In a weekday Ivy League matchup under the lights at Roberts Stadium, the Princeton Tigers (8–3–0 overall, 3–0–0 Ivy League) took on the Penn Quakers (1–7–4 overall, 0–2–1 Ivy League). The Wednesday night game was Pride night. Princeton took the game 1–0, but senior captain and forward Heather McNab went down with a head injury, casting a shadow on the Tiger’s outlook for the rest of the season.
After Princeton took the opening kickoff, Penn had the first chance of the game with an early corner kick, but after that it was all Tigers. Junior forward Pietra Tordin took the first shot of the game, missing wide to the outside. The Tigers then put on an attacking barrage with shots coming from all across the pitch.
Sophomore defender Zoe Markesini, junior forward Drew Coomans, and senior midfielder Kate Toomey had three shots in two corner sequences for the Tigers. Then a header from first-year standout forward Brooke Dawahare led to a shot on the rebound from MacNab, before senior midfielder Lily Bryant had her shot saved after the ensuing corner.
Penn finally took their first shot on goal in the 14th minute, but Princeton maintained their attacking onslaught, with Bryant constantly pressuring up the left wing, forcing several more great saves from Penn goalkeeper Annabel Austen. As the first half progressed, possession flip-flopped, with neither team threatening for about 20 minutes.
The Tigers almost broke through in the final minute of the half, as Tordin made a run from the left side of the box and unleashed a powerful shot. Austen dove left and extended, making a beautiful diving save to keep the game knotted at 0–0 entering the half.
Half | Penn 0, Princeton 0
— Penn Women's Soccer (@PennWSoccer) October 9, 2024
Princeton tries to fire a shot before the half and Austen was not having it! She closes the half with SIX SAVES‼️ #FightOnPenn🔴🔵⚽ pic.twitter.com/twD3I5hmVB
“We created about the same number of chances [that] we did last game, [the] difference is we didn’t take them.” Women’s soccer Head Coach Sean Driscoll told The Daily Princetonian. The Tigers took 12 shots and eight corners to Penn’s two and two, but a fantastic effort from the Penn back line kept the Tigers off the board.
“I think there was a lot of momentum kind of building on that side of the field with like, just missed chances or balls a little too early, a little too late,” Bryant told the ‘Prince.’
The Tigers kept the pressure on to start the second half, firing four more shots in the first seven minutes, including two from sophomore midfielder Kayla Wong. Two more shots and a corner from Dawahare kept the momentum up for Princeton.
Dominating time of possession, shots, and shots on goal, it felt like the Tigers had to break through eventually. The moment finally came as Bryant sliced and diced her way through two Penn defenders on the left side and found the bottom right corner of the net to beat Austen’s outstretched gloves to make the game 1–0 in the 62nd minute.
27' left, 2nd half | Princeton 1, Penn 0
— Princeton WSoccer (@PrincetonWSoc) October 9, 2024
THERE WE GO!
Lily Bryant breaks through! We're on the board!
💻: https://t.co/qKWn3vlhLf pic.twitter.com/uhvZ23sgfb
“That was just really good sight on Drew Coomans part,” Bryant said. “We knew as the game went on that was an area to exploit, and it all just kind of came together.” Bryant has now scored in back to back games, also notching the first goal in the 8–0 blowout against Brown.
The Tigers’ high spirits didn’t last long. In the 68th minute, MacNab and Penn’s Leah Finkelman both went for a ball around chest height and collided. Both suffered head injuries, and MacNab was carted off the field and left in an ambulance.
“I’m going to go see her. That’s the most important thing: it’s not about the win; it’s about the kids’ health.” Driscoll said. “She’s our fearless leader. The team rallies around her all the time. She gives us every bit of energy she has.”
MacNab’s injury put the Tiger’s defense on the back foot and Penn capitalized, taking three shots and two corners leading into a heart stopping chance in the 75th minute. Penn’s Abby Cook dribbled through the left side of the box and found the back of the net, but an offside call erased the goal and maintained Princeton’s lead.
The Tigers held firm to secure their fourth consecutive win, all by shutout. Driscoll praised the Quakers after the game: “what that turned into [was] a game between two good teams, and they are much better than their record is … every time we played them, it’s either been a tie or one goal game, every time.”
Princeton sets its sights on Yale (7–4–1, 1–1–1 Ivy League) next as the Tigers look to extend their Ivy League unbeaten record. The Bulldogs are coming off a loss to Brown (5–3–3, 2–1–0 Ivy League) and will face the Tigers on Sunday, Oct. 13 in New Haven, Conn. You can find that game on ESPN+.
Ryan Kirby is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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