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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Brown
Esmeralda, Again
October 19, 2002 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 19, 2002
It was Esmeralda, again.
Esmeralda Negron's goal with 10:30 remaining in the second half rallied Princeton to a 2-1 win over Brown in an Ivy League women's soccer game at Lourie-Love Field. It was the fifth time this season, and third time in as many games, that Negron has scored the game-winning goal for Princeton.
The victory improved Princeton, the only undefeated and untied team in Division I, to 12-0-0, 5-0-0 in the Ivy League. With every other Ivy team having at least one loss and one tie, the Tigers can clinch the title with a win in either of their final two league games, next Saturday at home against Harvard or Nov. 2 at Cornell. Brown fell to 5-6-1, 0-3-1.
"It wasn't pretty," Negron said after scoring her team-best eighth of the season. "Someone passed the ball out and someone else kicked it, and it hit off me and went in." Princeton had trailed for fewer than three minutes for the entire season prior to the game against Brown, but the Tigers were behind for nearly 65 after the Bears took an early lead on Caitlin Carey's goal in the seventh minute.
"You can't go an entire season and never trail," said Princeton coach Julie Shackford. "It was good for us to be behind, to see how we'd react."
The game stayed 1-0 until a pair of freshmen evened it for the Tigers. Maija Garnaas provided an immediate spark when she entered the game in the second half at the 66:26 mark, and it took just three minutes after that for her to get her first career point and Princeton to get the equalizer. Garnaas started the play when she pushed the ball ahead to Emily Behncke and then continued it when the ball rolled toward the sideline as she fed Behncke, who then scored on a beautiful leftfooted goal at 69:23.
"We were getting frustrated," said Behncke, who scored her fifth of the season. "Coach Shackford told us to stay with it. We were getting our chances."
Princeton then scored the winner 13 minutes later, when Kelly Sosa jumped on a loose ball in the box and fed it back to Liz Bell, whose low drive was redirected by Negron.
Brown (5-6-1, 0-3-1) 1-0 -- 1
Princeton (12-0-0, 5-0-0) 0-2 - 2
Scoring - B: Caitlin Carey (Michaela Sewall) 6:40; P: Emily Behncke (Maija Garnaas) 69:23; P: Esmeralda Negron (Liz Bell) 79:38.
Saves - B: Sarah Gervais 7; P: Jean Poster 0
Shots - Brown 3, Princeton 18