Women's Soccer: Princeton to host underdog Brown in Ivy League showdown

The women’s soccer team is confident it can improve upon its unbeaten Ivy League record as it squares off against Brown at Roberts Stadium on Saturday night.

Princeton (6-4 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) is coming off a heartbreaking double-overtime 1-2 loss at American University.

Despite the loss, sophomore goalie Kristin Watson said there is no reason for concern. “[American] just got a couple of lucky chances” she said. “It was definitely debatable whether the last goal was over the line.”

Historically, Princeton has lagged behind Brown with a total record of 13-15-3. But the Tigers have reason to be confident, as they have defeated the Bears in two out of their last three match-ups.

Last year Princeton defeated the Bears in a 1-0 overtime victory in Providence, R.I. The match also marked head coach Julie Shackford’s 200th career win.

Brown (5-3-3, 0-1-1) has struggled this season, winning only two of its last six matches. Still, the Bears are coming off of a 2-0 victory against Holy Cross.

Before its recent loss, Princeton was riding a three-game win streak in which it outscored opponents 5-1 and picked up victories from league rivals Dartmouth and Yale.

Sophomore midfielder Caitlin Blosser spearheaded the offense, scoring four goals during the streak. She was honored for the second time this season as Ivy League Player of the Week for her performance.

Blosser explained that the team has “been working on keeping the ball wide and up top,” which she said has been the source of the offensive success.

Blosser is the current league leader in goals, points and assists.

Sophomore forward Jen Hoy has been another source of offensive power for the Tigers. With six goals so far this season, she is tied with Blosser at the top of the Ivy League.

On defense, the Tigers have performed well, averaging one allowed goal per game. Watson said the team would not change its strategy despite the loss in Washington. “We have a pretty strong defense,” she noted. “Basically, we just have to keep [the ball] out of the box.”

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Junior defender Kimberly Menafra said she was confident the team would be able to keep the ball out of Brown’s reach. “They always put up a good fight” she said, “but hopefully this year we can finish our chances early and put the game away.”

Menafra said Princeton’s strong backfield has developed by being spared offseason changes. The team has only one new starting defender.

She also said the team is more cohesive than last year.

“I think this year’s team is very, very close” she said. “There’s this real urgency to help each other on the field, and I think that carries over on defense [and] offense ... We do our best to make sure that everyone has help.”

The fact that the game is at home will also help the Tigers, as the team has compiled a 5-1 record in Princeton. Meanwhile, Brown has a 1-2 record on the road.

Members of the team said they believed the Brown game should just be another step toward clinching the league title. “We just want to beat them at home and continue our streak,” Blosser said. “It should not be a very close game.”