The No. 6 Tigers (11-4 overall, 5-0 Ivy League) will look to extend their 22-game Ivy League win streak by defeating the underdog Big Red. Though Princeton has remained in the upper echelon of the national rankings all year, two of its four losses this season have come in its last three games. The Tigers fell at No. 4 Connecticut before dropping a 1-0 heartbreaker to No. 11 Penn State last Friday.
Cornell (10-3, 4-1) is tied for second in the league with Yale, with its sole league loss coming against the Bulldogs. Princeton beat Yale 7-0 in late September, but the Big Red is currently on a five-game win streak.
Cornell’s offense has been relatively strong this season, boasting the third-highest scoring margin in the league. The offense is led by striker Catie De Stio, who has nine goals, five assists and 23 points this season.
Princeton will also likely have to keep an eye out for striker Hannah Balleza, who has emerged as an equally talented member of the Big Red offense. She has nine goals, one assist and 19 points on the season. She also boasts an impressive .826 shots-on-goal percentage.
Cornell’s defense has been impressive this year. Goalkeeper Alex Botte has had two shutouts this season, good for second in the league. Botte also has the highest save percentage of any goalie in the Ivy League, helping the Big Red to the second lowest goals-against average in the Ancient Eight.
Still, the Tigers seem to have a considerable edge heading into Saturday’s game. Last year, the Tigers beat Cornell 10-1.
The Tigers have a 3.07 scoring margin this season, the highest in the league by more than two goals. Princeton is also the league leader in goals scored, and its 63 goals are 10 more than second-place Dartmouth’s.
Princeton’s offense is bolstered by junior striker Kathleen Sharkey, who leads the nation with 26 goals.
Sophomore striker Michelle Cesan is another go-to point of attack for the Tigers, as she has 10 goals on the season and is ranked one of the top 50 offensive players in the nation as well.
On defense, starting freshman goalkeeper Christina Maida has emerged as a cornerstone for the team. She has three shutouts this season, the best in the league. Maida also has the lowest goals-against average and the second highest save percentage in the league. Maida is ranked in the top 30 in the nation for highest save percentage.
The numbers seem to point in Princeton’s direction, as the Tigers look to clinch yet another Ivy League title, potentially giving head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn her seventh title since 2003.
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