A can't-miss at Myslik

Though it seemed as if that score would stand to the end, Chinn came through for her teammates once more with just over a minute left to play, taking the Tigers (1-1) past the Terriers (1-3) for a 2-1 victory.

“I’m proud of the win because this was a good team that had three games under [its] belt. I feel pretty good about it,” head coach Julie Shackford said.

Playing the first game in a brand-new stadium, complete with perfectly manicured natural grass, the stage was set for Princeton to start the 2008 season with a huge statement. Though the team just graduated one of its leading players, Diana Matheson ’08, the overall atmosphere leading up to last night’s game against BU was one of expectation.

During the first half, though, the excitement fizzled into a fairly uneventful game, and the Terriers dominated play and possession. For the past few years, BU has presented the Tigers with a tough early-season matchup, and tonight was no different. For the first half, most of the play occurred on the Tigers’ side of the field.

Despite this dominance, the first truly close call did not come until the 60-minute mark, with a Terrier corner kick. One BU girl butted the ball toward the goal, and she would have scored, if not for a great save by sophomore goalkeeper Alysssa Pont.

Ten minutes later, however, the Terriers broke the stalemate and put the first number on the scoreboard, as Farrell McClernon spun away from Princeton’s defense to boot it in just under the crossbar from 25 yards out.

“We don’t have a star,” Shackford said. “Over the last eight or nine years, we’ve always had someone like [Matheson or Emily Behncke ’06] where you know something special will happen with them. I think everybody else has just had to pick up slack. It means that we have to defend really well together, we have to attack really well together and hope that in games different people will step up and help us.”

Last night the senior duo of Peteraf and Chinn was the one to make things happen, teaming up to stop BU’s momentum in its tracks.

For the next 16 minutes, despite a few shots on goal from both sides, the game looked as if it would end in a tie.

The Tigers had other ideas.

With 1:06 left to play, sophomore defender Bernie Da Costa drove all the way up the field and angled the ball to Chinn.

“I’ve got to give credit to Bernie, that was a ridiculous run, it was like half the field,” Chinn said after the game. “I saw [the ball] floating across and I was just like, ‘I have to make this.’ ”

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With perfect placement, Chinn slotted the ball to the far post, sealing the Tigers’ opening-day victory, the senior class’ only opening-day victory in its four seasons.

Hofstra 1, Princeton 0

The women’s soccer team worked some magic to wiggle out of its first match of the season with a victory in hand. Try as they might, the Tigers couldn’t pull off the same feat Sunday afternoon, losing 1-0 to Hofstra (2-2) in their first road contest of the season in Hempstead, N.Y.

Princeton kept the game close despite the Pride dominating the field of play for the majority of the game, especially in the first half. Hofstra’s lone goal came in the 22nd minute.

After a foul was called on Princeton, a long Pride free kick flew into the visitors’ box. The Tigers were unable to clear the ball, and Hofstra midfielder Tiffany Yovino headed the ball into the back of the net for the match’s only score.

That would be the entirety of the offensive display for the rest of the afternoon, as both sides settled in for a knock-down, drag-out struggle that wouldn’t be decided until the final buzzer.

The second half proved to be more of an even battle. After being outshot 9-1 in the first half, Princeton bounced back and took six shots in the second half. Still, only three shots tested the Pride goalie, and none made it past her.

Peteraf had the Tigers’ best chance early in the second half, launching a hard shot that just passed over the top of the crossbar.

Still, there were some positives to take away from the season’s first road match. Despite the overwhelming shot differential and constant pressure from Hofstra’s attackers, Princeton held its ground defensively, at the very least getting a chance to sneak out with a tie or even a potential win. Pont stopped six shots in the loss.

The Tigers also rallied in the second half after what was undoubtedly not their best play in the first half, displaying a hardened resiliency that can only help the team over the course of the season. Princeton had a better presence in the Pride’s half of the field, earning six corner kicks after generating zero prior to halftime.

The Pride improved its record to 2-2 after beating Columbia this past Friday by the same margin.

Princeton ventures to the Lone Star State in its upcoming set of matches, challenging the Texas A&M Aggies on Friday and the Rice Owls on Sunday before the team’s next home game.