Women's Lacrosse: Hat tricks keep Princeton perfect in Ivy League

The Bulldogs (6-5, 0-4) got on the board first when Devon Rhodes scored her first of what would be four goals. The Tigers responded quickly, however, when senior attack Jaci Gassaway scored off a pass from junior middie Sarah Lloyd. Gassaway would then find the net again less than three minutes later, this time thanks to an assist from sophomore middie Erin Slifer. Gassaway would finish with a game-high and season-high five goals, one below her career-high of six, set against Brown last season.

Yale would fight back to tie the game with just over 20 minutes left in the half. The Tigers would then take control of the game, however, going on a 6-0 run during a 15-minute span. Gassaway started that streak with two goals and scored the first four goals for the Tigers.

The Bulldogs managed to avoid going into the half having allowed six straight goals, however, as Rhodes snuck a shot past junior goaltender Caroline Franke with only four seconds left in the half to stop the Tiger momentum.

Franke had only one save in the entire first half but then had a much more active role in the second, when she recorded five saves on 11 shots on goal to maintain the Tiger lead.

Yale continued to narrow the gap, scoring three of its first four goals and four of the first six goals of the second half to make it a three-goal game at 10-7. Goals by Lloyd, senior middie Charlotte Davis and sophomore attack Erin McMunn put the game out of reach for the Bulldogs, however, as they extended the Tiger lead to six with just over six minutes left in the game.

McMunn finished with three goals and two assists to increase her season point total to 45, just three behind Columbia’s Kacie Johnson. McMunn is also tied for the league lead in assists with 19.

Davis also finished the game with a hat trick, becoming the third Tiger who managed that accomplishment for the game. It was the first time that happened this season since four Tigers had hat tricks in the 18-11 home win over Brown earlier this season.

Draw controls and caused turnovers both contributed to the wins, as Princeton won those categories 13-11 and 9-6, respectively. Fouls were the one area in which the Tigers did not perform well, as they committed 31 to Yale’s 19, including 21 in the second half.

The win kept Princeton perfect in Ancient Eight play but did not give it the outright lead in the conference, as Dartmouth (8-3, 4-0) and Penn (6-4, 4-0) are also perfect in league play. The Tigers will face both of those teams on the road later this season.

The Tigers will have their toughest matchup of the season on Wednesday when they face undefeated No. 1 Maryland on the road.