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Princeton University Athletics
2001 Year in Review
February 04, 2002 | Women's Soccer
Feb. 4, 2002
You can't argue with success. Ah, the spirit of youth. One must learn from their elders. Forget the cliches, or can you? In one of the most memorable seasons in recent history, the women's soccer team not only showed the league the talent stored within its ranks. Lead by the lone senior-captain, Linley Gober, the Tigers success was founded on the combination of experienced upperclassmen and an extremely talented group of freshmen. The freshmen stepped up to the new level of competition and helped create a new explosive offensive edge for the Tigers.
The Tigers finished the season with a record of 14-3-2, the first 14-win season since 1980. Princeton began the season with a 5-0 victory over the Cyclones of Iowa State. Fans were introduced to the freshmen as Janine Willis scored the first goal of the season and classmates Sylvia Morelli and Kristina Fontanez each tallied one goal in the opening-game victory. If a five-goal victory isn't large enough for you, ten days later the Tigers topped their opening performance with a 6-0 victory over Lehigh. Fontanez lead the team with two goals and received Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors having scored three goals in her first two collegiate games.
Traveling up to Hanover, the Tigers knew that their third game of the season would be much more difficult than their opening two matches. Princeton and Dartmouth shared the 2000 Ivy League title, this season the Tigers wanted sole possession of the championship trophey. On a pass from Rochelle Willis, the twin sister of Janine, Fontanez from just outside the 18, netted her fourth goal of the season to put the Tigers up 1-0 in the 71st minute. Princeton held on to the lead and captured its first league victory.
Returning home, Princeton defeated Stony Brook 3-0 and Columbia 1-0 in the last week of September. Sophomore, Theresa Sherry, who led last year's team in scoring as a freshman, scored her second goal of the season to give the Tigers the 1-0 victory over Columbia and their second league victory of the season.
Thirty minutes north on Route 1 is the campus of Rutgers University. In 2000, the Scarlet Knights snapped a five-game winning streak for the Tigers when they came to Princeton, this season the Tigers went to Rutger's house. Esmeralda Negron scored late in the first half and senior Liz Patrick netted the decisive goal in the 86th minute when her 30-yard blast beat goalkeeper Christine Cladwell. Princeton increased its winning streak to six games. The defense, lead by junior Heather Deerin, freshman Brea Griffiths, and senior goalkeeper Catherine Glenn, allowed one goal in six games.
Out west the Tigers battled to a scoreless draw against Cal Poly and dropped their first match of the season to UCLA 2-0. At that point in the season, UCLA was the No. 2 ranked team in the country, the Bruins reached this year's final eight.
Sandwiched between two none league victories over William and Mary and Villanova, the Tigers rolled over the Bears of Brown, 4-2. Sherry scored two goals in the league victory.
Princeton, 3-0 against league competition traveled to Cambridge to take on the only other 3-0 team in the league, Harvard. Lynn Ariss scored her first collegiate goal when she gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the second half, Harvard answered in the 86th minute. On a dramatic overtime goal off the foot of Negron, the Tigers improved to 10-1-1, (4-0 Ivy) Princeton now had sole possession of first place in the league.
The Tigers returned to Lourie-Love and defeated Cornell 1-0 on an unassisted goal by Krista Ariss and topped American 3-1.
The regular season came to a disappointing conclusion when the Tigers tied Penn 1-1 and dropped their final league game to Yale 1-0. Because of the tie and the loss, Princeton shared the League title with Dartmouth and Penn. Due to the regular season victory over Dartmouth, Princeton was granted the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Princeton, entering the final week of regular season play, was ranked No. 18 in the country by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and was selected to be a host institution for the 2001 NCAA Women's College Cup first and second round matches.
The Tigers advanced to the second round of the tournament for the first time since 1981 with a 3-1 victory over Loyola in the first round. Joan Cundey picked up two assists and Krista Ariss registered her sixth goal of the season.
In a rivalry that has been brewing the past few years and is bound to continue for many future seasons, Princeton met Rutgers in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Keri Lages chipped the ball over a sliding Catherine Glenn in the 26th minute to give the Scarlet Knights a 1-0 lead. Princeton had many opportunities to even the score, but Rutgers managed to hold on and earn a berth to the next round.
The Tiger defense, ranked third in the nation allowed only 11 goals all season and the athletes were recognized for their outstanding individual performances. Deerin was named the Ivy League Player of the Year and first-team All-Mid Atlantic Region. Deerin received her third first-team All Ivy recognition in her three year career. Deerin was also named third-team All-America by SoccerBuzz.
Joining Deerin with first team honors was Krista Ariss and Catherine Glenn. Glenn's 0.54 goals-against average ranked her as No. 3 in the national rankings. Rochelle Willis received second-team All Ivy honors while Liz Patrick and Janine Willis received All-Ivy honorable mentions. Janine Willis and Krista Ariss were also both named third-team All-Mid Atlantic Region.
Princeton's record of 14-3-2 was the 15th best in the country and the Tigers were ranked No. 23 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of American and No. 19 by SoccerBuzz.