‘D’ crucial in victory over Yale

Though No. 2 Princeton (9-0 overall, 3-0 Ivy League) played a dominant second half that ensured it the win, its performance at the start of the game was uncharacteristically sloppy for an undefeated team. Instead of the Tigers’ usually impressive offense pacing the team to a win against the No. 13 Bulldogs (8-4, 2-2), their defense was the key to the victory, fending off almost every attempt Yale made for a goal.

The Bulldogs hit the turf with a vengeance last, seizing an early 2-0 lead on a pair of Tiger miscues. After committing four turnovers within the first eight minutes and giving Yale the lead, Princeton regrouped and managed to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard for the next 30 minutes.

“The way we played early in the game was uncharacteristic of our team,” head coach Chris Sailer said. “There was an inability to control the ball in our offense, and we had more turnovers than usual. We didn’t do a great job of creating space, we just tried to force things instead of moving the ball constantly.”

Losing, however, was not an option for the Tigers, and they quickly responded to Yale’s early dominance with a five-goal run. Senior midfielder Katie Lewis-Lamonica, who is now ranked eighth in Princeton history with 136 career goals, scored the Tigers’ first goal of the game 19 minutes, 23 seconds into the period.

After the team’s first goal, the game turned around as Princeton managed to maintain possession of the ball throughout much of the period. The Tigers scored a second goal just four minutes later and took the lead when senior attack and captain Ashley Amo found the back of the net with 10 minutes left on the clock.

“During the first half we did not stick to the game plan as much as we would have liked,” junior midfielder Holly McGarvie said. “We came out a little nervous but really pulled it together later in the game.”

The Tigers kept the back of the Bulldogs’ net hot into the second half with a pair of goals within the first eight minutes by junior attack Christine Casaceli: her 19th and 20th scores of the season. Yale fought back with a goal at 21:16 into the half, ending a scoreless drought that lasted more than 30 minutes and cutting the lead to 5-3. The Bulldogs, however, were unable to keep up their momentum and turned the ball over to junior midfielder Kristen Schwab, who scored on a one-handed goal shot as she fell to the ground. Princeton then secured a draw control and extended its lead to 7-3 on a goal by senior attack Alison Murray.

Yale managed to put together a late comeback run after several Tiger miscues. Princeton called a timeout immediately after the Bulldogs scored with 6:53 to play but turned the ball over after the break in the action. Yale seized the opportunity and scored again, making it 8-5. Though the Bulldogs put up a fight and scored three goals in the last seven minutes of the game, it was simply too, little too late.

Quickly refocusing to prevent a late-game turnaround, the Tigers took possession of the ball and slowed the game down, working time off the clock by passing the ball around. When Yale’s defense got aggressive in an attempt to get the ball back, however, Princeton’s offense retaliated by scoring its ninth and final goal of the game. The Bulldogs tacked on a meaningless goal with 18.3 seconds remaining on the clock, pushing the score to 9-6.

Despite Princeton’s questionable offensive play during the first half, its defense performed impeccably throughout the game, causing 11 of Yale’s 20 turnovers and ensuring the win for Princeton.

“Our defense played tremendously,” McGarvie said. “They gave a great effort and were really solid throughout the game.”

The Tigers, who lost to the Bulldogs 6-5 in New Haven last year, have now beaten four of the six teams who defeated them last season.

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“Yale has been a tough competitor for us,” Sailer said. “We are definitely glad to have won this game and have it behind us.”

Shots, draw controls and ground balls were even between the two teams, and, as usual, the Tigers had a balanced offensive attack, with seven players scoring to carry them to the win. Sophomore goaltender Kaitlyn Perrelle completed a stellar game with six saves, including one outstanding save on a free-position shot by Yale midfielder Lauren Taylor with 1:26 left on the clock.

Princeton completed a tight match on Saturday and was lucky to come away victorious. If the Tigers hope to continue this undefeated streak, however, they simply cannot afford the same errors on offense. Next time, Princeton might not be so lucky.