Women's Lacrosse: Drumm scores 5 goals in final home game

The Tigers’ fans said goodbye to the five members of the Class of 2011, honoring them before the game started for their contributions to the program. Drumm and many of her fellow seniors had impressive finales. Senior attacker Maisie Devine recorded three points and senior goalkeeper Erin Tochihara made 16 saves, tying her previous career-high, which she had set in her sophomore year during a one-goal loss to Duke.

Drumm, who missed tying her career-high of six goals by a single tally, scored the first goal of the game about five minutes into the first half. Penn State attacker Mackenzie Cyr equalized a few minutes later at 1-1. That was the last time the Nittany Lions were within striking distance of the lead, as the Tigers quickly went on a 7-1 run. Sophomore midfielder Charlotte Davis, junior midfielder Cassie Pyle and junior attacker Barb Previ each found the back of the net, taking a commanding lead that Princeton did not relinquish.

Pyle added to her stat line with a natural hat trick, scoring three straight goals in a span of five and a half minutes. Her four first-half goals helped give the Tigers a 9-3 halftime lead.

The Nittany Lions started the second half with hopes of mounting another late comeback. Last weekend, Penn State overcame a 5-2 halftime deficit, ultimately defeating then-No. 18 Johns Hopkins 10-7. Facing a lead twice as large, midfielder Theresa Zichelli gave her team hope, scoring less than a minute into the second half.

Princeton responded with another trio of goals, burying any chance of a comeback. The Tigers went on multiple scoring runs in the game, netting at least three straight goals four separate times. It was the second week in a row that the Tigers broke their previous season-high for goals. In their Ivy League regular season finale, the Tigers thrashed the Columbia Lions with a then-high 18 goals. This week’s 19 goals makes for a total of 37 goals between the two games, the highest combination since the Tigers put up 38 goals between games against Brown and Le Moyne in 2003.

With the offense roaring, the Ivy League Tournament comes at a good time for Princeton. The team was the last to qualify for the tournament, claiming the fourth and lowest seed. The Tigers will face co-champion Penn (11-4, 6-1) in the first round. That game will take place on May 6 at Penn.

Of all the teams Penn could have drawn, it may not have been hoping for the Tigers. The Quakers’ only Ivy League defeat in the last five seasons came in a recent 11-7 loss to the Tigers in Philadelphia.

This tournament game will be a chance for the Tigers to upset the Ivy League’s top seed and prove that their previous victory was no fluke. Or it could be the Quakers’ perfect opportunity for revenge.