With one game remaining in Princeton’s regular season, Peteraf has tripled her goal total from her previous three seasons as a Tiger, tallying 12 goals and playing a pivotal role in the team’s best season since 2004, when Princeton made it to the NCAA Final Four.
Even Peteraf cannot explain her newfound dominance.
“There hasn’t been any one moment that gave me confidence,” she said. “I think it builds off itself over time. I think in the past I scored goals here and there. I think you can score goals in certain moments depending on the circumstance. It always feels like a momentary occurrence. It feels kind of random, but, over the course of time, I’ve been able to have more consistency.”
Consistency has certainly been a hallmark of Peteraf’s production this year. More important for Princeton, however, is its star scorer’s ascendant ability to come through in the clutch. Not only has she made a habit of finding the back of the net on a regular basis, she has done so repeatedly in high-pressure situations: Eight of Peteraf’s 12 goals this year have either tied the game or clinched the win.
The trend started in the Tigers’ first game of the season against Boston University. With Princeton down 1-0 late in the second half and in danger of losing its opening game at Myslik Field, Peteraf took control, beating two defenders and the goalkeeper to knot the score at one. Princeton went on to win the game when fellow senior outside back and tri-captain Lisa Chinn scored in the 89th minute, jumpstarting the Tigers’ 2008 campaign.
“I had made a mistake on defense, and I felt like the goal that Boston University had scored was my fault,” Peteraf said. “It was within just a few minutes, and I kind of got angry, and I was able to turn that anger into a goal. That was memorable, being the first goal and being the tying goal.”
Following the opening game, Peteraf began a streak where she scored game-winning goals in five of Princeton’s next eight games. Just as impressively, Peteraf totaled six of the team’s 11 goals during the stretch, providing the necessary offensive spark to complement the Tigers’ brick wall of a defense.
Two weeks after the season-opener, Peteraf scored in overtime against Towson to give Princeton a 1-0 win.
The Tigers escaped with another 1-0 victory, this time over Fairfield, when Peteraf scored in the 82nd minute of what had been a scoreless defensive struggle.
“I think that my confidence level has improved, and I think that once you gain a bit of success, it keeps coming,” Peteraf said. “I don’t really know where it’s coming from or why I’m having such success this year. I think it’s kind of realizing that we don’t score a lot of goals, and it’s realizing that one goal, one chance can make the difference and just trying to finish every opportunity that I’ve gotten.”
Peteraf’s proficiency as a scorer was on full display in Princeton’s matchup against Dartmouth on Oct. 4. With 12 minutes left in the first half, Peteraf gathered the ball 25 yards out from the goal to the right of the box. While less confident players would have looked for an open teammate, Peteraf laced a magnificent shot over Big Green goalie Laurel Peak that found a resting place in the far corner of the net. The goal gave Princeton the 1-0 win.
“I have a particular rivalry with Dartmouth because I’m from Hanover, New Hampshire,” Peteraf said. “It was a long-range goal. I was able to beat the keeper.”
As Peteraf continued to fill up the Tigers’ stat sheet, her coaches started giving her more freedom to create scoring opportunities on the upper third of the field.
“I think that as the coaches saw that I had this luck, or whatever it is, they kind of allowed me a little more freedom to go forward and try to do something,” Peteraf said. “They have given me a role of a half-midfielder, half-forward, whereas in the past I was more of a fulltime midfielder. I’m given a little more freedom in the offensive third.”
Given more range, Peteraf has been playing some of her best soccer of the year in the past few games, scoring four goals in the Tigers’ last three matches.
In addition to her outstanding play on the field, Peteraf was recently named to the CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 2 team.
“I was really honored,” Peteraf said. “I wasn’t expecting to get any types of awards this year, so when I found out about that, I was really honored.”
Peteraf’s surprise about the award is only fitting for a season in which she has made a habit of doing the unexpected.
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