Hosting two home games at Bedford Field this weekend, No. 15 Princeton (8–4 overall, 4–0 Ivy League) emerged victorious, beating Ivy League rival Brown (5–6, 2–2) on Friday and the University of Delaware (6–7, 3–1 CAA Conference) Sunday afternoon. The Tigers maintained their undefeated conference record on Friday and picked up a crucial Sunday victory in an enthralling fashion. The weekend proved to be the perfect response to a hard-fought loss against Syracuse the week prior.
Tigers silence the Bears thanks to impressive offense
The Tigers started the game against Brown by getting off to a quick offensive start. From the corner, junior midfielder Beth Yeager had the first shot of the game, though it was ultimately saved by Bears’ goalie Kylee Del Monte. The Tigers dominated possession of the ball, though no other shot was made until close to the ninth minute of the first period.
Corners proved to be the driving force behind Princeton’s offense, especially at the end of the first period when the Tigers scored two goals off two separate corners in the last three minutes. Sophomore defender Ottilie Sykes scored her first goal of the season off an assist from senior forward Grace Schulze, while sophomore midfielder Ella Cashman recorded her second goal this year with an assist from Yeager.
“I think the first quarter was great for us. I think they responded from the loss on Sunday to Syracuse,” Head Coach Carla Tagliente told The Daily Princetonian. “I think we were very disruptive in quarter one, and got two on the board quick.”
Overall, the Tigers dominated the stats in the first period, outshooting the Bears four to one and notching three corners compared to Brown’s zero.
The second period saw back-and-forth action, though neither team got one on the scoreboard — the Tigers entered halftime with a strong 2–0 lead.
Lexi Pellegrino of the Bears scored early in the third period, but this did not stop the momentum the Tigers had built from the first half. Corners proved to be crucial to Princeton’s offense, with the Tigers scoring two more goals off of them in the third.
First-year midfielder Clem Houlden had her first career goal for the Tigers after redirecting a blocked shot off a corner.
“It feels great,” Houlden told the ‘Prince.’ “I think we really came together as a team in the second half. It shows a lot about the character of the people of the team, like the resilience that we have as individuals and how we can come together.”
Later in the third period, Yeager notched her eighth goal of the season for the Tigers from yet another corner. Already ahead at 4–1 at this point, the Tigers relied on their strong defense to close out the third quarter. Though Brown unleashed five consecutive shots, the Princeton defense blocked each one of them.
Although the Bears ultimately did get a goal in the fourth period, it was too little, too late, sealing a 4–2 Princeton victory. Particularly in this game, Princeton’s conversion rate in corners was quite impressive, scoring on almost 40 percent of all corners earned.
Double overtime thriller against the Blue Hens clinches victory for the Tigers
On a hot autumn day, the Tigers edged past University of Delaware Blue Hens in front of an enthusiastic crowd. The Tigers dominated on offense from the beginning until the end, outshooting Delaware 21–5 throughout the game and finishing with thirteen corners compared to Delaware’s zero.
Going into the game, the Tigers had only claimed one win on Sunday, against Rutgers in September.
“[Sundays are] our issue right now, so we’re trying to figure that out,” Tagliente told the ‘Prince’ following their loss last Sunday to Syracuse.
Figure it out they did — it would not take long for the Tigers to get going. Assisted by first-year defender Izzy Morgan and first-year forward Pru Lindsey, Yeager scored her ninth goal of the season for the Tigers off a corner halfway through the first period.
Princeton ended the first quarter with four shots compared to one for Delaware, though the Blue Hens’ defense proved to be a challenge. Blue Hens goalie Cecile Van Eijck made four saves in the first half, rendering the Tigers’ dominant possession of the ball moot. The Tigers were not able to capitalize on their opportunities, ending the half with a slender 1–0 advantage.
“They don’t stop fighting, and they are a really difficult team to beat,” Sykes noted. “If you look at their previous scores with other teams, it's normally one-goal games or overtime games. So to keep going and persevering is really good.”
Early in the third period, the Blue Hens capitalized on a rare opportunity in front of goal as forward Janne Stoetzer scored to knot the game at one apiece. Ultimately, shots were few and far between in the third period.
Princeton’s sustained pressure on Delaware continued in the fourth quarter, but the Tigers were not able to score from the three corners they earned — a big change from their success off corners against Brown. As the clock ticked through the end of the fourth quarter, the tension mounted as sudden death overtime was on the horizon.
The first overtime period was more of the same, with the Tigers getting corners but unable to convert them to goals past the Blue Hens’ stifling defense. The energy could be felt through the stands as well and both sets of fans anxiously cheered on their respective teams.
It wasn’t until the end of the second overtime period that the Tigers finally broke through, as Sykes dramatically netted the winning goal. Princeton finally capitalized on their thirteenth corner of the game, overcoming the Blue Hens control of the net.
“It was really amazing,” Sykes told the ‘Prince.’ “I think we had so many corners and then to end it on a really good point, it was like a good end to the game.”
Next up for the Tigers is an important matchup in the Ivy League as they take on No. 10 Harvard (10–2, 4–0) in Boston on Saturday. Given the undefeated conference record of both teams, the outcome of the game could decide whether Princeton or Havard will reign queen of the Ivy and where the League Tournament will be held.
“I think [the game] falling in Fall Break is really good and helpful for us, and also it’s our only game of this week,” Sykes noted. “I think everyone’s mentally set and prepared really well.”
Keyan Vojdani is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Read More
Women’s soccer makes late push, but falls short in 2–1 loss to Yale
Joseph UglialoroThough Sunday’s loss to Yale put Princeton women’s soccer three points behind in the league table, they can all but clinch a spot in the Ivy League Tournament with a home win this Saturday against the struggling Harvard Crimson.
Though Sunday’s loss to Yale put Princeton women’s soccer three points behind in the league table, they can all but clinch a spot in the Ivy League Tournament with a home win this Saturday against the struggling Harvard Crimson.
No. 7 Mercer forces six turnovers in 34–7 rout of Princeton
Hayk YengibaryanWith the loss to Mercer fueled by turnovers and interceptions, Princeton football marks its worst start in 13 years. The Tigers last started 1–3 in 2011, when Princeton finish seventh in the Ivy League with a 1–9 record.
With the loss to Mercer fueled by turnovers and interceptions, Princeton football marks its worst start in 13 years. The Tigers last started 1–3 in 2011, when Princeton finish seventh in the Ivy League with a 1–9 record.
Tigers for Israel, Chabad art installation raises questions about U. policy on symbolic structures
Miriam WaldvogelThe installation featured mock milk cartons bearing the names, ages, and pictures of hostages with the words “Hamas Kidnapped U.S. Citizens,” as well as a tall mural depicting Ariel Bibas, a child taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. It may be the first test case of the University’s policy on symbolic structures following last spring’s ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment.’
The installation featured mock milk cartons bearing the names, ages, and pictures of hostages with the words “Hamas Kidnapped U.S. Citizens,” as well as a tall mural depicting Ariel Bibas, a child taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. It may be the first test case of the University’s policy on symbolic structures following last spring’s ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment.’
