Princeton University
Old Dominion
Field Hockey Holds On for 2-1 Win over No. 7 Old Dominion
October 19, 2003 | Field Hockey
Oct. 19, 2003
Final Stats
Senior Cory Picketts scored an early goal on Senior Day to give the Princeton field hockey team a lead it wouldn't relinquish, but it was freshman goalie Allison Nemeth and the Tiger defense that held on in the end and gave the 11th-ranked Tigers a 2-1 win over No. 7 Old Dominion in a game played Sunday afternoon at Class of 1952 Stadium.
Nemeth had a season-best 12 saves, including six in the final 1:20 of the first half. Old Dominion (10-6) had five penalty corners in that time, including two after the clock had run out, but Nemeth stopped five shots from Angie Loy and one from Beth Maddox to help preserve a 2-1 halftime lead.
?Allison has been terrific in practice and in games all year but I think this was probably her best game,? said Princeton head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn. The game was probably Princeton's best all-around effort of the year as a team as well as the Tigers (9-3) defeated a Top 10 team for the first time in three tries this season. Princeton controlled much of the first half before the late Monarch push in the final minutes, then used four saves from Nemeth and a missed penalty stroke from Loy with just under 14 minutes left to hold on for the win.
?All season we've put together good stretches but not a full game,? said Nemeth, undefeated in seven decisions this season. ?But today I think we played well from start to finish.?
Picketts' goal gave Princeton a 1-0 lead 6:18 into the game. The Tigers drew a penalty corner, where Lizzie Black faked a drive and instead fed Picketts near the left of the cage for a redirection past Old Dominion goalie Tina Walker.
The Tigers then took a 2-0 lead with just over 10 minutes left in the first half thank to some terrific individual effort from junior Natalie Martirosian. The junior took a pass from Maren Ford and worked her way around an ODU defender near the top of the circle, finally striking a ball through Walker's legs from several yards away.
Before their late first-half rush that ended without a goal, the Lady Monarchs took advantage of a penalty-corner situation to cut the Princeton lead to 2-1 with 3:28 left in the half. Melissa Leonetti stopped Janelle Engle's corner and fed the ball to Maddox, who drove a shot past Nemeth.
Walker had six of her nine saves in the second half for the Lady Monarchs, who swept the Tigers last season. Princeton travels to Old Dominion in two weeks to complete a home-and-home series.
The Tigers travel to Harvard next Saturday in a game that could determine the Ivy League championship and the league's automatic berth to the NCAA tournament. Princeton (5-0) and Harvard (4-0) are the lone remaining unbeaten teams in league play.