Tigers escape Cornell in overtime to extend win streak

The women’s lacrosse team staved off Cornell in overtime Saturday afternoon, firing three quick goals within the six-minute overtime period to pull ahead of the Big Red 10-7 at 1952 Stadium. With the victory, Princeton (6-3 overall, 2-1 Ivy League) extended its current win streak to five consecutive games, while Cornell (4-5, 1-2) dropped its fourth straight match.

Worthy of note, this victory marks the program's 400th win.

The Tigers, who came into the match on a four-game win streak including three impressive road victories, have dominated the historical series with Cornell. Saturday afternoon proved no different, as Princeton, which now holds a 32-4 record all-time against the Big Red, received goals from six different players en route to the decisive victory. Junior attacker Erin McMunn led the way in scoring for the Tigers, tallying four goals in seven shots on the afternoon. Freshman midfielder Olivia Hompe led the Tigers in points, racking up five assists as well as an important overtime goal.

The winning goal for Princeton came fewer than three minutes into overtime, when freshman midfielder Anna Doherty collected a pass from sophomore attacker Alexandra Bruno and fired high. Her shot beat Cornell goalkeeper Renee Poullott to the net, lifting the Tigers to an 8-7 lead just before the teams switched sides for the remainder of the period. McMunn followed up with another goal just 14 seconds later, and Hompe put the nail in the coffin with just six seconds left in the overtime period, giving Princeton the 10-7 lead that would stand.

But the contest was not always so lopsided, as the Tigers and the Big Red traded goals for most of the game. Cornell led four different times, including a 5-3 lead, its biggest of the night, following a three-goal tear in the first half. Before taking the lead in overtime, Princeton led just twice in the game, with the first coming after McMunn gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead less than two minutes in. Still, Princeton fought back every time. Senior midfielder Sarah Lloyd tied the game at 7-7 with nine minutes left on the clock, her second goal of the day.

This season, the freshman class has provided depth and a number of stellar performances. Hompe's six points equal the five-goal and one-assist effort by classmate and fellow midfielder Doherty. Madeline Rodriguez has started on defense in all eight of her team's games.

Now, the Tigers will look to maintain their momentum going forward with important home matchups against Ivy League rival Yale (next Saturday and No. 2 Maryland on Wednesday. The Bulldogs (7-3, 1-2) are currently riding a two-game win streak, and the Terrapins (13-0, 4-0 ACC) have not lost this season. But Princeton has a chip on its shoulder after falling from the NCAA Top 20 several weeks ago. Since then the Tigers have received votes each week, and riding five straight victories, the squad will certainly approach these two home matchups with something to prove. Princeton has defeated Yale in every contest between the squads since 2007, whereas Princeton has fallen to Maryland in every game since a 9-8 victory over the Terrapins in 2006.