No. 2 Princeton Field Hockey (17–3 overall, 6–1 Ivy League) squeezed by Syracuse (13–7, 3–5 Atlantic Coast Conference) 2–1 on Sunday at home, earning their spot in the Final Four of the NCAA postseason. The Tigers are back in the semifinal game for the first time since 2019.
“I’ve never been so excited to travel to Durham on a bus in my life,” sophomore forward Pru Lindsey told The Daily Princetonian. “So bring on the next, we’re so excited.”
The last matchup between the Orange and Black and the Orange and Blue went into overtime, and Syracuse ultimately won off a penalty stroke. Prior to this postseason game, the series between these two teams was 14–13 in favor of Syracuse. The recent Tigers’ win came down to the second half on Bedford Field.
Syracuse’s dynamic Bo van Kempen typically employs the aerial game to propel the ball tens of yards. On Sunday, the combination of the wind and the unusual watering schedule of the pitch meant that conditions didn’t favor her strategy.
The first quarter was high energy. There were terrific tackles on both sides, but it wasn’t until the latter half of the quarter that Princeton drew an attack corner. However, they couldn’t convert. To close the quarter, the Tigers generated another corner, but it once again came to nothing. The game was scoreless going into the second quarter.
“I was happy with how we came out, but yes, we have to punch one of those in,” Women’s Field Hockey Head Coach Carla Tagliente said. “I thought we did well [in the first half] and put a lot of pressure on Syracuse.”
Syracuse opened the second quarter with some momentum. They started with a lift but couldn’t control it. They made it to Tiger territory but got called for a dangerous pass. Princeton had an opportunity as the ball crossed Syracuse’s goal, but couldn’t get a stick on it. Syracuse earned their first corner of the game in the second, but junior keeper Olivia Caponiti saved it.
Around eight minutes left in the half, sophomore defender Izzy Morgan was given a 10-minute penalty. Before that penalty, Princeton had begun to find its groove and just needed to score. However, that would prove to be difficult, as they were down a player for the rest of the half and into the beginning of the third quarter.
Going into halftime, Princeton and Syracuse were still 0–0. Overtime seemed to be a possibility again.
Princeton managed to create opportunities to start the third but failed to capitalize on them. The Tigers limited Syracuse to only one shot each quarter and shot ten on the day, seven of which were on target.
With about seven minutes left in this quarter, Syracuse got the ball to trickle past Caponiti and the Tiger defense. Junior defender Ottilie Sykes and sophomore midfielder Clem Houlden were able to obtain a video review, which overturned the Orange goal, as it was deemed dangerous.
With 11 seconds remaining in the third, Princeton got an attack corner. Senior midfielder Beth Yeager found Lindsey alone on the post, making a strong Princeton penalty play.
“Normally I’m the inserter, so it was a different side of the field I was looking at, but I was like, we’re not missing, this is our moment,“ Lindsey told the ‘Prince.’ “
With the Tigers up 1–0 to start the final fifteen minutes of the contest, it was obvious that Syracuse wanted to push the pace. The Orange were able to get past the 25, and van Kempen scored with just under four minutes remaining to tie the game, 1–1.
However, Princeton ultimately slowed one of the most efficent offenses in the country. To pull out the win for the Tigers, in her last game at Bedford, Yeager buried the final goal to make it 2–1. In an all-out attack, Syracuse removed their goalie as a last resort, but Princeton prevailed.
“It being my last game as a senior, and besides that, it being the Elite Eight game, I was just so excited to play,“ Yeager said . “We already played Syracuse once before, and I think it was a good game, and the kind of game I wanted to play again.“
Princeton will travel to Durham, N.C., to play No. 3 Harvard for the third time this season in the Final Four. In the regular season, Harvard hailed victorious. In the Ivy League Tournament, Princeton proved itself and won. Friday’s game will tell the ultimate winner. One thing is for certain, though: the Tigers know their Ivy League foe all too well.
Emilia Reay is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince’ and the Spanish Language Pilot Program Director.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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