On Sunday afternoon, Princeton field hockey hosted No.1 and defending NCAA champions Northwestern University.
“We’re not thinking about the rankings. We just want to come out and play our game,” senior forward and captain Sammy Popper told The Daily Princetonian before the game. “[We’re] not really focusing on them too much, but just on us — we’re going to keep building and doing what we’re doing because we’ve had success with that.”
The Tigers have been quickly moving up in national rankings themselves. Just last week, new No. 8 Princeton was ranked No. 17.
While the Tigers (3–3 overall, 0–0 Ivy League) fell 2–1 in overtime to the Northwestern Wildcats (8–0, 0–0 Big Ten), Princeton didn’t make the win easy for them. For 25 minutes, Princeton held a 1–0 lead over Northwestern.
In the first half, the Tigers outshot the Wildcats 8–5, but were unable to successfully convert their shots into goals.
The opening of the third quarter, however, was a completely different story. Less than a minute in, the Tigers earned a penalty corner. Junior forward Grace Schulze provided a perfect feed for sophomore midfielder Beth Yeager, who sent the ball into the net with a drag-flick. This was the seventh goal off a corner for the Tigers this season.
Northwestern had come close to scoring multiple times, but their efforts to tie the game were matched by junior goalie Robyn Thompson’s resilience and talent. With 12:26 left in the final quarter, Northwestern thought they had finally done it when a shot off a penalty corner found the back of the Tigers’ net. However, the ball was high. The initial shot off a corner must remain low. In order for the goal to have counted, it required deflection.
Until five minutes left in regulation, the Tigers held onto the lead. However, with 5:02 remaining, the Wildcats finally found success. Midfielder Maddie Zimmer fed the ball to teammate Bente Baekers, who took a shot. Wildcat midfielder Peyton Halsey gave the final push and used her stick to deflect the ball just a little wider to get past Thompson and into the goal.
Despite an onset of corners and shots from the Tigers in the final minutes, the game remained tied.
It took the Wildcats a little over six minutes to score. Northwestern’s offense dominated OT, outshooting Princeton 6–0. At 3:33, Baekers sent the ball to midfielder and defender Alia Marshall on the left side of the field. Marshall took the opportunity to shoot. In an effort to stop the ball, a Princeton defender kept her stick extended, unfortunately deflecting the ball right into the net.
Regardless of the loss, the Tigers have proven that they’re able to match the rigor and talent of teams ranked above them. Next, Princeton will take on No. 3 Maryland for another home game at Bedford on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
Julia Nguyen is a co-head editor for the Sports section at the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at trucn@princeton.edu or on Instagram at @jt.nguyen.
Read More
Campus pub divides USG presidential candidates in debate
Nico David-Fox and Laila Hartman-SigallThe 2024 USG presidential candidates Enzo Kho ’26, current USG social chair, and Uma Fox ’26, current USG treasurer, participated in a debate hosted by the Whig-Cliosophic Society and The Daily Princetonian.
The 2024 USG presidential candidates Enzo Kho ’26, current USG social chair, and Uma Fox ’26, current USG treasurer, participated in the annual debate hosted by the Whig-Cliosophic Society and The Daily Princetonian.
‘How to Prosecute Genocide?’ panel hosted by Lichtenstein Institute for Self-Determination
Leela HenslerProfessor Luis Moreno Ocampo, the first chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and Anoush Baghdassarian, who currently serves as a clerk on the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals, discussed the ICC’s role in securing justice for victims of genocide on a global scale at a Lichtenstein Institute for Self-Determination (LISD) panel.
Professor Luis Moreno Ocampo, the first chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and Anoush Baghdassarian, who currently serves as a clerk on the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals, discussed the ICC’s role in securing justice for victims of genocide on a global scale at a Lichtenstein Institute for Self-Determination (LISD) panel.
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts speaks on trust in institutions
Sena Chang and Leela HenslerKevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, joined 50 community members in Robertson 001 for a conversation spanning declining government trust, the newly-announced Trump cabinet, and politics on college campuses. The event, titled “Should We Burn It All? A Blueprint for America’s Institutions,” was hosted by the American Whig-Cliosophic Society and moderated by Jaden Stewart ’26.
Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, joined 50 community members in Robertson 001 for a conversation spanning declining government trust, the newly-announced Trump cabinet, and politics on college campuses. The event, titled “Should We Burn It All? A Blueprint for America’s Institutions,” was hosted by the American Whig-Cliosophic Society and moderated by Jaden Stewart ’26.
