Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Faces Michigan At Field Hockey Final Four
November 14, 2001 | Field Hockey
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Nov. 14, 2001
Princeton Field Hockey
2001 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Tournament
Final Four * hosted by Kent State University
November 16 & 18 * Dix Stadium * Kent, Ohio
Princeton (17-2) vs. Michigan (16-5) - 4:30 p.m.
Maryland (19-3) vs. Wake Forest (15-4) - 7 p.m.
History Lesson - Princeton is making its fourth appearance in the Final Four. The Tigers reached the semifinals in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and reached the title game in 1996 and 1998. This is the seventh time that the Orange and Black has reached the NCAA tournament (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001).
Ungracious Hosts - Each of the four teams that hosted the opening rounds of the 2001 NCAA tournament have advanced to the Final Four. Princeton hosted for the third time in the program's history, and is now 4-0 on its home turf during tournament play. The Tigers handed Syracuse a 3-0 defeat in the first round of the 1995 NCAA Championships. Three years later the Orange and Black defeated Penn State, 3-1, in the second round en route to an appearance in the title game.
How they got here - Princeton earned an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament via its eighth-straight Ivy League title. The Tigers have posted a 55-1 record against Ivy opponents over the past eight seasons.
More on how they got here - The Tigers earned their ticket to the Final Four with a 4-2 opening round win over Northeastern and a 2-1 win over top-seed and defending national champion Old Dominion in the second round. Unfamiliar foe - The national semifinal between Princeton and Michigan will be the first-ever meeting between these two programs.
Common ground - The Tigers and Wolverines do have two common opponents between them this year. Michigan handed Harvard a 2-1 (ot) defeat back on Oct. 7 and defeated Old Dominion 1-0 on Aug. 26. Princeton defeated Harvard 5-2 on Oct. 20 to remain the only unbeaten team in the Ivy League. The Tigers posted a 2-0 mark over Old Dominion in 2001. The Lady Monarchs held a 5-2 edge in the all-time series but Princeton handed them identical 2-1 defeats, including a victory in the NCAA quarterfinals to advance to the Final Four.
On the horizon - Maryland and Wake Forest will square off in the nightcap at 7 p.m. The winner of that game awaits the victor in the Princeton/Wake Forest matchup.
Unfamiliar foe, part two - A meeting between Princeton and Wake Forest would be the first ever meeting for those two programs.
Common ground, part two - The Tigers and the Demon Deacons each faced Maryland, Old Dominion and Penn State in 2001. Wake Forest dropped a 3-2 decision to the Lady Monarchs but picked up a 2-1 win over the Nittany Lions, one of only to teams to defeat the Princeton this season. The other is Maryland, which handed the Demon Deacons a 4-1 and a 3-2 loss this year.
Revenge factor - Princeton has two blemishes on its record this season, a 2-0 loss at Penn State and a 3-1 loss at Maryland. The Terps hold a 5-4-1 edge in a all-time series that dates back to a 2-0 Tiger win in 1980, and have won the last three meetings. These two teams have a postseason history that began with a 4-0 Princeton win in the second round of the 1997 NCAA tournament. Maryland evened the score with a 3-1 win at College Park in the second round of last year's tournament.
History Lesson - Princeton is making its fourth appearance in the Final Four. The Tigers reached the semifinals in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and reached the title game in 1996 and 1998. This is the seventh time that the Orange and Black has reached the NCAA tournament (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001).
Ungracious Hosts - Each of the four teams that hosted the opening rounds of the 2001 NCAA tournament have advanced to the Final Four. Princeton hosted for the third time in the program's history, and is now 4-0 on its home turf during tournament play. The Tigers handed Syracuse a 3-0 defeat in the first round of the 1995 NCAA Championships. Three years later the Orange and Black defeated Penn State, 3-1, in the second round en route to an appearance in the title game.
How they got here - Princeton earned an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament via its eighth-straight Ivy League title. The Tigers have posted a 55-1 record against Ivy opponents over the past eight seasons.
More on how they got here - The Tigers earned their ticket to the Final Four with a 4-2 opening round win over Northeastern and a 2-1 win over top-seed and defending national champion Old Dominion in the second round.
Unfamiliar foe - The national semifinal between Princeton and Michigan will be the first-ever meeting between these two programs.
Common ground - The Tigers and Wolverines do have two common opponents between them this year. Michigan handed Harvard a 2-1 (ot) defeat back on Oct. 7 and defeated Old Dominion 1-0 on Aug. 26. Princeton defeated Harvard 5-2 on Oct. 20 to remain the only unbeaten team in the Ivy League. The Tigers posted a 2-0 mark over Old Dominion in 2001. The Lady Monarchs held a 5-2 edge in the all-time series but Princeton handed them identical 2-1 defeats, including a victory in the NCAA quarterfinals to advance to the Final Four.
On the horizon - Maryland and Wake Forest will square off in the nightcap at 7 p.m. The winner of that game awaits the victor in the Princeton/Wake Forest matchup.
Unfamiliar foe, part two - A meeting between Princeton and Wake Forest would be the first ever meeting for those two programs.
Common ground, part two - The Tigers and the Demon Deacons each faced Maryland, Old Dominion and Penn State in 2001. Wake Forest dropped a 3-2 decision to the Lady Monarchs but picked up a 2-1 win over the Nittany Lions, one of only to teams to defeat the Princeton this season. The other is Maryland, which handed the Demon Deacons a 4-1 and a 3-2 loss this year.
Revenge factor - Princeton has two blemishes on its record this season, a 2-0 loss at Penn State and a 3-1 loss at Maryland. The Terps hold a 5-4-1 edge in a all-time series that dates back to a 2-0 Tiger win in 1980, and have won the last three meetings. These two teams have a postseason history that began with a 4-0 Princeton win in the second round of the 1997 NCAA tournament. Maryland evened the score with a 3-1 win at College Park in the second round of last year's tournament. Leader of the Pack - Head coach Beth Bozman (Trenton State '76) is in her 14th year at the helm of the Princeton field hockey program. In that time she has compiled a 176-69-6 overall record and led her team to nine Ivy League titles, including the last eight. Bozman guided the Tigers to the NCAA Final Four three straight seasons from 1996-98, an accomplishment that only two other field hockey teams have ever accomplished in the history of the NCAA tournament.
Clean Sweep - Princeton swept the Ivy League awards for the sixth time in the program's history. Ilvy Friebe was a unanimous selection as Ivy League Player of the Year. Natalie Martirosian earned Rookie of the Year honors after starting every game for the Tigers and registering 13 points (4 goals, 5 assists). Emily Townsend and Claire Miller join Friebe as first-team All-Ivy selections. Martirosian, Cory Picketts and Kelly Baril were named to the second-team, while Rachael Becker and Jen Elliott each earned an honorable mention nod.
Eye on the Tiger - Junior Ilvy Friebe, the 2001 Ivy League Player of the Year, has led the nation in points, points per game, goals and goals per game from the start of the season. A second-team regional All-America and second-team All-Ivy selection in 2000, Friebe has 71 points (30 goals, 11 assists) entering this weekend's action. She now holds the Ivy League records for goals (15) and points (37) in a season, and only one other team in the league outscored her during conference play. Friebe has registered 12 multiple-point games this season, including an eight-point (3g, 2a) performance in the 5-1 win over Rutgers.
More Friebe - Ilvy Friebe is also tied for 14th in the national statistics for assists and assists per game, averaging .579 helpers per outing.
Orange Tint - Princeton has captured Ivy League Player of the Year honors a total of 12 times, including eight of the last nine awards handed out.
O' Captain, My Captain - Juniors Kelly Baril and Emily Townsend are the 2001 Princeton field hockey captains
Young Guns - Princeton graduated seven players from last year's squad and has no seniors on the team this season. The roster breakdown is: juniors (7), sophomores (3), freshmen (8).
Freshmen jitters...? - Not for this team. The Princeton freshmen have come through all season for the Tigers, including in the first round of the NCAA tournament, which was their first collegiate postseason appearance. Ashley Sennett scored two of the Tigers' four goals in the 4-2 win over Northeastern. Natalie Martirosian scored against the Huskies and then assisted on Ilvy Friebe's goal against Old Dominion. Jen Elliott and Kelly Darling played every minute of every game in the backfield for the Orange and Black.
Offense/Defense - Princeton is second only to Maryland in scoring offense, averaging 3.79 goals per game. The Tigers allow just 1.22 goals per game and are third in the country in margin of victory, with their 17 victories coming by an average of 2.57 goals.
First Strike - Princeton has scored first in all but three of its games this season. Only once have the Tigers gone down 1-0 and come away with a win. Penn took a 1-0 lead 5:47 into the first half before the Orange and Black ticked off six-straight goals to pick up a 6-1 win and clinch its eighth-straight Ivy League title. Princeton's only two losses this season came at Maryland, 3-1, and at Penn State, 2-0.
Helping hand - Claire Miller is tied for third in the nation in assists (15) and second for assists per game (0.789). Miller, last season's Ivy League Rookie of the Year, had 18 points (9 goals) as a freshman. She has 21 points (3g, 15a) this season.