From the opening whistle, the No. 13 Princeton women’s lacrosse team (3–1 overall, 0–0 Ivy League) made it clear they were in control. In a dominant display at Sherrerd Field on Saturday, the Tigers surged past the Hofstra Pride (5–1, 0–0 CAA) with a 20–4 victory, fueled by a high-powered offense and unrelenting defensive pressure.
Sophomore attacker Meg Morrisroe wasted no time getting Princeton on the scoreboard, netting two goals in the first minute to set the tone for the game. Hofstra responded with a goal from Kayleigh Bender with 11:17 remaining in the quarter, but a yellow card on the Pride gave the Tigers a crucial player-up opportunity. Princeton capitalized instantly, as senior midfielder Sophie Whiteway, assisted by junior attacker Haven Dora, buried back-to-back goals to ignite a seven-goal run.
“Our team chemistry and communication on field has been a big focus for us this season, and I think it paid off for us this weekend. We have been working hard to understand everyone’s strengths and play off of them,” Dora told The Daily Princetonian. “Quick ball movement, staying patient, and taking advantage of the openings that Hofstra was giving us were our keys this weekend.”
“It was great to see how unselfish everyone was, and that is why we had so many different scorers in so many different ways,” Dora continued.
Contributions from senior attacker McKenzie Blake, junior attacker Jami MacDonald, sophomore midfielder Colette Quinn, and first-year attacker Grace Mulham propelled Princeton to a commanding 8–1 lead by the end of the quarter.
Blake, who leads Princeton’s scoring this year with 17 goals, was held to just one goal by the Pride.
“Hofstra locked off McKenzie,” head coach Jenn Cook told the ‘Prince.’ “It’s great that she garners that much attention, but with our offense, it just leaves other threats open and allows other people on our attack to really have a day.”
“You could see that in the spread scoring across the board and how well we shared the ball, got each other open, and bought into the team-style offense that we needed,” Cook added.
Hofstra managed to slow the Tigers’ offensive explosion in the opening minutes of the second quarter, but Princeton soon found its rhythm again. Morrisroe completed her hat trick midway through the quarter, pushing the score to 9–1. Though Hofstra’s Megan Flannery briefly halted Princeton’s run, MacDonald responded less than a minute later to reignite the Tigers’ momentum.
Princeton’s chemistry was on full display as they rattled off another four-goal run before halftime. The Tigers entered the break with a 13–2 lead, their dominance evident in every aspect of the game.
Hofstra’s Kristen Redding opened the third quarter with a goal, but Princeton quickly shut down any hope of a rally. MacDonald began another run for the Tigers, assisted again by Dora, who now claims the No. 7 spot for all-time assists as a Princeton Tiger and has racked up 21 total assists this season. This began another run for the Tigers, making six goals in the frame while their defense held Hofstra to just one. Princeton’s aggressive ride and seamless communication on both ends of the field left Hofstra searching for answers.
The Tigers slowed their pace in the fourth quarter, with junior attacker Kendall Dean notching the only Princeton goal. Hofstra managed just one in return, unable to capitalize on the slight momentum shift. As the final seconds ticked away, the scoreboard read 20–4, marking a dominant performance from a Princeton squad that continues to assert itself as a force to be reckoned with.
“I think the biggest key to our success this season so far is that everyone knows their role and has been giving their maximum effort in whatever that may be. As a team, both our offensive and defensive units have been playing with so much cohesion and are committed to improving after each game.” Dora told the ‘Prince.’ “To keep this momentum going, we need to use our wins as confidence as we head into each game, but never get complacent.”
Princeton’s defense had an impressive showing Saturday, spearheaded by two turnovers in the Tigers’ favor from junior defender Dylan Allen and efforts from junior defenders Abigail Roberts and Juliana Williams, who held The Pride to a total of 17 shots throughout the game.
“They did a great job executing the game plan of forcing Hofstra to the outside alleys and playing them flat up top in our 1v1s,” Cook added. “It’s knowing your opponent’s tendencies but also knowing how to neutralize them. Following that game plan and forcing them out frustrated Hofstra’s offense quite a bit.”
With the win, Princeton builds on its strong start to the season as it looks ahead to its next matchup against Penn State (2–4, 0–0 Big 10) on Wednesday. If Saturday’s performance was any indication, the Tigers are only getting started.
“Day by day. It’s taking it one game at a time and getting better every single time we have the opportunity to practice and then showcase what we’ve done and how we’ve grown in the game coming up,” Cook said. “Take it quarter by quarter, win that 15-minute battle, and keep focus on the minute that’s right in front of you.”
Francie McKenzie is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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