It was a first quarter to remember for the No. 17 ranked Princeton women’s lacrosse (9–5 overall, 5–1 Ivy League) in Saturday’s afternoon contest against the Dartmouth Big Green (7–6, 1–5).
On a day when the Tigers honored their nine seniors who are a part of the Class of 2024, the Big Green looked defeated as soon as the whistle blew. A 9–0 lead at the end of the first quarter turned into a 15–3 halftime advantage. All nine seniors played and made an impact on the field en route to a 17–11 Senior Day win.
“We try every game to go out there and push for a really strong start,” head coach Jenn Cook wrote to The Daily Princetonian. “It was great to see the senior class have such significant contributions during the game and the senior captains were the ones that really led by example. We were so appreciative of all the friends, family, alumni and Tiger fans that came out to show support for our senior class.”
Princeton was able to contain Dartmouth attacker Katie Elders to just one goal at Sherrerd Field. Before this game, she had 32 goals on the season, with six of them coming in from the last three games.
Less than 30 seconds into the game, senior captain and attacker Grace Tauckus split the Big Green defense and buried the shot in the back of the net for a 1–0 lead. Tauckus is third on the team with 49 points on the season, trailing sophomore attacker Haven Dora (54) and junior attacker McKenzie Blake (55).
14:36 (1Q) QUICK START!
— Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) April 20, 2024
Grace Tauckus with an early score for a 1-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/9m9U3T4a7s
After sophomore goalkeeper Amelia Hughes made a save on one end of the field, fellow sophomore attacker Jami McDonald finished with ease on the other end to make it 2–0 after five minutes. Shortly after, Dora scored off a rebound to force Dartmouth to call its first timeout of the game. Dora finished the game with a career-high eight points (two goals, six assists). Furthermore, her six assists tied the school record for assists in a game.
“It has been great to see Haven emerge as such a force on offense this year,” Cook told the ‘Prince.’ “Last year as a first year, she was coming off an ACL injury and eased into time on [the] field but this year, we can really see her confidence grow, and her vision on the field has been excellent.”
“She makes it really tough for opposing defenses to mark her as she creates multiple threats with her ability to feed the ball, but also her dodging and one-on-one abilities,” Cook continued.
The Big Green struggled to get anything going offensively, turning the ball over on multiple occasions. The Tigers quickly ripped away three goals in under two minutes to take a commanding 6–0 lead. Two of the three goals came from senior midfielder Samantha DeVito.
“Both [the] offense and defense were locked in particularly during the first quarter and scoring those first few goals really enables you to feel less pressure and play free,” Cook added.
After taking a 7–0 lead, Dartmouth had its first major scoring opportunity after a Princeton flag gave the visitors a free position shot. Despite three attempts at the shot due to a false start by the Tigers, Katrina Christensen failed to convert any of the three attempts for the Big Green, with Hughes coming up big for the home side. The Tigers used this momentum to fire away two more goals before time expired in the first quarter.
Dartmouth got two quick goals to start the second quarter to gain some momentum. However, Blake killed this momentum after a costly turnover by the Big Green left their goal vulnerable; a mistake that let Blake score a goal from over 20 yards out to make it 10–2.
Long Distance Request & Dedication!
— Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) April 20, 2024
After a Dartmouth turnover, McKenzie Blake loops one in from outside the restraining line for a 10-2 lead!@ILWomen | @NCAALAX | @USALacrosseMag pic.twitter.com/UGGdn6tOjl
Despite a quick goal from Dartmouth with nine minutes remaining in the first half, another long drought began for the visitors. They failed to score for the remainder of the game while Princeton scored five straight to take a 15–3 lead at the break.
The scoring run was highlighted by Blake’s 50th goal of the season. The Garden State native has had her best season yet for the Tigers, coming off a sophomore year that saw her selected to the All-Ivy first-team. She was also recently named as an Inside Lacrosse Midseason All-American Honorable Mention and added to the Tewaaraton Award watch list.
The second half was a much quieter half for the Tigers, who rotated their bench with the final result all but sealed. Dartmouth scored three goals in the period, but the highlight of the quarter came when senior attacker Olivia Koch scored the first collegiate goal of her career. Both the crowd and the bench erupted in cheers for the Lawrenceville School alum.
A Senior Day To Remember!
— Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) April 20, 2024
Olivia Koch scores her first collegiate goal to set off a raucous celebration at '52 pic.twitter.com/5NHDLlpNqG
In the fourth quarter, the Big Green scored five consolation goals, but it wasn’t enough as the Tigers comfortably held on for a 17–11 victory. Hughes finished the game with 11 saves for Princeton.
The win gave the Tigers their fifth Ivy League win of the year, maintaining their position in second place behind the top-seeded and No. 10 ranked Yale Bulldogs (12–1, 6–0).
Next weekend’s contest will be a big one for Cook and the Tigers as they head to Cambridge to take on No. 24 Harvard. With a win, the Tigers will clinch the No. 2 seed in the Ivy League tournament, which will be hosted by the Bulldogs. However, with a loss, Princeton risks dropping to the No. 4 seed as the tiebreaker rules do not favor the Tigers.
“Our goal for next weekend is to win the game, and seeding for the tournament is a secondary thought,” Cook noted. “The Ivy League has been such a strong conference this year and all four teams, Yale, Penn, Harvard and ourselves have been all ranked in the top 25 all year, so no matter who we draw, it will be a big test.”
Should the Tigers win in Cambridge, they will likely play the No. 14 ranked Penn Quakers. Earlier this season, Cook's squad had their biggest win of the season at home against the Quakers, who were coming off an upset against then No. 1 ranked Maryland. A rematch in New Haven will likely feature a much closer game between both sides, who will be hungry to make it to the championship game.
“We are excited to rise to the challenge and keep playing as a group for as long as possible,” Cook finished.
Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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