No. 6 Princeton field hockey (2–1 Ivy League, 6–3 overall) secured a 2–1 win against No. 15 Yale (1–2 Ivy League, 6–2 overall) in New Haven, Conn. this Friday, pushing for the full 60 minutes using the pressure of a midseason league game to earn the critical win.
After a decisive win against the Maryland Terrapins last Sunday, the Tigers kept the momentum going with an early lead and possession-driven game. This game marks the 24th consecutive win for the Tigers against the Bulldogs, allowing them to claim a top spot in the League.
The match started slowly, with no goals in the first quarter. The Bulldogs and Tigers remained in a tight battle, fighting for possession time and scoring opportunities. While the Bulldogs worked to build the long passes out of the backfield, the Tigers played a strategic game in the backfield, showcasing their defensive strength to keep Yale off the board.
In an interview with The Daily Princetonian, Head Coach Carla Tagliente commended her team’s “strong defensive effort” and their ability to contain Yale's potent offense by limiting opportunities in the circle and keeping them out of scoring positions.
The pace picked up in the second quarter, with Princeton using its forward press, building out of the defensive unit, and gaining numerous opportunities to put the ball in the goal. Yale goalkeeper Amelie Schwarzkopf did not make it easy, racking up eight saves over the course of the game.
With 12 minutes left in the second quarter, the Tigers moved from the right sideline to give sophomore midfielder Molly Nye an open pass feet from the goal. Nye had a quick lift shot on the left side to give the Tigers an early lead, marking her first goal of the season.
The game was peppered with cards, with Princeton sophomore forward Pru Lindsey receiving a green card soon after Nye’s goal. The Tigers used their defensive strength, however, to keep the Bulldogs at bay during their woman-up.
Going into halftime with the lead, the Tigers discussed going back to the basics to secure the win, focusing on “playing together, connecting passes, [and] having good spacing,” according to Tagliente.
Tagliente put an emphasis on the importance of playing the full 60 minutes and never getting comfortable with the score. She credited the win to her team “continuing to play hard” throughout the second half and never settling.
The Tigers did just that with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. During one of the seven attacking penalty corners for the Tigers, Lindsey took advantage of the corner to put the Tigers up 2–0.
Playing off of a powerful insert from the right side, Lindsey got herself into position in front of the goal, smacking the ball down into the goal after a lift shot from the top of the circle. In an interview with the ‘Prince,’ Lindsay discussed the Tigers’ strategies leading up to the game, which included “working a lot on rebounds of our offensive corners in practice.”
Even though the corners did not result in any goals, they did allow the Tigers to keep “possession and [use] those moments to reset and build pressure, which really helped [them] control the pace,” senior forward Grace McCooey told the ‘Prince’ after the game.
Still, the game was not over as the Bulldogs looked for a last-minute comeback. With two minutes remaining, back and midfielder Hettie Whittington put the Bulldogs on the board with her fifth goal of the season.
Trying to capitalize, the Bulldogs began an aggressive press, resulting in an offensive penalty corner. On their last chance, the ball soared above the right side of the net, putting Yale on the board in garbage time.
McCooey said the team is working on “attacking with speed and setting the tone early against Dartmouth.” Lindsey agreed, saying they will “build off the lessons [they] learned from Yale” moving forward.
The Tigers look to continue the two-game winning streak in Hanover next weekend for another League matchup against the Dartmouth Big Green (2-7 overall, 0–3 Ivy League).
Cadigan Perriello is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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