Field Hockey: Undefeated start gives high hopes for season

The fact that the field hockey team is a heavy favorite to win the Ivy League title this year is nothing new. Princeton (4-0) has won four consecutive Ancient Eight crowns and 17 league championships overall.

What is new is the fact that the Tigers are taking the entire country by storm — and there seems to be no stopping them. Princeton kicked off its season with several impressive wins, including two overtime victories against nationally ranked teams. On Sept. 5, the Tigers defeated then-No. 18 Ohio State by a 5-4 margin. The next day, Princeton defeated then-No. 3 Syracuse, 3-2.

The win against the Orange was especially sweet. Last season, Syracuse beat the Tigers in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA tournament, ending Princeton’s hopes of winning a national championship.

Sophomore striker Kathleen Sharkey, who currently leads the team with four goals and four assists, said the victory over Syracuse was an important early-season boost for the team.

“It was awesome beating Syracuse in our second game of the season,” Sharkey said. “They had a kind of advantage coming into the game because they had a longer preseason than we were allowed to have.”

Sophomore midfielder Katie Reinprecht added that last season’s loss to Syracuse taught Princeton that it belonged with the nation’s best.

“I think the team realized its incredible potential after our NCAA run last year,” Reinprecht explained. “Although the loss [to Syracuse] was heartbreaking at the time, the team understood that we were capable of playing with the best.”

After defeating two nationally ranked teams in one weekend, Princeton did not let up. In their next game, the Tigers recorded a decisive 7-0 victory at Class of 1952 Stadium behind a hat trick from Reinprecht, who is currently second on the team in points with 10. Princeton also notched a 4-1 home victory over Richmond last Sunday.

On the defensive side, the goaltending has also been solid thus far. Junior Jennifer King and senior Cynthia Wray have been splitting time in goal, and both have contributed to the team’s four-game winning streak.

The Tigers’ early-season success is all the more impressive considering the team lost nine of last year’s players to graduation. This year’s squad only has five seniors, and 13 of the 21 players are underclassmen.

“We lost a good portion of our starting lineup from last year, but this year we have a really strong freshman class and a talented group of reserves,” Sharkey said.

Leading the freshman class is striker Michelle Cesan, who has two goals and two assists so far this season. Though the team is young, it certainly isn’t inexperienced. Sharkey and Reinprecht are capable of carrying on the team’s legacy this season. Last year, Reinprecht was Ivy League Player of the Year, and Sharkey earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors.

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Along with their accolades, Sharkey and Reinprecht possess the maturity and the focus required to propel the Tigers to success.

“We understand that every Ivy League team would love to beat us, and therefore we must prepare for those games just as we would against any other team,” Reinprecht said.

Last season, Princeton went undefeated in Ancient Eight competition. This year, the team gets its first taste of Ivy League action on Saturday when it plays Dartmouth (1-2), which bounced back from two season-opening losses with a 5-0 win over Holy Cross last weekend.

It’s still early in the season, but the Tigers can use the tremendous momentum they gained from beating Ohio State and Syracuse to motivate them when they kick off their Ivy League season this weekend.

Princeton’s goal is to bring home an 18th Ivy League title. But the Tigers also have their sights set on a loftier aspiration — an NCAA championship.

“I think we are all really focused on our goal of a national championship, but we know that in order to get to that final game, we still have to improve a lot,” Sharkey said. “I think that realization is driving everyone’s intensity and work ethic.”