No. 17 Princeton (4-5 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) hopes to defend its league dominance on Saturday against Cornell (2-6, 1-2) in the beginning of a three-game homestand. Head coach Chris Sailer explained that despite Cornell’s unthreatening record, the Tigers should be wary of the Big Red.
“I think Cornell’s a good team,” Sailer said. “Their record is deceiving: They have a lot of good players that will come in and battle. It used to be that if you lost two games, you were out [of the running for the Ivy League tournament]. Now, we have a tournament for the top four teams, and they’re going to play even harder knowing that they have a shot at that,” Sailer said.
Though Princeton has won the last 22 matchups against Cornell and is similarly authoritative in the all-time series, claiming 29 of 31 total games, Tigers have had a rocky start to their season. Princeton currently stands at 0-4 at home, and right after upsetting Georgetown in a nail-biting overtime game on Saturday, the Tigers fell to Temple.
“We came off a high from Georgetown — beating a top-10 team — to falling to Temple [on Wednesday]. We have to not fall back into our old style of play. Part of that is just maturity and learning how to handle different situations,” Sailer said.
“The Temple game was a letdown — Temple hasn’t had the best results yet so far, but like I told the team, every team is going to come after us because of what Princeton teams have done in the past,” Sailer added.
Saturday’s game, while in the middle of the season, marks only the beginning of conference play.
Princeton has six games remaining in its regular season, and five of those are within the Ivy League.
The Big Red will pose a challenge because of the players’ speed and the strength of the attack unit, Sailer noted.
“They’re a pretty athletic team — their offensive unit is a little stronger than their defensive unit,” Sailer said. “They have a new keeper who’s still improving her performance in the cage. They have a real threat in [attack] Jessi Steinberg, a left-handed kid who’s really fast.”
“They have another strong kid in [midfielder] Libby Johnson, who works really well with Steinberg,” Sailer added. “They have a lot of fast and explosive midfielders. They were great on the ground balls and 50-50 balls. They were really fast and almost ran away with it last year. They’re really scrappy players.”
However, Sailer sees a clear path to a win that involves an excellent performance from the Tigers’ netminders as well as increased communication on the defensive end.
“[Cornell’s] shooting percentage hasn’t been as good as they would like,” Sailer said. “Hopefully our keepers will have a good day in the cage. Hopefully they will go back to not directing the defense, but rather focusing on just making the saves.”
Sailer explained that several key players — including goalies and senior defender and tri-captain Sarah Vance — have been instrumental in directing the defense.
While this is a positive thing, the defensive squad needs to be more cohesive and vocal on the whole.
“I think a big focus for us is our defense: Yesterday we gave up 11 goals in one half. I don’t remember the last time that’s happened to Princeton,” Sailer said. “All over the field, we need to communicate more consistently and effectively. We’re a step behind in sliding, in double teams. We’re not seeing the field. We’re focusing on individual players.”
The Tigers mix brilliant moments with long, listless stretches, and the players need to work together to fix that issue.
If the team hopes to move up in the Ivy League, everyone will need to be focused in every single game.
“We definitely are improving over the course of the season,” Sailer said. “One of our biggest issues right now is consistency: We really need to be consistent from play to play, as well as from game to game. We’re learning those lessons as we move along. We’re excited to get into the heart of our Ivy schedule, and hopefully we’ll finish in the top four,” Sailer said.
Read More
With Pierce to sit out the year, men’s basketball loses last senior standing
Harrison BlankSenior forward Caden Pierce announced today that he will be sitting out his senior season of basketball at Princeton in the interests of maintaining his final year of eligibility.
Senior forward Caden Pierce announced today that he will be sitting out his senior season of basketball at Princeton in the interests of maintaining his final year of eligibility.
Women’s ice hockey names Courtney Kessel as new head coach
Lily PampolinaFollowing the resignation of Cara Gardner Morey, Princeton appointed Courtney Kessel as head coach.
Following the resignation of Cara Gardner Morey, Princeton appointed Courtney Kessel as head coach.
Former women’s basketball forward Parker Hill ’25 signs professional contract in Switzerland
Doug SchwartzAfter a successful senior season, women's basketball forward Parker Hill signed a contact to play professional basketball in Europe, following in the steps of her past teammates.
After a successful senior season, women's basketball forward Parker Hill signed a contact to play professional basketball in Europe, following in the steps of her past teammates.