Women's Soccer: Hosts snap 6-game skid with 6-0 victory

The women’s soccer team continued its bizarre trend of controlling the game yet succumbing to defeat in its match at Brown on Saturday. Princeton travelled to Providence, R.I., and fell 2-1, extending their losing streak to six games and leaving the team floundering at the bottom of the conference. However, the Tigers comprehensively dismantled Francis Marion with wonderful, flowing soccer and clinical finishing to win 6-0 at Roberts Stadium on Monday, suggesting their scoring jinx has been put behind them.

The Tigers (2-8-1 overall, 0-3 Ivy League) have struggled on the attack all season, and though they somewhat rebounded from their early-September woes by creating more chances and taking more shots, they have yet to consolidate their dominance into wins. Thus, when the visitors put the ball into the back of the net in only the fifth minute at Brown (7-3-1, 2-1), Princeton fans sensed a change in fortunes.

Freshman forward Lauren Lazo rocketed a shot towards the goal that forced Bears goalkeeper Amber Bledsoe to stretch for a save. Bledsoe could not hold onto the ball, however, allowing the lurking junior striker Jen Hoy to grab the opportunity and place her shot over the keeper and into the goal. This goal was only Princeton’s eighth of the fall and allowed Hoy to jump to the top of Princeton’s goal-scoring charts with her third of the season.

The Tigers continued to test the Bears’ defense, but a free kick just inside the Bears’ half allowed the home side to demonstrate their quality with a wonderfully-constructed goal seven minutes after the opener. Senior forward Marybeth Lesbirel skillfully volleyed a long ball into the box by Diana Ohrt. Midfielder Maddie Wiener equalised for the Bears, striking the ball into the far corner of the net.

The goal seemed to spur the Bears on, and they earned a penalty shortly after, with a Princeton defender tripping up Wiener in the box. Brown captain Sarah Hebert-Seropian stepped up to cheekily stroke the ball right down the middle, out of reach of junior goalkeeper Kristin Watson. Only 20 minutes after seizing the lead, the Tigers found themselves behind.

The Tigers continued to pepper the Bears’ goal with attempts, taking 20 shots to the Bears’ nine. But the theme of unconverted opportunities that haunted the women’s team this season unfailingly stamped its presence on the match, as the Tigers fell to a third consecutive defeat in the Ivy League.

Things changed for Princeton on Monday night against Francis Marion (3-9-1). Lazo received a pass from freshman midfielder Jessica Haley, accelerated past the defender and found space to sweep the ball into the far corner, awarding Princeton a seventh-minute lead. Controlling the pitch, the Tigers doubled their advantage just before the stroke of halftime when an exquisitely weighted pass by freshman midfielder Melissa Downey found fellow senior midfielder Sara Chehrehsa running in from behind her defender. Chehrehsa delightfully clipped the ball with the outside of her foot, finishing inside the near post.

Halftime could not have come sooner for Francis Marion, and the players were engaged in prolonged discussion at the dugout. The Tigers’ confidence was visibily lifted, and a trio of players showcased backheels and even a few rabonas as they warmed up during the interval by the sideline.

Almost immediately after the start of the half, sophomore midfielder Erika Hoglund slotted the ball home after receiving a pass in open space around the penalty spot. Junior midfielder Rebecca Shmoys, who had made the assist, scored six minutes later with a top-class finish, directing a pass she received from Chehrehsa at the right side of the box with terrific precision into the far corner of the net.

Princeton continued to relentlessly threaten the opposing defense. With 25 minutes to go, Downey scored with a strike from the edge of the box into the far left corner, demonstrating an eye for the goal in addition to her splendid passing that night. Haley capped off an almost flawless performance with a 25-yard belter minutes before the end of the match.

The Tigers outshot their opponents 32-2, recorded 20 shots on target, hit the bar twice and played all of their healthy outfield players, a sign of the Tigers’ mastery over Francis Marion. The margin of victory was the largest since 2004, when the Tigers made the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament and marked an abrupt turnabout from their form so far this season.

“They haven’t wavered though they’ve been frustrated, and we certainly have dealt with some really disappointing games,” head coach Julie Shackford said. “I think this is a great one just for the team spirit.”