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Princeton University Athletics
Women's Soccer Team Opens At American
September 05, 2003 | Women's Soccer
Sept. 5, 2003
Had things gone a little differently, then Princeton and American would have been meeting in the second round of the 2002 NCAA women's soccer tournament. As it turned out, the teams will meet 10 months later than they would have liked.
Princeton and American, who lost their first-round NCAA games a few hours apart last November at Maryland's Ludwig Field, instead will face each other Saturday (4) in Washington.
Princeton will be playing its first game of the 2003 season, while American is already 1-1, having defeated Mt. St. Mary's 1-0 and lost 3-2 in overtime to Virginia Tech.
The Tigers won the outright Ivy League championship a year ago and advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they fell 2-0 to Penn State, who eventually advanced to the Final Four. American won the Patriot League tournament to gain its NCAA bid, losing to host Maryland in the second game of the Ludwig doubleheader.
Princeton will host its own invitational tournament next weekend, with Penn, Saint Louis and UNC Greensboro at Lourie-Love Field for games Friday and Sunday. Princeton vs. American
Are you ready for some soccer? - Princeton opens its 2003 season against American. Princeton is 6-2 in season openers under Julie Shackford, including wins in the last three.
Welcome back - Of the 28 goals scored by Princeton a year ago, 24 were scored by players who return for this season.
Goal oriented - Esmeralda Negron, Emily Behncke and Kristina Fontanez combined to scored 18 goals a year ago; all three return.
Ready when the bell rings - Princeton started last season 12-0-0, becoming the final team in Division I with a perfect record.
More bell - Princeton has won at least its first five games of each of the last three seasons.
Hear me roar - Julie Shackford is the only female head women's soccer coach in the Ivy League.
A league of their own - Princeton has won three straight Ivy League championships.
November madness - Princeton has played in the NCAA tournament each of the last four years.
Junior achievement - Junior Brea Griffiths is one of Princeton's three captains (along with seniors Theresa Sherry and Liz Bell).
We're honored - Princeton returns one first-team All-Ivy League selection (Esmeralda Negron), the 2002 Ivy League Rookie of the Year (Emily Behncke), three second-team All-Ivy League selections (Behncke, Brea Griffiths, Rochelle Willis) and one honorable mention All-Ivy League selection (Janine Willis).
For starters - Princeton defender Romy Trigg-Smith will be making her first career start; she takes over for Heather Deerin, a four-time first-team All-Ivy League selection who is now a Princeton assistant coach.
More starters - Kristina Fontanez moves into the starting lineup after coming off the bench the last two seasons; Fontanez is Princeton's second-leading goal scorer the last two years.
Net results - Princeton will use two goalkeepers, sophomores Madeleine Jackson and Emily Vogelzang.