee, who led the team in assists and steals, will be forced to reorganize the Bears in attempt to pick themselves up and out of last place.
Read More
No. 7 women’s lacrosse season ends in NCAA quarterfinals against No. 1 UNC
Hayk YengibaryanWith the loss, the career of senior attacker Mackenzie Blake comes to an end. Blake finished her career with a program-best 231 career goals and three first-team All-Ivy selections.
With the loss, the career of senior attacker Mackenzie Blake comes to an end. Blake finished her career with a program-best 231 career goals and three first-team All-Ivy selections.
No. 3 men’s lacrosse season ends in NCAA quarterfinals after 19–18 loss to No. 5 Syracuse
Hayk YengibaryanWith the win, Syracuse advances to the final four for the first time since 2013. For the Tigers, their season ends along with the career of senior standout attacker Coulter Mackesy.
With the win, Syracuse advances to the final four for the first time since 2013. For the Tigers, their season ends along with the career of senior standout attacker Coulter Mackesy.
Preview: No. 3 men’s lacrosse plays No. 5 Syracuse in NCAA quarterfinals
Hayk YengibaryanShould the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.
Should the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.