Princeton University Athletics
2002 Field Hockey Outlook
August 21, 2002 | Field Hockey
Aug. 21, 2002
What did Princeton do in 2001?
The Tigers posted a 17-3 record, captured the Ivy League title and returned to the NCAA Final Four after a two-year absence.
Who's missing from last year's team?
Nobody. The Tigers return all 18 letterwinners from a team that went undefeated in the Ivy League, was ranked in the top 7 in the nation the entire season and advanced all the way to the NCAA Final Four. The list includes four members of the under-23 national team, one member of the under-19 national team, three first-team All-Americas, one third-team All-America, the ECAC and Ivy League Player of the Year, the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and eight All-Ivy selections.
What are the question marks?
With so many returning veterans, the only area that Princeton needed to improve in the offseason was depth, and the coaching staff has more than solved that dilemma with this year's recruiting class. The Tigers add seven freshmen to their roster who will look to make an immediate impact on the field.
How many consecutive Ivy League titles has Princeton won?
Eight. Beth Bozman has led Princeton to nine Ivy championships and a 73-13-3 (.837) record over the last 14 seasons. The Tigers are winners of the last eight league titles and have won 11 in the program's history. Since 1994 Princeton has dominated its Ivy League opponents, posting a 52-1 mark. The lone loss came against Brown in 1999. Last season the Tigers outscored their opponents 37-8 in seven league games. Ilvy Friebe set the Ivy League record for goals (15) and points (37) in a season. Only one team outscored her in league play.
What's unique about the 2002 team?
"We are all on the same page," says head coach Beth Bozman. "We are all aiming for, working for and dreaming for the same thing."
The fact that Princeton is returning everybody from last season's squad should be enough to leave Tiger opponents quaking in their turf shoes. What it means for the Orange and Black is that they have had the time to develop a chemistry as a unit that should trickle down the ranks from the veterans to the incoming freshmen.
"They have tremendous chemistry, but it goes beyond chemistry," says Bozman. 'The players are having fun playing, competing and winning. It doesn't seem like work when you are doing what you love."
The team brings together players from 11 states and four different countries, which means that they are very different people that come from different backgrounds.
"The common element is the commitment to academics and their achievements in field hockey," says Bozman. "Each and every player offers a vital piece for the overall success of the team"
Where did Princeton's offense finish among the rest of the nation?
Third. Princeton returns it's entire front line from last season, one that finished third in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 3.70 goals per game.
Headlining the attack unit is Friebe, who terrorized opposing defenses all season en route to leading the nation in scoring with 72 points (30G, 12A). Friebe raked in the honors in 2001. She was a Honda Broderick Award finalist, a first-team All-America selection, the ECAC and Ivy League Player of the Year, first-team All-Ivy and a four-time Ivy League player of the week. But Princeton does not bring a unilateral attack to the field; there are any number of players that pose a consistent threat. Rachael Becker is not only a relentless attacker, but she knows what it takes to win a national championship. Becker, who finished third on the team in scoring last season with 23 points (10G, 3A), is an All-America defender for Princeton's lacrosse team. She has helped lead the women's lacrosse team to three consecutive NCAA Final Fours, including the 2002 national title, which makes her an invaluable resource for the team if it is to make a run at the national title in November.
Ashley Sennett made an immediate impact on the front line as a freshman and has honed her scoring skills over the summer as a member of the United Airlines Field Hockey League traveling team. She finished second among Tiger freshmen in scoring with 14 points (6G, 2A) and brings increased firepower to the attack. Classmate Lizzie Black saw action in 13 games and is also a member of the UAFHL traveling team.
Junior Anne-Marie McGintee is one of the quickest players in the country, which will give the Tigers an added dimension up front.
Sophomores Nicole Riner and Lauren Quinn join newcomers Lauren Ehrlichman, Maren Ford, Liz Miller and Ali Shames Dawson to complete Princeton's loaded attack unit.
Riner came to Princeton as a defender but switched to attack last season. Quinn brings a sensational work ethic to the field and can fill a variety of roles for the Tigers when asked to do so.
Miller comes to Princeton as the top recruit out of Ohio and a 2001 All-America. Ehrlichman and Shames-Dawson were both high school All-Americas and will add speed and creativity to the attack. Ford has demonstrated the type of mental toughness characteristic of Princeton field hockey as a member of the successful Cape Henlopen high school squad.
Who's patrolling the midfield?
Claire Miller and Cory Picketts form the core of Princeton's midfield. Both two-year starters, they bring experience, speed and skill to this position.
Miller scored nine goals as an attacker her freshman season and moved back to midfield as a sophomore. She registered a team-leading 15 assists, good for third in the nation, while adding three goals. The 2000 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Miller was a third-team All-America, a unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection, and was named to the first-team All-ECAC last season. She has speed and stickwork that allows her to dominate the midfield.
Picketts turned in 18 points (8G, 2A) for Princeton, none bigger then her goal with 5:07 remaining in the second half to lift the Tigers to a 2-1 win over Old Dominion and into the Final Four. She then shut down the Lady Monarchs in the waning minutes to ensure the victory. Natalie Martirosian came to Princeton as a highly touted attacker, but moved back to midfield and earned 2001 Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors. She led Tiger freshmen in scoring with 16 points (5G, 6A).
Senior Kristen Skorupski has played on all three lines over the past three seasons and brings an element of versatility to the lineup. She is a scoring threat, but has set that aside to fill whatever role is asked of her. Sophomore Alexis Martirosian, a member of the under-19 national team, brings intelligence and strong skills that help solidify the midfield.
Newcomers Hillary Schmidt and Joanna Mukai round out the midfield. Mukai is the top player out of Canada and is looking to carry that success into the college ranks. Schmidt is a strong and fast midfielder who has the experience of playing on the U.S. under-19 team and in the UAFHL and should make an immediate impact.
What's up on defense?
Two first-team All-Americas, goalie Kelly Baril and sweeper Emily Townsend, are the quarterbacks of a Tiger defense that allowed just 1.45 goals per game last season. Baril provides the Tigers with the ultimate last line of defense - the best goalkeeper in the nation. She has started every game in the cage during her Princeton career and has been the backbone of the Tigers' defensive scheme. Baril came to Princeton as the best high school goalie in the nation, the only one who was selected to A-camp, and has exceeded expectation.
Townsend possesses the size and strength that has allowed her to control the backfield since she first stepped on the field at Princeton. A threat on any penalty corner, she has the ability to single-handedly shut down an opponent's attack and craft it into a Tiger offensive opportunity. Townsend finished second on the team with 26 points (11G, 4A).
Jen Elliott, the only Princeton player to have played every minute of every game in 2001, returns to further solidify the Tiger backfield. She demonstrated the poise of a seasoned veteran as a freshman and has only improved in the offseason. Kelly Darling, another key member of the defensive unit, has raised her game to another level during the offseason through her experience on the UAFHL traveling team. Beckie Wood adds a senior's experience to the backfield. Should Baril not be able to play, the Tigers can be confident in the knowledge that Zehra Nizami is waiting in the wings. An outstanding goalkeeper, Nizami possesses a tremendous knowledge of the game and has the ability to step in and carry the goaltending duties.
Newcomer Dawn Leaness is a lean, fast and strong goaltender who will be able to learn the college game from the best keeper in the nation.
Sharzad Joharifard missed last season due to injury after arriving on campus as the top junior player in Canada. She traveled to South Africa as a member of the Canadian Junior National Team this summer.
What's on the schedule?
With all the talent Princeton is bringing to the field in 2002, the Tigers are looking to square off against the best in the nation in preparation for the NCAA tournament in mid-November. With that in mind, the powers that be have crafted a schedule that reads like a who's who of the best teams in the country. In 2001 the NCAA ranked Princeton's schedule as the second toughest among Division I schools. The Tigers played six of the top 12 schools in the nation last season, including perennial national powers Old Dominion and Maryland, and were victorious against five of those.
The 2002 schedule takes last season's schedule and raises it up a notch. The Tigers have added three more top-12 teams - Ohio, Michigan State and North Carolina - to their schedule. They will kick off the season by hosting a scrimmage with the U.S. National Team at Class of 1952 Stadium. That game will feature former Tiger and national team member, Melanie Meerschwam '01.
The regular season kicks off with a home game against Ohio before Princeton heads into the Ivy League portion of the season with games against Yale, Columbia and Dartmouth.
Those games precede a weekend showdown against last season's national runner-up Maryland and Michigan State at Class of 1952 Stadium. Other non-conference opponents include Rutgers, Delaware, Connecticut and Boston University. Another addition to the schedule is a second game against Old Dominion. The first meeting will take place in Princeton, but then the Tigers will travel to Virginia to meet the Lady Monarchs and follow that with a game against the Tarheels. North Carolina picked up a 3-2 win over the Tigers in 2000, the last time that these two squads have met.
The regular season concludes against Ivy opponent Pennsylvania. In 2001, Princeton captured the league title with a 6-1 win over the Quakers at Franklin Field. This season, if all goes as planned, the Tigers will have the opportunity to clinch their ninth-straight title in front of their home crowd.