Women's Water Polo: Tigers dominate invitational

Princeton (7-1 overall) posted a 10-9 win over Marist (4-5) and a 10-8 triumph over Harvard (4-4) on Saturday. The next day, the Tigers recorded an 11-9 win over No. 20 Brown (3-3) in overtime and a 4-3 victory over Wagner (1-3).

The Tigers came out flat in their first contest of the weekend, falling behind 2-0 early in the first quarter against Marist. With an anemic offense and an uninspired defense, the Tigers let the Foxes jump ahead to a 3-1 lead at the end of the first quarter. A quick Marist goal on a six-on-five opportunity early in the second quarter made the score 4-1, but Princeton finally responded with two goals of its own, cutting the Marist lead to one. The Foxes reset themselves and put away three more, extending their advantage to four, but the Tigers then cut the lead down to three with a six-on-five one-timer to end the first-half scoring.

Princeton only allowed two more goals in the final 16 minutes of play, picking up intensity when it was needed most. Both defensively and offensively, the Tigers dominated the rhythm of play.

“I was happy at times with our defensive efforts, but we really just need to finish shots,” head coach Luis Nicolao said. “We got the win, but we need to work on our ability to finish.”

Junior utility Helen Meigs, who helped the Tigers take control of the game’s tempo, scored four goals, while sophomore utilities Lauren Brunner and Tanya Wilcox added two goals each. Freshman goalie Kristen Ward posted 10 saves in the matchup.

Later that evening, Princeton lined up against Ivy League rival Harvard in the nightcap. Just as in its game against Marist, Princeton started flat offensively, but this time it made sure to keep up a strong defensive presence from the outset. The Tigers contained the Crimson to only two first-half goals, but they only posted three goals themselves.

The Tigers broke the game open at the start of the second half, putting up five goals to push their lead to 8-4 going into the fourth quarter. With the game almost out of reach, Harvard responded with grit, putting away four goals in the last few minutes of play. Nonetheless, the Princeton defense stayed strong and kept the Crimson from completing a comeback, finishing the game 10-8.

Brunner led the game with four goals, while Meigs scored two of her own. Sophomore Christina Michel recorded 12 saves in the matchup.

The next day, Princeton faced a well-rounded, nationally ranked Brown squad, the toughest opponent of the weekend. The Bears, playing their final match of the weekend, came in with intensity and opened a quick 2-0 lead in the first few minutes of play. The Tigers responded with three goals of their own, and by the end of the first period, the score was tied at three. Princeton kept Brown at bay for the next eight minutes and then found the net to take a 4-3 lead heading into the second half of play.

The Tigers broke out again in the third quarter, going up 8-4 early on in the frame, only to see their lead dwindle to 8-6 by the end of the period. The Bears stepped up defensively and held Princeton to only one goal in the fourth, mounting a comeback and tying the score at nine by the end of regulation. In the overtime periods, a perfect Princeton defense shut down the Brown offense while Meigs and Wilcox took care of business and put two goals away to secure the victory for the Tigers.

“We were up, down, and we had a bunch of chances to put shots away, but it just wasn’t happening [during the Brown game], and that made it a lot tougher for us,” Nicolao said.

Meigs led the way for the Tigers against the Bears with three goals, while junior utility Phoebe Champion and Wilcox posted two apiece. Michel had an impressive game as well, putting together a 10-save performance.

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In the final match of the weekend, the Tigers faced Wagner in an aggressively played Sunday nightcap. Coming in with good rhythm, Princeton lead 2-1 through eight minutes of play, but it started to fall behind in the second period.

The Seahawks, taking advantage of opportunities above and below the water, took a 3-2 lead at the end of the second frame. Princeton then picked up the intensity and shut out Wagner in the last 16 minutes of play, securing a 4-3 victory.

“Both teams put up a great effort on defense … It was also the fourth game for us this weekend, and the score reflects the strength of both goalies,” senior center defender and co-captain Liz Dilday said.

Ward had a great performance in the cage, maintaining her composure and picking up 13 saves in the contest. Meigs, who added a goal in the Wagner game, led the Tigers with 10 goals on the weekend, while Brunner recorded six.

The Tigers will use last weekend’s results to focus their future efforts.

“We’re getting the opportunities in every game, we’re controlling the game, but we’re not putting away our shots” senior utility and co-captain Claire Jacobson said.

Princeton is getting ready for the Elite Six Tournament next weekend, where the Tigers will have a rematch with Harvard and face top-ranked East Coast opponents Michigan and Hartwick College.