Field Hockey: Share of Ivy crown assured

Over Fall Break, the Tigers played some of their best field hockey against league rivals Harvard (6-10, 2-4) and Cornell (10-5, 5-1), notching a 5-0 shutout against the Crimson and following it up the next weekend with a 4-0 victory over the Big Red, then the only other undefeated squad in the Ancient Eight. On Sunday, the team concluded its break with a 5-2 home triumph over No. 19 American (10-7).

This year Princeton did not underestimate the Big Red heading into their pivotal matchup. The Tigers were prepared for Cornell attack Catie De Stio, who has made a habit of late-game heroics. De Stio has notched four game-winning goals this season and is tied for first in the league in that category with Tiger senior defender and tri-captain Holly McGarvie.

Senior midfielder Kraftin Schreyer opened up the scoring in the 13th minute with an unassisted goal off a penalty corner. Schreyer played brilliantly over Fall Break, tallying three goals in Princeton’s two games.

Less than 10 minutes later, senior attack Katie Kinzer struck on an assist from freshman attack Kathleen Sharkey, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead. Kinzer’s fifth goal of the season may have given some veterans on the squad deja vu: Last year, Princeton went into the half with an identical 2-0 lead before a second-half offensive surge carried the Big Red to a 4-3 win.

“We were reminded at halftime that we had the same score as last year, and knew that Cornell had been able to come back from that deficit in the past,” Schreyer said. “We knew we had to come out with more poise in the second half this year to maintain and build on our lead.”

The deja vu lingered into the second half, as Cornell came out on fire. Sophomore goalkeeper Jennifer King weathered a hailstorm of shots, with seven saves in the last 35 minutes of the game.

“She made great save after great save,” Schreyer said. “I think the rest of the defense fed off of her performance.”

King’s unflappable presence in goal certainly took some of the pressure off the offense. Though the Tigers were outshot 11-9 in the second half, Princeton did a better job making sure its attempts counted.

Senior midfielder and tri-captain Candice Arner scored an unassisted goal in the 62nd minute, and McGarvie posted the team’s final goal roughly eight minutes later to seal the 4-0 victory and guarantee the team a share of the Ivy League title.

The Tigers’ undefeated showdown against Cornell was only possible, however, because the team took care of business in an earlier game. On Oct. 25, Princeton paid tribute to Al Capone’s infamous formula for victory, scoring early and scoring often in a 5-0 win over Harvard that preserved the Tigers’ sterling league record.

Less than two minutes into the game, Schreyer scored her sixth goal of the season, a shot that was deflected by a Crimson defender and skirted past Harvard goalie Kylie Stone. Both Arner and junior defender Kaitlyn Perrelle assisted on the goal.

After a scoreless stretch of more than 30 minutes, Schreyer, Arner and Perrelle struck again on a direct corner. Schreyer’s two goals gave the Tigers a 2-0 margin heading into the half, but the lead must have seemed insurmountable given Princeton’s airtight defensive play.

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The Tigers allowed only one shot on goal the entire game, giving King an easy day. King made one save during her relatively stress-free 70 minutes in goal.

Princeton did not simply rely on its defense to hold Harvard at bay. Sharkey tacked on two insurance goals in the first five minutes of the second half, effectively ending the Crimson’s hope of a comeback.

“I think the whole team was really pleased with the Harvard win as it is always a big rivalry,” Sharkey said. “Harvard was a very skilled team, but everyone on our team played phenomenally, and we were able to ... dominate them.”

Sharkey’s first goal came on an assist from freshman midfielder Katie Reinprecht, the team’s leading scorer, while her second came on a lofted rebound. The goals were her ninth and 10th of the season.

Kinzer scored the game’s final goal on an assist from McGarvie in the 53rd minute.

After securing a share of the Ivy League title, the Tigers did not skip a beat, returning home to play the Eagles in a matchup of top-20 teams.

Continuing the trend of early scoring it began against Harvard, Princeton’s attack leapt in front in the first two minutes of the game. This time, Arner started the team on the right foot, scoring on a shot flipped over American goalie Alyssa Poorman.

The Eagles lived up to their billing, however, striking back twice before halftime while their defense neutralized the Tiger offense. Veteran midfielder Megan Henry played a part in both American goals, assisting on the team’s first score and putting in its second.

Princeton showed its true colors in the second half. Kicking the offense into a higher gear, the Tigers outshot the Eagles by an astonishing 17-1 margin after halftime. With that many shots, it was inevitable that a few balls would find the back of the net despite a solid effort by Poorman, who made 11 saves on the day.

Schreyer was the first to break through, netting the tying goal in the 39th minute on an assist from senior midfielder Sarah Reinprecht. Junior attack Christina Bortz and Sharkey then went back-to-back, scoring two goals in a two-minute span to give Princeton a 4-2 advantage with a little more than 10 minutes to play. Sharkey’s goal, her 11th of the season, tied her for first on the team in goals scored with fellow freshman Katie Reinprecht and McGarvie.

Kinzer tacked on an insurance goal in the game’s final minute, giving the Tigers the 5-2 win.

With the three wins over Fall Break, the Tigers have now won or shared the Ivy League title in 13 of the last 14 seasons. Princeton can seize sole possession of the title with a victory against Penn on Friday.

“[We’ll] try to come into the Penn game with a mindset like we are playing in a national championship game,” Sharkey said. “Playing each game with that kind of intensity will certainly help our team continue to improve.”