9-0 start at risk vs. Crimson

Though Harvard (7-4, 1-2) is currently on a three-game losing streak, its impressive first-half performance last weekend against No. 8 Penn (9-1, 4-0) — the only other undefeated team in the conference — should have the Tigers worried. No. 2 Princeton needs its offense to have a stronger start this weekend if it hopes to stay undefeated for another week.

Last weekend, the Crimson led the Quakers 5-4 after 20 minutes of play, and Penn’s 14-10 win came primarily on the back of a four-goal run at the end of the first half and another four-goal run in the middle of the second half. With Princeton’s slow start on Saturday, Harvard’s ability to control the first 20 minutes of its matchup is a concern.

“Going into Saturday’s game, we want to play a full 60 minutes,” junior midfielder Holly McGarvie said. “We know that Harvard is going to come out hard, but we want to play with poise and confidence throughout the entire match.”

The Tigers have their defense to thank for last weekend’s victory over No. 13 Yale. The offense relied on the back line to keep the Bulldogs in check after committing four turnovers in the first eight minutes and letting Yale jump out to a 2-0 lead. The impressive defensive stand earned junior midfielder Katie Cox Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors. She marked Yale’s Kat Peetz in the game, who entered the game with 19 goals and 24 points and is one of Yale’s top scorers. Thanks to Cox, she didn’t score a point Saturday. Cox also forced two turnovers and two ground balls in the Tigers’ 15-4 win over Columbia on April 2. Cox’ effort was backed by sophomore goalie Kaitlyn Perrelle, who currently ranks third nationally with a 6.74 goals-against average.

The defense will face Harvard’s balanced offense, giving it several players to watch and control. The Crimson had six goal-scorers against Penn, and four players had more than one point in the game. Kaitlin Martin gave Harvard a 4-2 lead early in the game with back-to-back goals. She added another for a hat trick and also notched an assist in the game. Jess Halpern and Sarah Bancroft had two goals each, and Sara Flood had a goal and an assist.

But the Crimson will also have to contend with the Tiger arsenal. Once the offense hit its stride Saturday, the Tigers took control of the game with a five-goal streak. Seven Tigers scored goals on the day: Junior attack Christine Casaceli, who is first on the team with 20 goals this season, led the Tigers with three. Senior attack Ashley Amo, who is second in the Ivy League with 15 assists, contributed one goal and one assist against Yale. Senior midfielder Katie Lewis-Lamonica also contributed a goal Saturday and needs just four more to move from eighth to seventh on Princeton’s all-time scoring list. She has 136 career goals and trails former teammate Kathleen Miller ’07. Still, Harvard’s defense is no pushover.

“Harvard plays a zone defense, and this is something we haven’t faced a lot this season,” McGarvie said. “It is going to be important for our attack to remain patient and utilize our skill in working off of the pass.”

A win on Saturday would give the Tigers their 16th-straight win over Harvard, a streak that dates back to the 1992 NCAA tournament.