No. 6 field hockey defeats two ranked opponents, prepares for two more

This week, Princeton field hockey sits at sixth in the Penn Monto/NFHCA National Coaches Poll. The ranking comes as the Tigers prepare for the final games of their non-conference schedule.

Princeton went 2–0 last weekend, defeating then-No. 20 Albany 4–3 on Friday, and posting an additional win over then-No. 17 Penn State on Sunday, 2–1.

Against Albany, sophomore midfielder Hannah Davey recorded her first hat trick, the fifth by a Princeton player in Head Coach Carla Tagliente’s tenure. The Tigers earned four corners in the first five minutes of play, but would not score their first point until a fifth attempt, when Davey’s shot trickled in off an Albany defender. Davey would take advantage of another corner later in the game for her third score of the day. She leads the team with four goals, two assists, and 10 points so far this season.

But in the meeting with Penn State, it was junior striker Clara Roth who would propel Princeton to the weekend sweep. With an impressive individual effort in the third quarter, Roth dribbled along the baseline and whipped the ball into the cage to tie the score at one goal apiece. She would also produce the game-winner with just 3:23 left to play, rebounding Davey’s failed shot off a corner and tapping it into the back of the net.

Roth was named Ivy League Co-Offensive Player of the Week with two goals and three assists over the weekend.

Princeton now turns its focus to another pair of ranked opponents who will visit Bedford Field this week. No. 21 Rutgers will travel south for a Friday evening game. Last season, the Scarlet Knights shocked the Tigers in a 1–0 decision. This year’s edition will be available in the Philadelphia area on NBC Sports Philadelphia+.

Sunday afternoon, Princeton will face off against one of the nation’s strongest programs in a hotly anticipated meeting with No. 4 Connecticut.

In 2018, Princeton traveled to Storrs, Conn., and dominated the hometown Huskies, 5–2. It was the Tigers’ first road win against the University of Connecticut since 2002. In that game, Roth and Ali McCarthy, now a sophomore striker, stuffed the stat sheet with a goal and an assist from Roth and two goals from McCarthy. Both will be back on the field this Sunday, looking to build on Princeton’s 3–1 start to the season.

UConn sits at 5–1, with its most impressive win to date coming by a score of 3–0 on Sept. 8 against then-No. 6 Harvard. So far this fall, the Tigers and the Huskies each have one win over a Top Ten opponent.

Princeton will then travel to take on No. 3 Maryland early next week. With such a challenging non-conference slate, the Tigers will be well prepared for Ivy League play. Entering this season, Princeton was picked to win the league title over rival No. 14 Harvard.