Senior forward Sarah Peteraf notched the game-winner, a feat that she has accomplished six times in what has been a magical season for Princeton (9-1-2 overall, 3-0-1 Ivy League).
The Tigers’ true strength, however, may well be its airtight defense. Led by senior defenders Taylor Numann and tri-captain Lisa Chinn, Princeton has shut out eight of its opponents.
The Tigers’ automatic NCAA bid, however, depends on a strong finish in a league riddled with parity.
Harvard (8-3-3, 3-1-0)
The Crimson is the only Ivy team to receive votes in this week’s national poll. Despite a 2-0 loss to Penn in its season opener, Harvard has rebounded well and is currently on a five-game winning streak. With margins of victory of two goals or more in its other Ivy matches, the Crimson is a threat to the Tigers’ title hopes, and the upcoming game between the two squads will likely determine the eventual league champion.
Columbia (9-3-2, 2-1-1)
The Lions boast the best offense in the Ivy League. With a conference-high 33 goals to its name, Columbia’s forwards and midfielders are good at putting the ball in the back of the net. The Lions’ Sophie Reiser and Ashlin Yahr lead the Ivies in points with 27 and 22, respectively. They also rank second and third, respectively, in shots per game, a category in which Princeton’s senior forward Sarah Peteraf leads with 4.25 looks at goal each match. Columbia’s powerful offense could help the Lions challenge for the league title but will likely have to defeat a powerful Harvard squad to make that dream a reality.
Penn (7-4-2, 2-1-1)
Having scored an upset win of their own over Harvard earlier in the season, the Quakers’ had their hopes at a title run spoiled over the weekend when Dartmouth blanked them, 2-0, in Hanover, N.H. Penn has the second-most-prolific offense in the league, scoring 29 times on its opponents over the course of the season with an average of 2.23 goals per match. Much of the Quakers’ offensive firepower comes from their ability to work as a team: Penn far outpaces the rest of the league, with a 2.62 assist-per-game average.
Yale (7-5-1, 2-2-0)
After spending the last three weekends on the road, head coach Rudy Meredith’s Bulldogs are likely ready to head home to New Haven, Conn., for their matchup with the Quakers. Sitting at fifth place, Yale’s top scorer is Maggie Westfal, who has notched seven goals in the team’s 13 games this season. Westfal also leads the Bulldogs with seven assists. Emma Whitfield is also a threat up front for Yale, as the senior has scored six goals this season. The Bulldogs’ two losses came at the hands of the league leaders, with a 1-0 loss to Princeton in the teams’ league opener and a 3-1 defeat by the second-place Crimson on Oct. 4.
Brown (5-5-4, 1-2-1)
The most impressive statistic for the Bears belongs to goalkeeper Brenna Hogue, who averages 7.07 saves each game. With 99 total saves this season, Hogue’s next-closest competitor, Dartmouth’s Laurel Peak, has 40 fewer stops. Hogue’s save percentage is second only to Tiger goalkeeper Alyssa Pont. Pont also leads the league in shutouts. If Brown’s offense starts to hold the ball better and take some of the pressure off Hogue, the Bears could be a very dangerous team.
Dartmouth (7-5-1, 1-3-0)
As with Brown, the most impressive player on the Dartmouth squad is in net. Peak had an exceptionally good week, shutting out both Bryant and Penn, bringing her shutout total to five this season. For her efforts, Peak was named Ivy League Player of the Week and Eastern College Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week as well as the goalie on Soccer America’s National Team of the Week. Like the Bears, the Big Green has a fairly anemic offense that has only scored 19 goals this season. Ironically, Dartmouth has scored three more goals than Princeton. The difference is that the Princeton defense has only allowed four goals all season, while the Big Green has allowed 11.
Cornell (1-9-1, 0-4-0)
The Big Red is squarely at the bottom of the league this year. The squad has scored only eight goals this season, with half coming in Cornell’s season-opening 4-1 victory over Oakland University. The Big Red has accumulated twice as many yellow cards as any other team in the Ivy League.
Mary Reid Munford contributed reporting.
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