No. 10 Princeton field hockey (12–4 overall, 7–0 Ivy League) rallied to beat Yale (10–6 overall, 3–4 Ivy League) this Saturday. This matchup was a hard-fought victory as the game remained scoreless until the end of the fourth quarter, with the Tigers coming out on top to complete a perfect Ivy League season.
This game was physical, with the referees dishing out a green card to Yale midfielder Victoria Collee four minutes and 50 seconds into the game. Next, sophomore defender Ella Cashman received a green card just two minutes later, with the referees continuing to have a tight whistle throughout the game.
“The outcome for Yale was very important,” head coach Carla Tagliente told The Daily Princetonian postgame. “I thought that they would bring a level of intensity and a competitive level [that would help] us to prepare us for the Ivy League Tournament.”
The first quarter and second quarter came and went with a constant back and forth up and down Bedford Field. Neither team seemed to control the half, with little quality chances for either side and uncharacteristically choppy play from Princeton. The Tigers went into halftime without earning themselves a single corner, something not typical of the top-seeded team in the Ivy League Tournament. Corners are a part of the game that often sparks the Tiger offense, but Yale’s aggressive approach seemed to be a challenge for Princeton’s methodical style early on.
“In the first half, we could have saved ourselves a little bit of trouble if we had adjusted more to Yale and just read what [the Bulldogs] were doing quicker,” junior midfielder Beth Yeager said to the ‘Prince.’ “From this point forward, it’s just about executing our game plan, but also understanding [what] the other teams are trying to do and adjusting to that earlier on.”
Last week, Yeager was named Division 1 NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week after scoring five goals over the stretch of two games that weekend, but she was quiet for the first three quarters of this matchup. Without Yeager’s usual offensive output, the Tigers couldn’t find their footing for most of the game.
“I think it is important that we recognize the pressure or the level of intensity that we’re going to have to play against and with,” Tagliente said about the team’s energy levels. “I think overall, though, this game was important for us to not have a game where we’re ripping off 40 shots and then go into the [Ivy League Tournament], you know, thinking we’re invincible. I think this was a reality check for us a little bit,” she added.
Going into the fourth quarter, it seemed like the game was bound for overtime. But yet again, Beth Yeager was there to save the Tigers. With just over three minutes to go, an attempt from Cashman off of a penalty corner was stopped by a Yale defender, leading to a penalty stroke attempt for the Tigers. Stepping up to the spot, Yeager sealed the game for Princeton, flicking the ball past Yale goalie Alexa Pitts for her sixth game-winning goal of the season.
About today’s game, first-year center back Clem Houlden explained that Yale’s “forwards are really quick. We [Princeton] just tried to keep calm, manage their players, and stay on top of every situation.”
Houlden averages more minutes per game than any other field player on the Tigers and is a core part of the Tigers possession-focused style of play. Her composure helped the Tigers hold off Yale’s offensive spurts this Saturday, alongside senior goalkeeper Robyn Thompson, who had her fifth shutout of the season.
Since the Tigers only found the net once this entire game, the Princeton defense needed to be a cohesive unit to help Thompson out, and they successfully limited Yale to nine shots, a tick below 9.3 shots against average on the season. Seven of the Bulldogs’ shots were in the first half, so the Tigers figured out a way at halftime to disrupt Yale’s offense in order to get the win.
With their win over the Bulldogs, Princeton remains undefeated in the Ivy League. This may be a sign of what is to come as they enter postseason play, as Princeton enters as a co-favorite alongside No. 8 Harvard. Next, the Tigers are scheduled to challenge Columbia in the semifinals of the Ivy League Tournament on November 8, with Harvard and Brown squaring off on the other side of the postseason bracket.
Emilia Reay is a Sports contributor at the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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