On Saturday afternoon, in front of a home crowd at Class of 1952 Stadium, the No. 7 field hockey team knocked out a talented Yale squad with a decisive 5-2 victory. The Bulldogs (4-3 overall, 1-1 Ivy League) were off to their strongest start in 11 seasons before Princeton (7-1, 2-0) handed them their first Ivy League loss.
Three of the Tigers’ five goals were off penalty corners, and Princeton’s razor-sharp execution of its first corner opportunity served as an early indication of the team’s future success. Sophomore striker Rachel Neufeld created the advantage when she drew a foul at the top of the arc. Freshman striker Michelle Cesan inbounded the ball to sophomore striker Kathleen Sharkey, who pulled the opposing defense toward her before tapping the ball left to sophomore midfielder and co-captain Katie Reinprecht, who was wide open. Reinprecht fired the ball into the back of the cage, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead six minutes, 38 seconds into the game.
To head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn, Princeton’s ability to convert corners into points on the board was vital to its victory. “We definitely executed, and that is an area of our game which we needed to work on, so that was great to see,” she said.
Though Princeton did not score again in the first half, it was not for lack of effort or opportunity. Princeton showcased its ability to dribble through traffic, pop the ball over defensive sticks and sweep passes through defensive lines during a six-and-a-half-minute offensive stretch in the middle of the period.
That none of the Tigers’ shots found the back of the net during this long streak is part of the game, Holmes-Winn said. “It’s going to happen some days, and you just have to keep shooting. We just have to make sure to keep at it.”
Princeton’s persistent shooting paid off in the second half, but not until after the Tigers and Bulldogs traded a series of fast breaks that kept crowd members on the edge of their seats.
Good defense is said to be the best offense, and after a solid defensive stand the Tigers finally pulled away from the Bulldogs by scoring three goals in 10-and-a-half minutes. First, Princeton converted on a penalty corner when Cesan inbounded the ball to Reinprecht, who passed it to senior back Kaitlyn Perrelle. A defender blocked Perrelle’s shot, but Sharkey controlled the rebound and lifted the ball into the back of the net, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead at 46:58.
Princeton’s third goal came precisely one minute later during a fast break, when Reinprecht fed Neufeld a leading pass and took goalkeeper Katie Bolling one-on-one. Bolling dove as Neufeld poked the ball to the right, and it trickled into the back of the cage. In an unusual twist, a defender knocked the cage over after the play in her hustle to get back.
Senior striker and co-captain Christina Bortz said that breakaways such as Reinprecht’s pass to Neufeld reflected great “awareness before we received the ball. We were trying to figure out where our open passes were. That way when we got [the ball,] we didn’t have to think. We could just play it to the open player.”
The offense also showed a high level of awareness inside the arc, where its finessed passing kept the Yale defense running in circles. At 57:15, a series of passes swung the ball to Reinprecht, who blasted a shot from the top of the arc into the back corner of the cage, giving the Tigers a 4-0 lead.
Despite Princeton’s large lead, the Bulldogs never gave up and managed to net two goals in the final 13 minutes of the game. On a penalty corner, Yale fired a shot toward the goal that hit Perrelle squarely in the knee. Since Perrelle prevented the ball from going into the goal, the Bulldogs were awarded a stroke, which they converted.
Princeton answered back by scoring on a penalty corner with 1:27 remaining in the game when Cesan inbounded the ball to sophomre midfielder Alyssa Pyros, who stopped it at the top of the arc and tapped it left to Sharkey. Sharkey found Reinprecht, who hit the ball into the backhand corner and brought the score to 5-1. As time ran out, the Bulldogs tallied their second goal during a corner opportunity.
King tallied five saves, while Bolling had 12. The Tigers out-shot the Bulldogs, 25-13. Reinprecht also played a great game, racking up three goals and one assist. On defense, Pyros stood out, as she consistently stripped the ball from attackers and transitioned it up the left side of the field.
After the game, Yale head coach Pam Stuper told yalebulldogs.com, “This is the best Princeton team I’ve seen in years.”
The Tigers stay home this weekend when Columbia and No. 5 Connecticut come to Class of 1952. Princeton plays Columbia at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Read More
No. 7 women’s lacrosse season ends in NCAA quarterfinals against No. 1 UNC
Hayk YengibaryanWith the loss, the career of senior attacker Mackenzie Blake comes to an end. Blake finished her career with a program-best 231 career goals and three first-team All-Ivy selections.
With the loss, the career of senior attacker Mackenzie Blake comes to an end. Blake finished her career with a program-best 231 career goals and three first-team All-Ivy selections.
No. 3 men’s lacrosse season ends in NCAA quarterfinals after 19–18 loss to No. 5 Syracuse
Hayk YengibaryanWith the win, Syracuse advances to the final four for the first time since 2013. For the Tigers, their season ends along with the career of senior standout attacker Coulter Mackesy.
With the win, Syracuse advances to the final four for the first time since 2013. For the Tigers, their season ends along with the career of senior standout attacker Coulter Mackesy.
Preview: No. 3 men’s lacrosse plays No. 5 Syracuse in NCAA quarterfinals
Hayk YengibaryanShould the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.
Should the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.