No. 8 field hockey falls to No. 10 Harvard in shootout, 4–2

In the Ivy League matchup of the season, No. 8 Princeton (4–3 overall, 1–1 Ivy League) fell to No. 10 Harvard (6–1 overall, 2–0 Ivy League) in a shootout. This loss is the third of its kind for the Tigers this season, who previously lost to the University of North Carolina (5–4 overall, 2–1 Atlantic Coast Conference) and the University of Connecticut (7–1 overall, 2–0 Big East) in the same fashion. 

Harvard and Princeton met three times last season, with Princeton winning twice. The Tigers won the game that mattered in the end: the NCAA Semifinal.

As the nor’easter rolled into Cambridge, the rain was pouring down the entire game at Berylson Family Field Hockey Field. Blame it on Mother Nature or not, Princeton was slow to start — something that they struggled with earlier last season as well. 

“I thought it was a good game between two teams that always play each other well,” head coach Carla Tagliente told The Daily Princetonian about the longtime rivalry.

Neither team could score on each other in the first quarter, but if this game was going to follow the pattern of the last meeting between Harvard and Princeton, that wasn’t shocking. In the NCAA Semifinal, it came down to the wire when Princeton scored two fourth-quarter goals to see any goals on the scoreboard. 

The second quarter was Harvard’s quarter. Harvard finally broke through five minutes into the second quarter, converting a penalty corner to take a 1–0 lead. This was the second time Princeton was forced to play down this season. The last time was against UConn. Sophomore midfielder Saylor Milone tied it up during that game off an attack corner play, her first career goal.

Going into halftime, it was 1-0, Harvard. Against UConn, Milone had provided Princeton’s answer. On Saturday, she did it again.

In the third quarter, she came up big with another corner goal. Milone was waiting on the post after inserting the ball to the top of the circle. 

“It’s super exciting,” Milone told the ‘Prince’ about her second career goal to make it 1-1. “I’m happy that I’ve been able to produce on corners and convert on those opportunities because that’s something we’ve been emphasizing across midfielders and forward lines is just finishing and getting outcomes in the circle.”

The rain and wind persisted into the fourth quarter, but neither side could find a winner. Harvard came closest on a penalty stroke, but senior goalkeeper Olivia Caponiti denied the attempt to preserve the 1–1 tie. Caponiti matched her career-high eight saves, six of which came in the second half of this game. 

“We spoke after the UConn game about [Caponiti] not getting a lot of shots and still being focused when she needs to be on,” Tagliente said. “She was really dialed in. This was a good step forward for her today.”

To overtime it went. Princeton had opportunities to put this one away in overtime, specifically junior forward Pru Lindsey’s penalty stroke attempt, but they couldn’t capitalize. 

At the next shootout, first-year keeper Josie Bianco was in the cage this time.

The Tigers converted their first two attempts, but Harvard answered consistently and ultimately won the shootout 4–2.

“There’s a lot of good things going,” Tagliente said. “We either choose to believe or we fall apart. We’re in it. We’re playing good hockey. I think we can beat anybody.”

At 4–3, Princeton now finds itself in exactly the same position it occupied seven games into last season. That team responded by beating Maryland 2–1 and eventually reaching the national championship game. The Tigers now start a home stretch against the No. 2 Terrapins on Tuesday at 4 p.m. 

“Last year just proves that we might not have the greatest start but we can still do great things with this season,” Milone said. 

Emilia Reay is a senior Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.