Win over Maryland clinches third spot

A late third-quarter surge propelled Michigan to a 7-4 win over Princeton and ended the Tigers’ chances of winning Easterns. Princeton, however, would come back Sunday morning and rout Maryland (23-17, 4-5), 9-2, in the third-place contest.

Bucknell and the Tigers have played several spirited games this season. All three matchups have been decided by one goal, with Princeton taking two out of three. The two teams stayed even throughout the first quarter, ending the frame tied at two after several minutes of strong defensive play by both sides. The Tigers pulled ahead early in the second, however, finding the back of the net three times while limiting the Bison offense to one goal at the end of the quarter.

Bucknell picked up two goals after launching a strong offensive that created multiple man-advantage scoring opportunities during a fast-paced third quarter. The Bison was unable to shut down the Tiger offense entirely, as Princeton also picked up a point late in the third.

Bucknell came out hard in the fourth, tying the game at six on an ejection, but lost momentum as the Tigers started a last-minute offensive. With two minutes to play, freshman utility Tanya Wilcox clinched the win with a six-on-five goal, sending the Orange and Black to the semifinal match Saturday afternoon.

Freshman driver Sarah Hutchison and sophomore center defender Lauren Sabb each had two goals to keep Princeton in the contest and set up Wilcox’ game-winner.

The Friday-morning win against Bucknell was the third of the season for the Tigers, as they finished 3-1 against the Bison this season and are now 25-1 overall all-time against their Southern Division rival.

In its pivotal semifinal game, Princeton played some of its best defense for almost three quarters Saturday afternoon, holding Michigan to only three goals until the final minutes of the third. Two mental mistakes cost the Tigers two crucial goals, however, and gave the Wolverines a 5-3 lead coming into the fourth period.

The first two quarters of play were dominated by Michigan, as a quick-drop defense stuffed most of Princeton’s two-meter opportunities. Though junior utility Claire Jacobson set the tone early with a quick goal after a nice move from two meters out, Michigan would not allow another two-meter goal for the rest of the game. Perimeter play was also held to a minimum, as the Wolverines pressed the Tigers up top and forced the hole-set to establish position at four meters rather than at two.

Amid its offensive struggles, Princeton’s defense was at its best, clamping down on Michigan and allowing only three goals coming into the second half. Senior goalie Natalie Kim had one of her best games of the season, most notably stuffing a one-on-nobody opportunity for the Wolverines late in the second quarter.

Princeton regained its form during the third quarter, setting up its offense correctly and shutting down the Michigan offense for nearly five minutes. With a goal from up top, sophomore utility Phoebe Champion tied the score at three and put the Tigers back in the game. The Wolverines responded almost immediately, however, making the score 4-3 before taking advantage of an offensive kickout to pad their lead to 5-3 at the end of the third.

Michigan clinched the game with a goal early in the fourth, taking away any remaining Princeton momentum. Sabb fought back with a skip shot from the perimeter, but the Tigers could not regain their tempo, allowing another Michigan goal. The Wolverines killed the clock for much of the fourth period to secure their 7-4 victory.

Champion had two goals in the contest, while Kim was impressive all around.

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In the third-place contest against Maryland, the Tigers came out with a determined mindset and limited the Terrapins to only two goals in the contest. Solid defensive play from the outset prevented any sort of Maryland offensive, allowing Princeton to put away four goals in the first half and five in the second. Sophomore utility Helen Meigs led the way for the Tigers with three goals, while Champion contributed two scores. Kim had 13 saves in the match.

Champion and Kim were named to both the All-Southern and All-Eastern first teams, while Kim, Jacobson and Wilcox earned All-Southern honors as well. Freshman driver Lauren Brunner was named the Southern Division Rookie of the Year. With a top-six finish at Easterns, the Tigers have qualified for the Elite Six tournament, which will be held early next March.