Princeton looks to remain in Ivy League title hunt

A six-game homestand comes to a close this weekend, as the Tigers (4-9 overall, 3-1 Ivy) take on Harvard (8-5 overall, 2-2 Ivy) and the University of Connecticut (11-2, 3-0 Big East). Only three more weekends of regular season competition remain on Princeton’s radar. A win is always better than the alternative, but non-conference loss to UConn would not sink the Orange and Black’s postseason chances. However, for Princeton to remain in the Ivy race, Saturday’s matchup with the Crimson is effectively a must-win.

Against teams the Tigers have faced in five or more contests, field hockey (3-8 overall, 1-1 Ivy League) has compiled only losing records against five. One of those overall series belongs to UConn, that holds a 7-13 all-time advantage, although the Huskies have only won three of seven on Princeton soil.

Princeton’s last loss to Harvard came on Oct. 23,1993 in the form of a 2-1 overtime victory for the Crimson. The all-time series mark is currently 37-5-2.

Captain and senior midfielder Sydney Kirby, a senior captain, has been a consistent presence for the Tigers. Her five goals and two assists give her the team’s second highest point total, behind junior forward Maddie Copeland’s six goals.

Senior Julia Boyle took the place of usual starter junior Anya Gersoff during last Saturday’s 4-0 win over Brown. Gersoff’s save percentage of .691 ranks sixth in the Ivy League.

While the Crimson remains a fairly unknown quantity, the Huskies will provide some of the most trying competition the Tigers have faced this season. On the whole, Princeton’s out-of-conference schedule has been remarkably trying, allowing the Orange and Black only one non-Ivy win. UConn currently rides a five-game winning streak after dropping consecutive contests against Stanford and the University of North Carolina, both currently ranked in the country’s top five.

The Big East visitors bring a roster characterized by balanced scoring. Forward Charlotte Veitner leads her side in points per game with an impressive mark of 1.64. This mark is good for fourth overall in her conference. Four more Huskies have averaged more than one point per game and round out spots 7-10 on the Big East points-per-game tally.

Leading the UConn defense, goalkeeper Nina Klein has a save percentage of .712, good for second best in her conference.

Forward Noel Painter has been the Crimson’s most potent offensive force in her first season. A highlight of her season came during last weekend’s upset over a league-leading Cornell side. Unassisted 24 minutes into the first period, she scored the game-winner against the Big Red.

Head-to-head record decided the Ivy League’s NCAA Championship representative in 2011 when the last two teams were tied at the top of the table. During that season, Princeton and Yale both had amassed 7-1 conference records. A 3-2 regular season decision in favor of the Tigers gave the qualification nod.

At the moment, four Ancient Eight sides are tied for the league lead with conference records of 3-1. At this stage, the number of permutations possible relegates any conclusion about championship scenarios to the realm of speculation. That’s not to mention the sheer parity demonstrated in league play thus far.

The contest against Harvard is scheduled for noon on Saturday with the UConn matchup scheduled for the following day at 1 p.m. The Ivy League Digital Network, available online to subscribers, will broadcast both games.