Princeton field hockey (3-2) failed to capture its first away game of the season this past Friday, falling to UVa (4-3) by a score of 0-2.
Despite leading the Cavaliers in shots-on-goal, including nine team-leading shots from sophomore striker Ryan McCarthy, Princeton could not breach the Virginia defense. Most notably, Virginia’s goal keeper Carrera Lucas made 14 consecutive saves on the game.
Coming in, both teams were fairly matched for the season. No. 14 Virginia entered Friday’s match with an even 3-3 record, while higher-ranked No. 10 Princeton had only lost to powerhouse UNC. Furthermore, the two frequent foes carried memories of last year’s matchup, when Virginia outlasted Princeton 4-3 in overtime, into Friday’s rematch. While Virginia retained many of its key players from last year, nine seniors to the Princeton’s three, the Tigers brought a fresh roster of new faces hoping to redeem 2015’s loss.
Turning to the game itself, the majority of the first half remained scoreless on both sides of the field. Midway through the first half, the Tigers were awarded two consecutive penalty corners, but both shots from freshman striker Maddie Bacskai were slightly off the mark.
In a story of missed conversions on offense, the Tigers were awarded 10 penalty corners over the course of the game, compared to Virginia’s three corners, but missed the opportunity to get on the board on each attempt, a rare occurrence for the thus far offensively dominant Tigers.
Turning to Virginia’s offense, the Cavaliers scored both of their goals midway through the game, the first taking place right before the half, the second right afterwards. The first Cavalier goal was the culmination of a successful penalty corner shot, while the second resulted from a tapped loose ball.
Thereafter, head coach Carla Tagliente experimented with her roster, making numerous substitutions in the second half. In the end, following the two Cavalier goals, Princeton outshot Virginia 12-8, yet none of these attempted managed to get past Lucas.
Looking ahead, the Tigers are tasked with the challenge of moving past Friday’s loss and protecting home turf from powerhouse No. 7 Maryland this Tuesday. In fact, a major focus and goal for the team has been being able to rebound from setbacks. A victory against the Terrapins could very well offset the cavalier loss.
Similar to the Virginia game, history follows both teams into the Tuesday matchup on Bedford Field. Last year, the Tigers upset then-No. 5 Maryland at the game’s highest stage – the NCAA tournament. Though Maryland had defeated Princeton five consecutive times prior to the elimination, then-freshman Sophia Tornetta alone outscored the Terrapins with two goals of her own. Come Tuesday, eyes will be on the Tigers to see if they can rebound from the Virginia loss and repeat last year’s success.
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