The Tigers (7–3–0 overall, 2–0–0 Ivy League) defeated Brown (4–3–3, 1–1–0) in an eight-goal thriller this weekend. Dominating the four-time defending Ivy League champions, the Tigers came away with a season-defining 8–0 victory. The first half was close with the Tigers holding a marginal 1–0 lead, but the Tigers stole the show in the second half. Continuing their hot streak, as the whistle sounded, Princeton walked off the field with an emphatic victory and a special 100th career win for Sean Driscoll.
After a quiet opening five minutes, the first big chance came from a through ball from junior forward Pietra Tordin. The forward played a long ball to senior midfielder Lily Bryant, and Bryant’s attempt was stopped by Brown goalkeeper Bella Schopp.
This seemed to spark the game into action, as in the following minutes both teams had very strong chances. Most notably in the 26th minute, senior forward Heather MacNab took control on the edge of the box and struck the ball, but it narrowly missed the top right corner of the goal.
The next 10 minutes were very passive as both teams wanted to play possession and take charge of the match. For Princeton, maintaining possession is essential to the Tigers’ game plan.
“We need to stick to the game plan that we have, and we know that is what will be the difference in this game,” Bryant told The Daily Princetonian. “We know we will win when we are the ones dictating the game, and that will be the key to our success.”
Bryant herself was one to make the difference as in the 30th minute, the Tigers played a corner through the middle, and after the ball scrambled around several defenders, Bryant attacked the ball and netted it into the top corner, putting the Tigers up 1–0.
From there, the rest of the half proved to be a battle both mentally and physically, as the teams racked up a total of 11 fouls in the first half. First-year forward Alexandra Barry was the first to be punished for this, as she received a yellow card for a strong challenge with nine minutes left in the first half. The stadium reacted heavily, with some fans for the Bears arguing the challenge should have been a red card, and tensions were only going to remain high throughout the second half.
“The last time we played Brown on this field we lost 6–1,” Bryant told the ‘Prince’. “It was the worst soccer game of my entire life and one of the worst memories I’ve had. We have to keep enforcing how we want to play and stick to the plan.”
“We were content with the 1–0 win, but we all knew if we wanted to win then there would be more to come,” Tordin added.
Just 50 seconds into the second half, the Tigers pushed the Bears to the brink. Winning the ball away from Brown, Tordin played a long ball to junior forward Drew Coomans, who passed back to Tordin to earn a penalty shot. MacNab then stepped to the line to take the penalty and made no mistake as she gave the Tigers a two-goal lead.
“We got a penalty kick that changed the complexion of the first half. I mean you get a goal in the first two minutes and it’s a different game,” head coach Sean Driscoll told the ‘Prince’ when asked about the success of the second half.
The next 40 minutes were dominated by Princeton, as the Tigers swarmed the Bears with chances and goals on the offensive end. It was an absolute offensive onslaught in the second half, with seven goals coming from the Tiger side. Just 27 seconds after the penalty shot goal, Tordin initially etched her name on the score sheet when she caught onto a ball missed by a Brown defender, and was left all alone with the keeper to put the Tigers up three.
“What really shifted the momentum in our favor was the first five minutes in the second half. We came out knowing that we have to stay strong since 1–0 may not be enough to beat them,” Bryant said when asked about the second half.
Brown desperately tried to relieve pressure over the next few minutes, but after a few rebounds after a corner, Tordin struck again on a scramble, as she beat the keeper for the second time of the day.
The Tigers weren’t finished with the Ivy League powerhouse yet, as about ten minutes later in the 63rd minute, Tordin picked up the ball and was once again in a one-on-one with the keeper. Running around the goalie, Tordin completed the hat trick, making it 5–0 for the Tigers.
“You can talk about offense but we are very stable in the back,” Driscoll commented on the Tigers’ backline. “We have only given out five goals all year and this is our 10th game I believe. When you know you can defend well but still have that attacking threat, you have a good chance to do well.”
With five minutes left in the game, the Tigers were running low on time to add to their tally when first-year midfielder Grace Rossner headed the ball towards the post. Rossner was quick to follow her own rebound, earning Rossner the first goal of her Princeton career.
To top it all off, another player started her scoring career at Princeton when junior forward Ally Murphy scored her goal in the final four minutes of the match.
“They [Brown] have owned the league in the last four years, going 26–0–2, and we had a tough loss a few years ago, so to turn around and return the favor was really nice. And, to do it for my 100th was about as good as it gets,” Driscoll said during the celebrations after the match.
“We must keep the same mentality, and up it if we can. The relentlessness, grit, and this need to win is going to be crucial for the games coming up. I’m feeling excited about the season,” Tordin said after the match.
For Princeton, the team will look to continue their momentum into an Oct. 9 matchup with Penn (1–6–4, 0–1–1) and keep the special vibes going as Ivy League play ramps up.
“The best teams will find ways to win matches and come back hungrier for the next one, so though they should be excited that what they did was great, they need to be insatiable and win as many games as possible,” Driscoll concluded.
Daniel Eafa is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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