Scorching start carries Tigers past Bears

“Brown was a strong team, but we played a full 60 minutes,” junior midfielder Holly McGarvie said. “We came out hard in the beginning, and our momentum never faltered.”

The Tigers built their lead up to 13-0 before Brown got on the scoreboard early in the second half. The Orange and Black racked up 11 goals on 23 shots from seven different players and allowed the Bears just four shots on goal in the first half.

Princeton dominated play from the first draw control, which junior attack Christine Casaceli secured and sent down the field to junior midfielder Katie Cox, who scored her first goal after just 42 seconds of play. Cox, who notched three goals and two assists, had five total points for the second consecutive game.

Junior midfielder Kristin Schwab was back on the field after missing two games with an injury, and she made her presence known on the team’s next two possessions. Schwab assisted senior attack and co-captain Ashley Amo’s first goal of the game and Casaceli’s first goal just 29 seconds later to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game. Ten minutes and three Princeton goals later, Schwab scored the team’s seventh goal of the game.

Casaceli and Amo each contributed two goals to the Tigers’ offensive run in the first half. McGarvie scored three goals in the first half, with her third goal on a free-position shot that gave the Tigers an 11-0 lead heading into halftime.

Princeton forced 16 turnovers in the first half and kept the pressure on Brown goalie Melissa King, who made eight saves in the first half and nine more in the second as she tried to keep the Bears in the game.

“I think our biggest strength was our re-defend and [the turnovers we caused],” McGarvie said. “Even though we made mistakes, people were backing each other up and working to regain possession. Brown did a good job on the draws, and that forced us to really focus on that aspect of the game.”

The onslaught continued in the second half, as the Tigers extended their lead to 13-0 with goals from Cox three minutes, 45 seconds in and junior attack Sarah Steele with 23:02 remaining. The Bears got on the scoreboard 35 seconds later after Brown’s Lauren Vitkus won the draw control and took the ball down the field to score her 28th goal of the season. Cox restored the 13-goal lead, however, on a free-position shot with 18:04 left to play.

Sophomore midfielder Jenna Washabaugh’s second goal of the game off an assist from Casaceli gave the Tigers a 15-1 lead as the clock wound down to 7:05.

The Tigers’ two goals allowed was the team’s lowest goals-allowed total since last season’s match against Brown, which Princeton won, 16-2, at home. Princeton had 37 shots to Brown’s 10 and was three for five on eight-meter opportunities Saturday. Brown had 25 turnovers in the game and a clearing rate of less than 50 percent.

“This was our best conference game this season, and it’s awesome that it was our last,” McGarvie said. “[Head coach] Chris [Sailer] emphasized the importance of starting our Ivy schedule strong and finishing strong, and we accomplished that. This is a great game to prepare us as we head into a very important week.”

The Tigers face two top-10 teams next week. On Wednesday, Princeton will host No. 2 Maryland at Class of 1952 Stadium for Senior Night. The Tigers will then head south Saturday to face No. 7 Georgetown in Washington, D.C., for the final game of the season.