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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
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Dartmouth
Slonaker's Goal Lifts Princeton Past Dartmouth
April 26, 2003 | Women's Lacrosse
April 26, 2003
Box Score
Hanover, N.H. - Elizabeth Pillion found a streaking Leigh Slonaker with 36 seconds remaining and Slonaker did the rest, scoring the game-winning goal in a 10-9 Princeton win at Dartmouth on Saturday.
The Tigers left cold, damp Hanover with a must-win and have now positioned themselves for a share of the conference title and an NCAA berth. It wasn't easy, however, with the Big Green giving Princeton all it could handle.
A nip-and-tuck first half opened with Dartmouth taking an early 2-0 lead. Princeton finally cracked the scoreboard at 12:17 when Alex Fiore took a pass from Mary Beth Hogan and beat her mark with an inside spin move. Sophomore Leigh Slonaker tied up the game 1:13 later with an unassisted goal of her own. Princeton's third straight goal, an unassisted score from Whitney Miller, gave the Tigers their first lead of the game. The Big Green would answer and Pillion gave Princeton the lead back, but with nine minutes remaining the first half, the game was tied for the third time.
A five-minute surge to end the half saw Theresa Sherry score at 25:34 and Lindsey Biles bounce in a goal at 26:35 to give the Orange and Black a two-goal lead at intermission.
The second half began much like the first and Princeton's two-goal lead turned into a one-goal deficit at 36:15. Sherry tied things up with a free-position goal 44:11, but the game was only starting to get good.
After Dartmouth took and 8-7 lead, Biles struck with a free-position goal to even things once again. Biles gave the Tigers a 9-8 lead with a bounce shot past Devon Wills, who challenged Biles on the play.
The Tigers saw their 9-8 lead disappear and the game was tied for the sixth time when Dartmouth knotted the game with 49 seconds left on the clock. Pillion was able to check the ball away from a Big Green attacker on the ensuing draw and raced toward the Dartmouth goalkeeper with the clock ticking away.
Pillion forced a Dartmouth turnover with seconds left on the clock, but Dartmouth had one more opportunity to tie the game with one second left in regulation. It could not get a shot off and Princeton improved to 10-4 overall and more importantly, 5-1 in the Ivy League.
Pillion ended the game with seven ground balls and three caused turnovers. Sarah Kolodner made 13 saves in goal while Biles led the offense with three goals on the day.
The Tigers drop Dartmouth to 6-1 in the Ivy League and with a win over Brown next Saturday, Princeton shares the 2003 Ivy crown.
Princeton's next game, however, is at No. 2 Maryland on Wednesday night. That game is at 7 p.m. and can be heard live on www.GoPrincetonTigers.com