Women's Soccer: Comeback propels Tigers to draw

The women’s soccer team had familiar troubles when it faced Lafayette at home on Wednesday. The Tigers (1-5-1), who have struggled to find the net early this season, attacked with a passion throughout the match, taking a season-high 29 shots. Although the Leopards (4-3-1) took only three shots during the contest, two found the net, dealing the Tigers a disappointing 2-2 tie.

The attack started early, as junior forward Jen Hoy generated a series of good looks in front of the goal and served a dangerous corner kick for the Tigers, but Lafayette goalkeeper Lauren Smedley resisted Princeton’s onslaught.

After playing in its defensive half for several consecutive minutes, Lafayette broke out of the backfield and penetrated the left side of the Tigers’ defense. Midfielder Julia Bell got an open look and found the side netting with a bouncing shot to the far post to give the Leopards a 1-0 lead.

Princeton’s offensive momentum stalled through the 25th minute, though Hoy and freshman forward Melissa Downey both generated breakaway opportunities using speed to catch the Lafayette back line out of position. The slick natural grass of Myslik field made the pace of the match faster than usual and caused problems for Lafayette’s back line, but Smedley repeatedly foiled the Tigers’ attacks by aggressively leaving her line.

In the last 10 minutes of the first half, the Tigers built a number of attacks from their backfield and generated scoring opportunities — including a corner kick and a well-placed cross from the right side — but once again failed to get on the board.

“The first half was not good, and they punished us for it,” head coach Julie Shackford said. “Any time you go down 2-0 at the Division I level, that’s a big hole to climb out of.”

Princeton also started the second half with a corner kick from the foot of junior midfielder Rachel Sheehy, but Lafayette quickly responded by storming down the field and generating a shot on goal from a one-on-one opportunity. Freshman goalkeeper Darcy Hargadon parried the ball to her right and off the back line, but Lafayette finished the ensuing corner kick to take a 2-0 lead in the 48th minute.

The pace of the game accelerated after Lafayette’s second goal as Princeton rallied to get back into the match. An inside run for Hoy generated Princeton’s best shot on goal up to that point, but Smedley made a quick dive to her left to hold Lafayette’s two-score lead.

The Tigers finally notched a goal in the 52nd minute. Senior midfielder Sara Chehrehsa punished Smedley for coming too far off her line with a high-driven shot from long range that sailed directly over Smedley’s head and into the net.

Chehrehsa had another scoring opportunity minutes later when she teed up a loose ball at the top of the box, but the Lafayette defense deflected the shot up and out of danger. A rare mistake from Smedley also gave freshman forward Liana Cornacchio a golden opportunity in the 58th minute. Cornacchio failed to find the goal on that attempt but found redemption five minutes later when she pounded an unattended rebound into the back of the Leopards’ net, evening the score.

Lafayette’s defense bounced back after the second Princeton goal, facilitating a couple of attacks starting from the backfield and neutralizing Hoy’s breakaways by forcing her to the outside of the field in the minutes that followed. The remaining 30 minutes in the half were comparatively quiet after Princeton’s furious rebuttal, and regulation expired with the score still at a 2-2 impasse, sending the game to overtime.

Fatigue became apparent in the first overtime period as the center of play moved back toward the midfield. The first real opportunity was a volley from junior midfielder Caitlin Blosser from 18 yards out with a minute left in the first overtime period. Smedley recovered back to her line and knocked the ball over the crossbar, and though Princeton also nearly finished the corner kick that followed, the net remained empty.

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The second overtime period started with a close call for Princeton at the top of the 18-yard box as Hargadon was caught in a dead zone and then decided to clear a slow roller from the back. Princeton surged back and served a threatening corner kick inside of Smedley’s 6-yard box, but the hosts failed to capitalize as it passed by the mouth of the goal untouched.

With four minutes left, Hoy drew Smedley off her line to the right side and then slotted the ball in front of Cornacchio in another promising opportunity, but the ball slipped off the end line on the quick pitch, allowing Lafayette to dodge another bullet. Princeton generated more opportunities as the clock ticked away, but the game ultimately ended in an anticlimactic 2-2 tie.

Although the tie was disappointing for the Tigers, their standout second half will give them momentum going into the Ivy League season.

“This game was a major turning point for us,” Shackford said of the draw, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Princeton will begin Ivy League play with a home match against Yale on Saturday afternoon.