The team will take the field at 1:30 p.m. in the first game of a doubleheader, which will also feature the men’s lacrosse team’s matchup against UMass at 5 p.m.
“We are practicing with an increased intensity and urgency,” head coach Chris Sailer said. “Every game will be a challenge from here on out. Let’s just say that, with every NCAA game, we want to win and advance and earn another week to practice and compete together.”
The team has had an impressive season so far, with only three losses overall and one in Ivy League competition against Penn. The team has averaged 11.94 goals per game and allowed 8.19 goals per game, fourth in the nation. Georgetown earned its NCAA bid off a five-loss season, with only one of those losses in Big East competition. The Hoyas are averaging 12.66 goals per game and have allowed 9.37 goals per game.
Princeton, the tournament’s eighth seed, has an 8-6 record against Georgetown since 1997. The teams have played against each other in every regular season this decade except one, and each of the last six games between Princeton and Georgetown was decided by two goals or less.
The Tigers and the Hoyas played each other in the NCAA tournament in 1998 and 2002. Princeton scored a 12-11 victory in the 1998 quarterfinals, and it won its second national championship after its 12-7 victory in the 2002 finals.
This season, senior midfielder Holly McGarvie leads the team in scoring with 51 total points, 32 from goals and 19 from assists. She is also the team leader in ground balls with 47, draw controls with 49 and turnovers with 38.
Sophomore attack Lizzy Drumm is second in scoring with 42 points, and sophomore goalie Erin Tochihara has a .542 save percentage after starting in all but one game this season.
“This is the first time in a number of years we haven’t played Georgetown in the regular season, but both teams are very familiar with each other’s personnel and style of play,” Sailer said. “Georgetown has a pair of excellent crease attackers in [attack Molly] Ford and [attack Jordy] Kirr, who really run the show offensively for them. They are very creative, have good moves and can get the shot off if you give them an inch. At the same time, they are great at reading the slides and feeding the open player, and they’ve got a great primary target in [midfielder Ashby] Kaestner. We’re going to need a great effort in goal and a strong team defense performance on Sunday.”
On Georgetown’s end, Ford leads the team with 52 goals and 16 assists. Kirr has 62 points, with 39 goals and a team-high 23 assists. Kaestner has a team-high 33 ground balls, while defender Bridget Noon leads with 45 draw controls. Senior midfielder Jordan Trautman has a team-high 24 forced turnovers.
Goalie Caitlin Formby has started in all 18 games and has a .464 save percentage, while goalie Lauren Thomas has played in nine games and has five saves on 19 shots.
“You’d always prefer to enter the NCAAs with a good solid win in your last regular season game, but regardless we know it’s a new season on Sunday,” Sailer said. “We’ve put our last game behind us and are focusing entirely on getting ready to face Georgetown. We’re adding a new offensive set, working on our transition passing game and getting back to the basics in our primary defense.”
Sunday’s winner will play the winner of the matchup between first-seeded and reigning NCAA champion Northwestern and UMass on May 16.
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