This is the first time since 2005 that Princeton (12-4, 5-2 Ivy League) will have the luxury of hosting a postseason game. Since 2000, the Tigers have had a sterling playoff record in their home stadium, winning nine consecutive games.
Vanderbilt last visited Princeton during the 2004 NCAA semifinals, when the Tigers defeated the Commodores in convincing fashion, 11-3. None of the current Tigers were on the squad at the time, but they will look to follow in their predecessors’ footsteps and come up with a win this weekend.
To do so, the Tigers will need to bounce back to their winning ways after losing their last two games to tough opponents No. 3 Maryland and No. 6 Georgetown. Head coach Chris Sailer is confident that her team will respond.
“I think we’ll rebound well,” Sailer said. “We’ve really put the end of the regular season behind us, and we’re looking at the playoffs as a fresh start. We know everyone’s going in with the same record at this point, which is 0-0, and it’s playoff time. Our goal is to just play as well as we can and enjoy the moment.”
For the Tigers to play to their potential, they will have to rely on veteran leadership. Senior attack and tri-captain Ashley Amo has quarterbacked Princeton’s offense all season, tallying 24 goals and a team-high 40 assists. Amo trails by only one point to junior attack Christine Casaceli, who leads the team with 34 goals. Casaceli has scored crucial goals for the Tigers all season, including the game-winner in a thrilling down-to-the-wire victory over Virginia.
Junior midfielder Holly McGarvie will also play a key role this weekend, as she leads the team in ground balls, draw controls and caused turnovers. One of 18 nominees for this year’s Tewaaraton Trophy, which honors the National Player of the Year, McGarvie was recently named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week after scoring five goals against two top-10 opponents.
With almost a year of experience under her belt, freshman attack Lizzy Drumm will be expected to perform well this weekend alongside her veteran teammates. Drumm ranks fourth on the Tigers’ stats sheet in points and is a contender for Ivy League Rookie of the Year.
On the defensive end, senior defense and tri-captain Norris Novak and junior defense Marie McKenna will look to counter Vanderbilt’s high-powered offense. Junior defensive midfielder and tri-captain Katie Cox will also be crucial to the Tiger defense as it looks to reign in the experienced Commodore attack.
Vanderbilt has totaled 470 shots this season, outshooting its opponents by 80 shots, and has averaged 11.35 goals per game. The Commodore attack has propelled Vanderbilt to impressive wins over Notre Dame and Duke and to a pair of victories over Johns Hopkins.
Margie Curran is expected to be the most dangerous offensive threat, as she leads the Commodores in goals with 45 and in assists with 30, totaling 75 points on the year. She is flanked by Sarah Downing and Carter Foote, both of whom have notched more than 30 goals this season.
While the Commodores have shown their offensive prowess all year, they will have to find a way to get past Princeton’s sophomore goalie Kaitlyn Perrelle, who boasts a 7.73 goals-against average. A great competitor, Perrelle always manages to shine in tough moments and is likely to be formidable this weekend.
One thing the Tigers are looking forward to this weekend is the return of junior midfielder Kristin Schwab and senior midfielder Katie Lewis-Lamonica. Both have spent the past few weeks nursing injuries but are expected to play Sunday afternoon. Though Sailer was unhappy to see two of her top midfielders sidelined, she has been impressed by the way other players have stepped up and is confident the team as a whole will be prepared for Vanderbilt.
“We were flying high before all the injuries happened,” Sailer said, “and it takes you a little bit [of time] to adjust, to find your groove again. Luckily for us, we’ve had that time. We had really competitive games down the stretch against top opponents. We didn’t win a lot of those games, but we got through them, and we’ve gotten better and we’re excited for the playoffs. I think we’re going to be ready to go.”
As long as the Tigers put their two recent losses in the past and don’t overlook Vanderbilt in the present, they will find themselves playing the winner of first-ranked Northwestern and Notre Dame the following weekend.
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