Princeton University Athletics
Field Hockey Hosts Brown to Begin Key Ivy Stretch
October 15, 2004 | Field Hockey
Oct. 15, 2004
Saturday afternoon marks the beginning of "crunch time" for the Princeton field hockey team, which hosts Brown at noon still in terrific position to win its 11th straight Ivy League title.
The Tigers are tied with Penn at 2-1 in league play, with Harvard a game ahead at 3-0, and Princeton plays both the Crimson and the Quakers in the next three weeks. That means the Tigers have control of their own destiny--Princeton would clinch another league title and an NCAA berth by winning its last four league games, but a loss in any of those games makes a league title unlikely.
Brown is the first of those four opponents, and the Tigers (3-8, 2-1 Ivy) have dominated the series in recent years. Princeton has won four straight over the Bears (4-6, 1-2 Ivy) and nine of the last 10 meetings, including a 2-0 win in Providence last season. Ashley Sennett and Lizzie Black had first-half goals for the Tigers, while Allison Nemeth had four saves in recording the shutout.
The Bears have won two straight thanks to a 4-1 non-conference victory over Fairfield Wednesday night. Freshman Ani Kazarian scored two goals in that win for Brown.
Princeton played well last Sunday at No. 18 Virginia, but fell to the Cavaliers by a 2-1 score. Kelly Darling scored her team-high fourth goal of the season early in the second half, tipping in a Lizzie Black drive, but a Black shot later in the half that would have tied the game was knocked off the line by a Virginia defender.
The Tigers are back on the field less than 24 hours after the Brown game after making the four-hour ride to Ithaca, N.Y., and Cornell. Princeton meets the Big Red Sunday afternoon at noon.