The Princeton field hockey team has had a difficult schedule so far this year. The Tigers dropped their season opener to No. 3 North Carolina and then suffered an overtime defeat against No. 4 Virginia. Despite these losses, following the opening weekend, two players earned weekly accolades. Senior goalie Anya Gersoff played all 155 minutes and recorded a .757 save percentage against North Carolina and Virginia, tallying a career-high 14 saves against UNC and matching that number the following day against UVA. Gersoff was rewarded with Ivy League Co-Player of the Week honors for her efforts. Freshman striker Sophia Tornetta was named the Ivy League Rookie of the week as she scored one of the Tigers’ two goals against UNC and recorded an assist, a goal and two defensive saves against UVA.
The Tigers turned things around on Saturday, cruising past Bucknell 5-1, but suffered another tough loss 4-3 on Sunday to No. 18 Delaware.
As the score suggests, the Tigers displayed end-to-end domination against Bucknell, finding themselves up 4-0 by halftime alone. Sophomore striker Ryan McCarthy got it started, scoring at just the 7:50 mark in the first half. More and more Tigers would get in on the act, as freshman striker Nicole Catalino, junior midfielder Ellen Dobrijevic and junior midfielder/striker Cat Caro got goals of their own on the day (Catalino scoring twice).
Delaware got off to a quick start against the Orange and Black, with Meghan Winesett netting their first goal just 52 seconds into the game. In the fifth minute, Winesett once again put a shot past Princeton’s Gersoff to extend the lead to two. In the 21st minute, the Tigers looked to make a charge and earned their first penalty corner of the afternoon. Freshman midfielder Elise Wong set up a shot on goal from senior midfielder Teresa Benvenuti, forcing Delaware’s goalie to make a kick save, which sophomore striker Ryan McCarthy was able to corral and push into the net to put Princeton on the board. Continuing the offensive push a few minutes later, Princeton earned another penalty corner. Again Wong set up Benvenuti, who slapped a hard shot toward the cage, which Caro was able to tip past the goalie to level the score at two.
The Tigers took the lead a few minutes into the second half with a big goal from Benvenuti, but Princeton wouldn’t hold the lead long, as Delaware responded five minutes later with a shot from the top of the circle that found the back of the net. Delaware kept the pressure on in the 56th minute, when junior back Hailey Reeves was forced to save a shot from Greta Nauck, and then got the go-ahead goal minutes later with a shot from Michaela Patzner.
As the game entered the final five minutes, Princeton was able to stay within striking distance as one Delaware shot hit the post and Gersoff made a diving save on another to keep it out of the cage. As regulation time ticked down, the Tigers were able to earn a penalty corner. Tornetta fired a shot toward an empty Delaware net, but a defensive save left Princeton with a loss.
Gersoff recorded two saves on the day, and the Tigers finished with a 13-9 shot advantage and 6-3 penalty corner advantage.
The Tigers take the field again on Sunday at home against American.Read More
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