Women's Soccer: Princeton takes streak on road

The women’s soccer team squares off against Columbia (9-2-2 overall, 2-0-1 Ivy League) Saturday at 4 p.m. in a match that features two of the top three teams in the Ivy League standings. Whereas Princeton (8-1-2, 2-0-1) has amassed a nine-game unbeaten streak, shutting out its opponents for the last 690 minutes of match play, Columbia brings its own eight-game unbeaten streak into the upcoming game as well as a prolific offense that scores 2.46 goals per game. The Tigers’ offense averages 1.26. What’s more, this clash will have definite implications for the Ivy League championship picture.

Recent history favors the Tigers, as they defeated the Lions last year in a tight home match and are 4-1-0 against them in the past five years. The women’s soccer team will look to repeat its past success in the Big Apple this Saturday. In terms of team leadership, things are definitely to Princeton’s advantage this year, as Columbia returns only two seniors this season compared to Princeton’s four. Seniors Taylor Numann, Sarah Peteraf, Lisa Chinn and Jen Om form a solid core for the team, having started nearly every game this season and played a whopping 3,803 total minutes.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge, but I think our team is ready to meet it. We know that we’re going to have to work hard, win every battle and finish our opportunities,” Numann, a defender, said. “I don’t think any of us expect to walk out of there with anything less than our best performance. This game has been on our minds all season. We want an Ivy League championship, and it could easily come down to this game. The motivation is definitely there.”

While defensive motivation may prove to be the name of the game for Princeton on Saturday, the Tigers know they can count on their offense to perform when they need a goal.

“The key to this game for us is to finish the chances we create,” midfielder and tri-captain Om said. “Playing well and creating chances isn’t enough. The ball has to be in the back of the net in order to win the game.”

If the Lions’ defense can shut down Peteraf, however, the Tigers may falter. The senior striker leads the team with seven goals, but the next-highest scorer on the Tigers’ roster, freshman forward Kalie Bartholomew, only has three. In contrast, Columbia’s starting 11 includes five players who have scored four or more goals this season, including midfielder Sophie Reiser, the Lions’ leading scorer, who has nine goals and eight assists.

“I think that Columbia will be ready to attack at all costs,” head coach Julie Shackford said. “They have scored a lot of goals and seem to be playing with a ton of confidence.”

The Tigers showed some definite potential to distribute the ball offensively in Wednesday’s win over Lehigh, taking 21 shots, nearly double their season average of 11.3 shots per game. Despite a better attack, missed opportunities were a problem for Princeton, as only nine of the shots were actually on target, and just one of those shots found the back of the net.

Shackford said the game could come down to a battle in the midfield, where most offensive opportunities are created. In Wednesday’s game with Lehigh, defender and tri-captain Chinn was able to create several chances attacking the flanks from the midfield, yet the team got bogged down in the middle of the pitch. It will take a much more convincing performance to keep up with Columbia’s offensive threats.

From its recent performances, Princeton has definitely shown the proficiency on defense and promise on offense to dominate this game. Princeton needs a positive result to maintain its position in the Ivy League standings and find its way back to the NCAA tournament.