Chemistry to be crucial for Princeton

Princeton made good on Sailer’s promise in the first test of its season last weekend, as the Tigers defeated No. 13 Johns Hopkins, 13-9. The game was tied at nine in the second half when Princeton scored the game’s final four goals, two of which came from junior attack Kristin Morrison.

The team will have to maintain this mindset to match or surpass the postseason accomplishments of last year’s squad. The 2008 Tigers reached the quarterfinals in the NCAA tournament, ultimately falling to now-No. 1 Northwestern, 18-11, but this year’s team is looking to go all the way.

Competing in the preseason poll against highly ranked teams like Johns Hopkins and now-No. 2 Duke, which the Tigers will face this Saturday, early in the year will prepare the Tigers well for the tough competition that they will face later on in the spring. Sailer said she thinks the squads from No. 4 Virginia, No. 15 Dartmouth and No. 5 Maryland will be strong opponents as well.

The biggest challenge the Tigers will face early on is getting ready to compete against national powerhouses despite having had less time than other teams to prepare during the Fall Ball Lacrosse Tournament and the preseason. Last Saturday’s matchup marked Hopkins’ third game of the season, and this Saturday’s matchup with Duke will be the Blue Devils’ sixth of the season.

“Our success in the first part of the season, in the first half, goes a long way in determining whether we’ll be eligible for an at-large bid for the NCAAs, so we’ve got to be ready to compete right away,” Sailer said.

“We start later than a lot of teams and certainly the non-Ivy League teams,” Sailer added. “Not having as much game experience is a challenge when you play those teams early.”

Senior tri-captains midfielder Holly McGarvie and defender Marie McKenna expect that maintaining consistency and intensity in practices and games will be the biggest challenges the Tigers face this season.

“Our biggest … challenge in a season is competing in every practice and game at the highest level possible,” McGarvie said. “We are one of the most talented teams in the country, so it’s important to remember to play to our potential in every single practice and game. It can be difficult throughout the course of the season to accomplish this, but if we do, there’s no stopping us.”

During the preseason, the coaching staff had the players work on fundamentals of their individual games.

“[We corrected] bad habits to make sure the whole big picture comes from doing the little things right,” Sailer said.

The Tigers also focused on developing a more complete understanding of the game itself, learning how to create space on attack and capitalize on transition opportunities created by the defense.

But skills and field vision alone will not produce a winning recipe: Chemistry among the players must also be thrown into the mix. McGarvie called the team trip to Australia over winter break a great bonding experience for the players.

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“This has helped us keep each other more accountable on the field because we are all close friends once we step off the field,” McGarvie said.

“I think our team’s chemistry and experience are our greatest strengths this season,” McKenna added. “Our senior class of nine is … an extremely close-knit group. We are determined to work harder and smarter every day so that we will end this season without any regrets.”

The Tiger attack will rest largely in the hands of senior attack Christine Casaceli, senior midfielder Kristin Schwab and McGarvie. Casaceli, a third-team All-America selection last season, returns as the Tigers’ leading scorer.

Senior attack Sarah Stelle and sophomore midfielder Lizzy Drumm have especially stood out during the preseason on offense. Despite battling shin injuries, Steele has impressed the coaches throughout the preseason and is touted as having a nose for the goal. And Drumm, an accurate shooter who knows how to create space for herself around the net, launched her Princeton career in impressive fashion. As a rookie, she finished fourth on the team in scoring, tallying 34 points.

“[Drumm]’s a dynamic attacker who has a lot of different ways she can beat a defender, whether it’s off the pass, off a cut, feeding herself or taking a drive to goal. She’s a multidimensional attacker, so I see her having a great year,” Sailer said.

Junior attack Kristin Morrison, who has exceptional speed and a powerful shot, and senior attack Anne Murray are expected to be crucial components for the Princeton offense as well.

Success on the defensive end of the field will hinge on how well the Tigers play as a unit, execute slides and read the opposition. McKenna, senior defender Caity Manzo and senior midfielder and tri-captain Katie Cox will lead the defense, while freshman defender Lindsey deButts is expected to be a newcomer who will have an immediate impact. Junior defender Sarah Vance, whose sister Lauren Vance ’06 was named Ivy League Co-Player of the Year in her senior season, has shown a lot of potential during the preseason and is a contender for the remaining open spot on the defensive unit.

The question of who will play between the pipes lingers for the women. Junior goalie Kait Perrelle and sophomore goalie Erin Tochihara split time in the game against Johns Hopkins, with Tochihara posting six saves in more than 46 minutes of playing time and Perrelle recording two saves of her own. They display different styles of goalkeeping and are likely to split time in the early games before Sailer makes a final decision about the starting spot.