Women's Lacrosse: Freshman goalie adjusts quickly to college

“She is really handling the pressure well,” head coach Chris Sailer said. “I think it is a role she has stepped up into. She played well in our first game down at Villanova; she made lots of interceptions. There is a huge difference between the attacking she is used to from high school and the shots she sees now at the college level. After she had a few games under her belt, she has settled down and is playing great.”

As a three-time varsity letter winner at Radnor High School in Pennsylvania, Woehling led her team to an 86-8 record in her four years. Recognized for her impressive performance in net, she captained her team senior year and was twice recognized by US Lacrosse as a first team All-America and All-Academic selection. Most notably, she recorded a .600 save percentage during her junior season, which is higher than any of the current Ivy League goalies.

Annie’s passion for the game began much earlier, however. When she began playing lacrosse in third grade, she was a field player, and it was not until eighth grade that Annie decided to switch her position and play goalie.

“It was a personal decision to switch positions; I tried it and decided I liked it, so I stayed with it,” Woehling said. “I like pressure, and I also like being an extra defender down there. You are still an integral part of the team’s defense; you don’t just stand there.”

Beyond stopping shots and starting the transitions with her clears, Annie helps the team by causing turnovers and scooping up ground balls. In her first collegiate appearance at Villanova, she had a season-high two caused turnovers. Currently, she leads the Tigers with 22 ground ball pick-ups, the third most in the Ivy League. Woehling mentioned that her risk-taking is one of her biggest strengths as a keeper because it allows her to block passing lanes and make interceptions, acting like an additional defender.

“She is playing with a lot of confidence right now,” Sailer said. “She enjoys the competitiveness of the game and being in the goal. She has her technique down, and is holding her position well. She shuts down angles and takes away passing lanes. She makes the saves for you.”

Recording 51 saves so far this season, Woehling is averaging 6.38 saves per game. Ranked second in the Ivy League for goals against, she averages 8.44, giving her a save percentage of .429. Perhaps her most notable performance was against Virginia in the team’s fifth game of the season, in which she tallied a career-high 13 saves to help her squad knock off their No. 10 ranked opponent.

“For a freshman to be making double-digit stops really speaks volumes,” Sailer said.

Undeclared in terms of major, Woehling said she is considering the pre-medical track. She credits her spot on the lacrosse team with helping her to manage her time and keep to a strict schedule.

“I have to find time to sleep, eat, get work done and see friends,” Woehling said.

In the future, she said she looks forward to getting involved in additional organizations on campus.

Woehling said she was initially drawn to Princeton because it had a good balance of what she was looking for in a school: strong academics and competitive athletics. When she met the team on her official visit, she said she really liked how cohesive it was, and decided Princeton was the place she hoped to spend her next four years.

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“I love being on the team because I have an automatic group to rely on,” Woehling said. “Everyone has been so supportive and helpful in figuring out freshman year!”

The Tiger squad has been praised for its well-balanced attack and high number of assisted goals this season. Woehling credits this to the team chemistry on and off the field.

“No one is selfish,” Woehling said. “We win together and lose together. Everyone is supportive of one another. Knowing the team has my back has made the transition from high school to Princeton so much easier.”

“Annie is a great teammate to have both on and off the field,” sophomore midfielder Sarah Lloyd said. “As a freshman, she has done a great job so far adjusting to the college game. She does a great job encouraging our team and helping us focus on what we need to adjust during a game. Annie is an awesome person who is very positive; you can always count on her to brighten your day.”

Bringing her enthusiasm, intensity and dedication to the field everyday for both practices and games, Woehling said she continues to focus on the basics.

“She has been working with our two assistant coaches a lot,” Sailer said. “She is calmer, a bigger presence in the cage and shutting down angles better. We have already seen her improve so much, and are excited to see her continue to develop over the next four years.”

Woehling is not the only freshman making an immediate impact for the Tigers. Freshman attack Erin McMunn and freshman midfielder Erin Slifer have both made significant contributions on the field as well. With such strong first year players working in combination with the experienced upperclassmen, Princeton has not allowed the loss of Tochihara and other graduated players to affect its optimism or success.