Over the weekend, Princeton field hockey (14–6 overall, 7–0 Ivy League) traveled to No. 4-seeded St. Joseph’s University (19–3, 6–1 Atlantic 10) for the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament. On Friday, the Tigers dispelled the Boston College Eagles (14–7, 6–2 Atlantic Coast Conference) in the Round of 16, but were downed by the region host St. Joseph's on Sunday afternoon.
Yeager powers Princeton over Boston College in Round of 16
Starting first round, Princeton applied pressure from the draw. In the fourth minute, senior forward Grace Schulze executed the first of several penalty corners, setting up junior forward Talia Schenck, though she was unable to capitalize as Boston College goalkeeper Charlotte Kramer blocked her attempts. Moments later, Schulze tested Kramer again, who made another key save to keep the game scoreless.
Princeton’s persistence paid off in the 14th minute. On a penalty corner, Schulze’s insert reached Schenck, who relayed the ball to junior midfielder Beth Yeager. Positioned at the top of the circle, Yeager struck a sharp five-hole shot past Kramer for her first career postseason goal, giving Princeton a 1–0 lead.
Midway through the third. Ottilie stops this chance. Tigers still up 1-0.
— Princeton FH (@TigerFH) November 15, 2024
👀 ESPN+ https://t.co/sqFsFDsXq7 pic.twitter.com/EG8iwQA4k6
As the second period unfolded, Boston College sought to equalize but faced a disciplined Princeton defense. The Eagles earned their first penalty corner in the third quarter, but Princeton senior goalkeeper Robyn Thompson stood tall. In the 54th minute, Thompson made a clutch save on Peyton Hale’s shot, preserving the Tigers’ lead.
In the fourth quarter, Boston College increased their offensive efforts, earning three consecutive penalty corners early in the period. Despite their aggressive push, they could not break through Princeton’s backline. Yani Zhong’s shot in the final minutes went wide, and the Eagles pulled their goalkeeper for an extra attacker to no avail.
Princeton dominated the offensive game, outshooting Boston College 10–3 and earning six penalty corners to the Eagles’ four. Thompson was a wall in the cage, making a critical save late in the fourth quarter to preserve the Tigers’ slim lead. Her counterpart Kramer was equally impressive, recording five saves to keep the Eagles in contention.
While Boston College had its moments, particularly in this second half, the Eagles were still unable to convert. Princeton’s defensive unit, led by Yeager and Schulze, maintained composure under pressure and cleared several dangerous opportunities. Princeton finished off the game with a victory 1–0, punching their ticket to the quarterfinal.
Yeager and Schulze did not respond to a request for comment.
Late goal dooms Princeton against St. Joseph’s, ends season in quarterfinals
In their inaugural matchup, the loss broke Princeton’s perfect nine-for-nine record in NCAA quarterfinals and saw St. Joe’s advance to their first ever semifinals appearance. The Tigers were able to stay solid on defense for 55 minutes, but one late goal took away all their hard work.
The first quarter was dominated on both sides of the ball by a patient, possessive game. The teams played mostly between the two 23-meter lines and neither could get into the shooting circles of their opposition.
The second quarter was very similar. The game became more physical, but by the end of the half, no team had even registered a shot on goal. The Hawks had several breakaways, but the Princeton defense prevented the Atlantic 10’s top two leaders in shots on goal from scoring before the half.
Princeton’s defenders, senior Gracie McGowan, sophomore Ottilie Sykes, and first-year Clem Houlden played all 60 minutes as they have done all year. The last time the Tigers started the same three defenders all season was in 2016.
Two minutes into the second half, the game heated up almost instantly as the Tigers earned their first penalty corners of the night. The St. Joe’s goalie managed to prevent two excellent shots by Yeager, but Princeton remained dominant in the Hawks’ 23 for the rest of the quarter.
After this, the game opened up far more as it became a back-and-forth affair. Towards the end of the quarter, great defense by Sykes prevented a St. Joe’s one-on-one with the goalie, but the following counterattack saw nothing materialize.
In the last 10 minutes of the game, the Tigers were able to create two more corner shots, the first by Sykes and the second by Yeager. However, they were unable to break through the Hawks’ strong defense.
After 55 minutes, however, Princeton’s defense missed a pass and conceded a corner. The Hawks scored off of a double pass created from the corner, slotting the ball into the opposite side of the goal as Thompson and gaining a 1–0 lead.
Despite Princeton leaving the net empty by taking off Thompson for an extra attacking player, they couldn’t find an answer in the last 5 minutes of the game and ultimately ended their postseason run.
Head coach Carla Tagliente did not respond to a request for comment after the loss.
The Tigers have lots to be proud of this season, however, as they won their 28th Ivy League Championship — more than every other team combined — and made a strong run into the postseason for the first time since 2019.
With a young squad eager for more success, the Tigers will be back better than ever in 2025.
Francie McKenzie is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Alex Beverton-Smith is an assistant Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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