Blosser scores 2 again as squad beats Dartmouth

In its second Ivy League game of the young season, the women’s soccer team avenged last year's double-overtime loss to Dartmouth with a 2-1 win on Saturday.

The Tigers (5-3 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) had the momentum coming into the game, with shutouts against Fairfield and Yale under their belt coming in the past week. The Big Green (3-4-1, 1-1) was also looking strong heading into the game, as it won its last game six days earlier by a score of 2-1, topping Brown. Princeton and Penn are now tied for first place in the Ivy League.

Sophomore midfielder Caitlin Blosser scored both goals for the Tigers once again, just as she did in last week's 2-0 win over Fairfield. Blosser now leads not only the team, but the entire Ivy League in points on the season, with 18. Her six goals and six assists also put her on top of each category for the Tigers.

The beginning of the first half was a defensive one for Princeton, but the offense quickly got into its stride with help from sophomore defender Diane Metcalf-Leggette and freshman midfielder Gabriella Guzman. Junior defender Kim Menafra, sophomore midfielder Stephanie Iantorno and junior midfielder Sara Chehrehsa made solid use of the sidelines, often bringing the ball up the field into offensive territory.

Blosser’s first goal came at the 17th minute of the game. Metcalf-Leggette passed the ball up from the midfield line to Blosser near the 18-yard box, who fired it up into the top right corner of the cage.

“You can’t get the perfect shot, but when you have the opportunity you have to take it,” Blosser said of her first goal of the day. “Opportunities are far and few between, so you need to take the shot when you can.”

While the Tigers controlled most of the first half, the Big Green started to play more offensively toward the end of the half. With only three minutes left in the half, Dartmouth answered Blosser’s first goal, tying the game at one heading into the halftime break.

“It was disappointing to give up a soft goal with only three minutes left,” head coach Julie Shackford said. “We were outworked at the end of the half.”

During halftime, the Tigers talked about going back in strong, controlling the second half and rallying against the Big Green. Princeton apparently took the halftime talk to heart and came back to return to their offensive game.

The Tigers had four fast breaks in a row early in the second half. Shots by sophomore forward Jen Hoy and Blosser went wide, including a one-on-one break to goal by Hoy.

“It was also disappointing that we didn’t finish on four breakaways,” Shackford said. “We would have killed their momentum.”

“She’s a stud,” Shackford explained. “She has a knack for the goals. She can score with both feet, which makes her a complete player ... She can read the game at a very high level.”

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The Tigers also benefited from the offensive contributions of Chehrehsa and sophomore midfielder Rachel Saunders.

“We have six kids who can play the same [offensive] positions, because we have lots of talent," Shackford said. "Teams with depth and talent create problems for other teams.”

Sophomore defender Alison Nabatoff was an anchor in the backfield in the second half, along with Metcalf-Leggette.

Both teams picked up their intensity in the last five minutes of the half, a surge that was halted by an injury to Metcalf-Leggette. The Tigers were able to hold off the Big Green in the game's waning moments.

“The defense helped our offense,” Blosser said of the team's performance. “Everyone behind the forwards helps us win the ball. We had work ethic off the ball and worked for each other.”

Chehrehsa echoed Blosser's sentiment, saying that the team “really clicked.”

“We found our rhythm and worked together as a unit,” she explained.

Next up for Princeton is a game at American today at 4 p.m. Its next league game will be at Roberts Stadium next Saturday against Brown.