Women’s Lacrosse: Princeton aims to rebound over break

Seventh-ranked Princeton’s loss to No. 4 Duke (5-1) exposed some of the Tigers’ weaknesses and revealed where improvements are needed. Hopefully for the Tigers, working out the lingering kinks this week in practice will have prepared them for Saturday’s game against Penn State (4-1). A win against the Nittany Lions would prove Princeton belongs in the top echelon of the national rankings.

Though Princeton has won 17 of its last 21 games against the Nittany Lions, Penn State has improved tremendously in recent years and has thoroughly established itself as a strong contender. Over the last few seasons, the Tigers have struggled against the Nittany Lions, losing to Penn State by one goal in 2007 and scraping by in a 7-6 win last year.

In last season’s win, Princeton trailed the Nittany Lions 3-0 throughout most of the first half until sophomore attack Lizzy Drumm cashed in on an unassisted goal with 13 minutes remaining in the half to ignite the Tiger attack. This year, the Tigers have lost several of their star players to graduation and are facing a Penn State team that has retained a core group of starters while also adding a highly touted recruited class.

“They have always been a team that is really strong and aggressive,” senior attack Sarah Steele said. “They’ve always given us trouble, and this year they are supposed to be particularly strong.”

Last week, the Blue Devils’ offense was too much for the Tiger defense to handle, as Duke’s attack overpowered the Tigers to earn a last-minute 13-12 victory. This week, with home-field advantage and something to prove, Princeton’s offense may show more vigor to penetrate Penn State’s defense, which has a 61-44 edge in forced turnovers over its opponents.

The Nittany Lions proved that they could hold their own against the toughest competition in the league when they nearly toppled No. 4 Virginia on Sunday, succumbing to the Cavaliers 12-11 in an overtime heartbreaker. No. 15 Penn State took one of the nation’s top teams by surprise by earning an 11-5 lead over the Cavaliers with 17 minutes, six seconds remaining in the contest.

Though the Nittany Lions were unable to hold off Virginia in the second half, their close loss demonstrated that they refuse go down without a fight. In the loss, Penn State goalie Stephanie Ellis registered a career-high 14 saves and will likely be just as tough between the pipes this weekend.

“[Penn State is] a team that is very strong on both ends and is very aggressive in transitions,” Steele said. “They are never afraid to shoot the ball. Any team that goes hard and is aggressive is bound to be a challenge.”

While the Nittany Lions’ tenacious style of play and impenetrable defense may pose a challenge for Princeton, the Tigers will bring some equally dangerous weapons to the field, including senior midfielder and tri-captain Holly McGarvie. Leading the offense, McGarvie averages four points a game and has a 90 percent average for shots on goal.

Princeton has a 72.7 win percentage when playing at Class of 1952 Stadium and has been practicing all week to prepare for Penn State.

To earn a victory, the Tigers have to be sure not to underestimate the scrappy Nittany Lions, who, after last year’s disappointing season and last weekend’s close loss, will be hungrier than ever for a win.

“Our coaches saw them play last weekend and they were very impressed,” Steele said. “They are a team we cannot take lightly. We know that we have had trouble with them in the past and that they have been preparing well, and we just have to remember that.”