After beating Ivy League rival Columbia last week, the women’s lacrosse team notched its 300th win in program history this weekend with a thrilling 15-14 four-overtime win over No. 9 Georgetown in Washington, D.C. The win was the first for No. 19 Princeton (4-4 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) against a ranked opponent this season.
Georgetown (3-5) started strong and quickly scored three goals in the first four minutes to take a 3-0 lead. The Tigers responded with three goals of their own, led by freshman midfielder Caroline Rehfuss’ goal six minutes into the game.
Once it evened the score, Princeton went on the attack and gained its biggest lead of the afternoon, scoring three more goals to go up 6-4. Georgetown came right back and headed into the break with an 8-7 lead.
The two teams were nearly even on the stat sheet after the first 30 minutes of play. While Princeton had a slight 15-13 edge in shots, the Hoyas had scooped up two more ground balls.
The Hoyas scored first in the second half on a man-up opportunity to take a 9-7 lead. The Tigers clawed their way back and tied the score 10-10 halfway through the second half. The teams proceeded to trade goals for the rest of regulation.
“We really made an effort, once they scored, to answer back with a goal of our own,” junior attacker and tri-captain Lizzy Drumm said.
After 60 minutes of play, the score was tied 14-14, and the teams headed to overtime.
The same even play continued in overtime, and after two three-minute halves, the score remained 14-14. Georgetown won three of four draws, but junior goalie Erin Tochihara prevented the Hoyas from converting any of their chances.
“[Georgetown] won the draw, and they were trying to look for the last shot of the half,” Tochihara said.
Princeton’s defense hung tough and prevented the Hoyas from finding any good opportunities.
“It was pretty stressful down there but our ‘D’ did a great job,” Tochihara said.
After the first two overtime periods, women’s college lacrosse rules dictate that the first team to score in the next overtime wins the game.
The third overtime passed with both teams failing to find the back of the net. The Tigers ended the exciting game with two minutes remaining in the fourth overtime.
After making a stop, Tochihara cleared the ball downfield. Sophomore Barb Previ and Drumm ended up on a fast break. Previ fed Drumm, who sent the winning goal past Hodya goalie Caitlin Formby.
Princeton’s win started the team’s first winning streak of the year and was also the Tigers’ first win over a ranked team.
Georgetown outshot Princeton 33-28 and had a 20-14 advantage in ground balls, but Princeton had 10 fewer fouls.
The Tigers had struggled in previous games to find their groove on the attacking end of the field. On Sunday, they had more success.
“The flow of the attack was the best it’s looked all season,” Tochihara said.
Though she scored five goals herself, Drumm emphasized that it was a solid team effort.
“It’s hard to pick out individual players when it really was everyone working together for the win,” Drumm said.
With their record even at .500, the Tigers look to build on the past week’s success.
“This was a huge win for us,” Tochihara said. “We’re taking the momentum and looking forward.”
Princeton will try to extend its win streak to three on Wednesday night against Temple in Philadelphia.
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