Princeton University Athletics
Field Hockey Renews Rivalry with Penn State
September 28, 2004 | Field Hockey
Sept. 28, 2004
An important week of non-conference action for the Princeton field hockey team begins Tuesday night when the Tigers travel to Penn State for a 6 p.m. game against the Nittany Lions.
The Tigers (2-5) will be looking to end a four-game losing skid to the Nittany Lions and exact some measure of revenge against the team than knocked them out of the both the 2002 and 2003 NCAA tournaments. Princeton will also be looking to get off to a good start in a week that includes games against three teams either ranked or receiving votes in this week's NFHCA poll.
Penn State (5-5) has gotten off to an uncharacteristically slow start, but is still ranked 19th in that poll. Friday's opponent, Boston University, is receiving votes in that poll, while 12th-ranked Richmond is Princeton's Sunday opponent at Class of 1952 Stadium.
Princeton improved to 2-1 in Ivy League play and broke a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 win at Columbia Friday night. The Tigers got second-half goals from Lizzie Black and Alexis Martirosian to take control and improve to 8-0 all-time against the Lions.
Penn State moved back to .500 with a 3-1 victory over Ohio State in a Big 10 game played Saturday. Shaun Banta, who leads the Lions with six goals, scored twice in the first half to give Penn State a lead it would not relinquish.
The Tigers, who have never won at Penn State (0-8), last defeated the Lions in the 2000 NCAA tournament. Penn State defeated Princeton in last season's NCAA first round at Maryland, 3-1, and won 3-2 squeaker over the Tigers at Class of 1952 Stadium earlier in the season.
The game is Princeton's only midweek game of the season. Every other Tiger game this year is on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.