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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Virginia (NCAA Championship)
REPEAT PERFORMANCE
May 18, 2003 | Women's Lacrosse
May 18, 2003
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Syracuse, N.Y. - With time running down in overtime and the score knotted at 7-7, Theresa Sherry slipped past her mark and knocked home the deciding goal at the 2003 NCAA Women's Lacrosse National Championship. The Tigers defeat Virginia 8-7 to claim a second straight national title.
"I saw an opening on the left side of the field and decided to take it," says Sherry. "I had been pulling back earlier in the game, but now it was time to go for it."
The Tigers needed a few extra minutes to get started and an early three-goal deficit was quickly cut to one with back-to-back goals Sherry. Down 3-0 less than seven minutes into the game, Sherry scored twice within a two-minute span and the Tigers trailed 3-2 at 9:47. Virginia answered with a goal by Amy Appelt at 19:54, but sophomore Elizabeth Pillion found a lane and took a pass from senior Alex Fiore to bring the Tigers back within one before halftime.
"Our defense was playing very well," says sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Kolodner, who had six saves in the first half. "I was able to come out as the aggressor in the first half and not wait for the game to come to me."
The Cavaliers extended to a two-goal advantage in the opening minutes of the second half and Pillion answered with her second goal of the day. Virginia scored again to go up 6-4 before sophomore Lindsey Biles and senior Sarah Small connected for a game-tying 1-2 combination.
With Small feeding from behind the net, Biles was able to score two consecutive goals by cutting towards the cage. Virginia broke the 6-6 tie with Cary Chasney's third goal of the day and the Cavaliers held a one-goal lead going into the last two minutes of regulation.
"Alex Fiore made a great play to get the ball back as the clock was winding down," says senior Whitney Miller. "She got the ball to Lindsey [Biles] and then she got the ball over to me. I prefer to shoot with my left hand and I saw the whole left side of the field open. I took it up and scored."
Miller's goal with 1:39 left in regulation tied the game at 7-7 and the two teams would need an extra period to determine the 2003 champion.
"Big players step up in big games," says Princeton head coach Chris Sailer. "They definitely did that today."
Sherry's game-winner came at 1:29. It was Princeton first lead of the day, but it was all the Tigers needed. Virginia's offense was stifled by senior Rachael Becker and the Tigers. Becker held Appelt to one goal and the opposition to a combined 18 goals in the NCAA tournament.
"This is a new year and we have new people, but the goal has been the same all season," says Becker. "This one feels better than the first."
The Tigers become only the second program to ever win back-to-back NCAA titles. Last year they won the title with a No. 2 seed in the tournament and they repeat as champions as the only non-seeded team at the Final Four. Princeton knocked off No. 1 Loyola in the Semifinal on Friday night while Virginia entered as the No. 3 seed.
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Theresa Sherry works her way around a Virginia player and goes on to score a goal during overtime Sunday, May 18, 2003, in Syracuse, N.Y. Princeton beat Virginia 8-7 on Sherry's goal with 89 seconds left in overtime Sunday to win its second straight NCAA women's lacrosse championship. |
Princeton has now won three women's lacrosse national championships; only Maryland has more. The Tigers add to the their 1994 and 2002 crowns with a 16-4 overall record and another NCAA title. Sixteen wins is the second most in school history. Last season's 19-win championship run is the school record; however, the only other Princeton team to win 16 games was the 1994 national championship squad.
Over the past two seasons, Princeton has amassed an overall record of 35-5, has two Ivy League titles and two national championship rings. The Tigers end 2003 with wins in 15 of their last 16 contests and have the second-highest season goal total in program history. The Tigers scored 234 goals this season with six Tigers scoring 20 or more goals on the year.
Virginia closes the year at 17-5 after reaching the NCAA Final for the 10th time in program history. Just like last season, the Tigers avenged an early-season loss in the championship game, wiping clean a mid-March loss to the Cavaliers at Charlottesville. The 2002 championship team defeated Georgetown in Final, avenging the only blemish in its 19-1 championship season.
Becker was named the tournament MVP, while Sherry, Kolodner, Miller and Pillion all made the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
"It hasn't sunk in just yet," says Sailer. "I'm so proud of what this team has accomplished. We took a team that lost seven seniors from last year and we created a new team with a lot of different threats. That was an amazing second half and overtime. Virginia deserves a lot of credit for stretching us to the limit ... I'm just so proud."