Chicago powerhouse to test Princeton's defense

The Orange and Black will have its work cut out against the Wildcats, who have won the past three national championships. Princeton, however, is no pushover, having advanced to the quarterfinals round for the 17th time in its 18 all-time NCAA tournament appearances.

The Tigers qualified for the quarterfinals with a 14-10 win over Vanderbilt in the round of 16. Senior attack Ashley Amo stepped up for Princeton with three goals and three assists in the victory. She is a balanced offensive threat, with 27 goals and 23 assists on the season, and leads the team in points. Junior attack Sarah Steele was also a crucial contributor against Vanderbilt, as she scored a hat trick of her own in the win.

Other Tiger players to watch against Northwestern are junior attack Christine Casaceli, who leads the team with 36 goals, and junior midfielder Holly McGarvie, who is second in scoring with 33 goals and leads the team in draw controls and forced turnovers. McGarvie returned from an injury incurred against Georgetown to net two goals against the Commodores.

The Wildcats (18-1) enter the game with a nearly flawless record. Northwestern’s only loss came to Penn, a team that also defeated Princeton during the regular season. The Wildcats have won 80 of their last 83 games, dating back to the 2005 season.

The Tigers will also need to have a strong defensive outing if they hope to derail Northwestern. Princeton’s effort to keep the Wildcats off the board must start with a solid performance in the goalie position. Freshman goalie Erin Tochihara has started the last two games for the Tigers and has been fairly successful. Tochihara had eight saves in the regular-season finale at Georgetown and four saves in the win over Vanderbilt.

Northwestern’s offense is extremely potent, having reached double-digits in goals in nine of its last 10 games. The Wildcats are 9-0 in those contests. In the 10th game, their loss to the Quakers, they scored only seven goals. Northwestern’s lineup includes five players with 30 or more goals on the season, so the Tigers must keep it close early to stand a chance of winning.

This game also has the potential to be a historic moment for Princeton head coach Chris Sailer. With a win, Sailer would move to 29-13 all-time in NCAA tournament games, which would tie her for first place in Division I for total tournament victories.

The winner of the Princeton-Northwestern game meets the winner of the Syracuse-North Carolina game in the first national semifinal at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 23.