Women's lacrosse faces off against Penn in Ivy League tournament

With its win last Saturday against Columbia (7-8 overall, 2-5 Ivy), the women’s lacrosse team captured its fourth straight Ivy League title, its 13th in school history. Now that the regular season is behind them, the Tigers will turn to postseason play this weekend with the Ivy League tournament when they play the University of Pennsylvania at Cornell. Princeton has won two of the last seven Ivy League tournaments, most recently in 2015 and before that in 2011.

Princeton (12-3, 6-1) had a great regular season, earning it a No. 6 ranking in the IWLCA Coaches Poll; this was the best in the Ivy League. The Tigers’ tournament draw of the Quakers in the first round is tough, as Penn is the next highest-ranked team tied for No. 7. Cornell and Harvard, the other two teams in the tournament, are No. 11 and unranked, respectively.

Penn handed Princeton its only league loss so far this season in a midweek game at Penn. The Tigers were plagued by turnovers and cautions throughout the game, but were unable to overcome the Quakers’ five-goal lead in the first half. Princeton has since been undefeated, including a double overtime win at Cornell.

The Tigers’ success this season has been driven largely by two seniors: goalie Ellie DeGarmo and attack Olivia Hompe. Both were named in the top 25 nominees for the Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded to the top player in women’s college lacrosse. DeGarmo is the reigning NCAA Division I Goalie of the Year, and she is currently ranked fourth in the nation in saves per game, averaging 11.8 per game. Hompe, this year’s Ivy League Attacker of the Year, is currently leading the nation in goals per game, averaging 4.00 per game. The two players, who were both named to the All-Ivy First Team on Wednesday, will be vital to Princeton’s efforts to beat Penn on Friday.

Since the Ivy League tournament was created in 2010, the Quakers have been the most successful, winning more games and championships than any other team, with nine and three wins, respectively. Penn has been hot for a while, having not lost a game since late March, when it lost 11-7 against No. 1 Maryland. The Quakers' key to success has been its defense, which is third best nationally, allowing just 7.73 goals per game and never giving up more than 12 in a game. The team's defense is also best in the Ivy League. Moreover, on attack, Alex Condon has led Penn all season with 52 points on 41 goals and 11 assists. Condon’s performance this season has earned her recognition as one of the top 25 nominees for the Tewaaraton Award, as well as winning her the Ivy League Midfielder of the Year Award.

Friday’s game has all the makings to be a classic addition to the Princeton-Penn rivalry. The game is set to face off at 4:05 p.m. at Cornell’s Schoellkopf Field. If the Tigers win on Friday, they will advance to Sunday’s final at the same location, starting at 11:05 a.m. The game will be streamed live on the Ivy League Digital Network.