At the start of the season, the Tigers were diving very much into the unknown. The team had two new coaches come in just six weeks before the start of their preseason regime, head coach Carla Tagliente and assistant coach Dina Rizzo. For a team that had been so successful under previous head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn, it was a big ask, but it was expected that the Tigers would take the Ivy League by storm and win another championship. This didn't happen, as they ended up finishing second in the league after suffering a 3-2 heartbreaker against Harvard. This match ended up costing the Orange and Black an Ivy League Championship, breaking their 11-year run as champions, bringing a legacy to an end. “After we lost to Harvard, it was tough because we knew we were less likely to win the Ivy League … but in the long run, I think it takes off some of the pressure of always winning it,” said sophomore midfielder Jane Donio-Enscoe. The pressure may have been taken off the Tigers, but they would still be expected to win their final Ivy League games to give them any chance of qualifying for the NCAA tournament.
Cornell also upset Princeton, beating them in overtime, 3-2. For many, this would dismiss any chance of the Tigers qualifying for the tournament. “The loss at Cornell was a tough one. You could feel the morale of the team sink when Cornell scored in the second period of OT. At that point, we thought our season was over with no hope of a tournament bid. It was particularly hard to think we would only play one more game with our seniors. No one was prepared for a premature end. It was definitely a heartbreaker,” said sophomore back Nicole Catalino. With many players believing that their season was probably over after their home season finale, we saw a different Princeton side against Penn, a side that played without pressure and with more freedom. The Tigers ended up beating the Quakers, 6-1. Princeton’s postseason future was very much up for discussion, but the team could only wait and hope.
On that Sunday night, as the team waited for their name to come up in the selection show, the Tigers received the final at-large bid. “[This moment is] easily my happiest field hockey experience since I have been here, better than winning the Ivy League two years in a row, even better than beating Maryland in the Elite 8 last year, just knowing that I was able to play one more week with my best friends and seeing the happiness on my seniors’ faces. Watching everyone’s love for the game return was incredible,” said junior striker Lexi Quirk.
Princeton was very much the underdog heading into its bracket, where it would face Big 10 champions Penn State in the first round, and the new ACC Champions UVa. Princeton beat both teams, 2-1 against Penn State and 3-2 against Virginia, with sophomore striker Sophia Tornetta’s buzzer goal to win the game. The Tigers qualified for the NCAA Final Four for the seventh time in program history. The qualification was also somewhat of a personal success for head coach Tagliente, who had never previously been to that stage of the competition.
The Tigers lost a hard fought battle against the Delaware Blue Hens in the semifinals, who went on to win their first ever National Championship by beating North Carolina, 3-2. Princeton found itself chasing the game frequently, but drew level with Delaware with just three minutes remaining. In the final 90 seconds of the game, Delaware won the ball in the midfield and broke away quickly, leaving a two-on-one situation in the circle. Their striker, after receiving a clean pass, was able to hit the ball from close range for the first time, right past freshman goalkeeper Grace Baylis. It was another heartbreaker for the Tigers, but the players reflected positively on this year.
Along with achieving incredible team success this year, Princeton saw a host of personal achievements, both on and off the field. Captain Cat Caro was named an All Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week, along with All Ivy League First Team, and Ivy League Player of the Week. The captain had a stellar senior season, being ranked eighth in the country in goals per game (0.96) and 13th in points per game (2.26), along with setting a career high in both (18 goals and 43 points). Tornetta missed half the season due to an ankle injury, but still managed to achieve All Ivy League Second Team selection, Ivy League Player of the Week distinction, Longstreth/NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week, and GoPrincetonTigers Athlete of the Week for her buzzer goal against UVa.
Junior striker Ryan McCarthy also had her best season, achieving a First Team All Ivy League selection and Ivy League Player of the Week. She has recently been called up to train with the USA U21 team. McCarthy also ranked in the top 40 nationally for both goals and points, and broke her previous tally of 12 goals by scoring 14 this year. “I think that coming off a great season this year, next year can be even better. Although we are losing three incredible seniors, we have a strong group coming back and a great freshman class coming in," said McCarthy.
Freshman Maddie Bacskai was the final Tiger to achieve an All Ivy League First Team selection and, along with Caro and Tornetta, is headed to the U21 Junior World Cup with the U.S. team.
Sophomore midfield and back Elise Wong was an honorable mention in the Ivy League at the end of this season, and freshman defender Carlotta von Gierke was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week. The team’s other achievements, though not field-hockey-based, were also notable. Senior midfielder Ellen Dobrijevic earned the outstanding Elite 90 Award, with the highest GPA out of all the athletes participating in the final four NCAA Championship. Dobrijevic was also named a GoPincetonTigers Athlete when she scored twice against Penn to help ensure the Tigers stood a chance of receiving an at-large bid to the tournament. However, it wasn’t just the players being awarded this year; assistant coach Rizzo was inducted into the USA Field Hockey hall of fame. During her playing career, she earned a total of 157 international caps over seven years, playing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, two Olympic qualifying events, the 2006 World Cup, and 2003 Pan American Games.
Through a season of mixed emotions and results, the Tigers have finished on a high and have achieved a variety of outstanding team and individual awards. They have a strong class coming in next year and will certainly be a team to watch through the spring and next fall.
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