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Princeton University Athletics
Let's Do It Again: Tigers to Host Maryland Thursday in NCAA Women's Lacrosse First Round
May 08, 2005 | Women's Lacrosse
May 8, 2005
Princeton and Maryland played a four-overtime classic in women's lacrosse just this past Wednesday in College Park. The two powerhouse programs will get to do it all over again Thursday at 3 p.m.
The Tigers (12-4), seeded No. 8, will host the Terrapins (12-6) in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship Thursday at Class of 1952 Stadium.
Maryland won Wednesday's four-overtime thriller by a 13-12 score when Brooke Richards scored for the Terrapins in the first minute of the second sudden-victory overtime period. Princeton had trailed 10-7 midway through the second half before rallying to tie it and then take the lead twice in the first two overtime sessions.
"Maryland is a great team," said Princeton head coach Chris Sailer, who takes her team to the NCAA tournament for the eighth straight season and the 14th time in her 19 seasons as head coach. "I said the other day after the game that it was a playoff atmosphere and a game that would show us what kind of team we might play in the tournament, and now we get another chance. We're happy to have this chance on our home field."
The winner of the Princeton-Maryland game takes on the winner on Thursday's game between top-seeded Northwestern and Mount Saint Mary's in a Sunday quarterfinal game. The winner of that Sunday game will advance to the national semifinals May 20 at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
Maryland and Princeton are the dominant programs of the last decade in women's lacrosse. Combined, the teams won 10 consecutive national championships from 1994-2003, with Princeton winning in 1994, 2002 and 2003 and Maryland winning an unprecedented seven straight national titles from 1995-2001. Either Princeton, Maryland or both teams has been a participant in the national championship game in each of the last 11 years.
Princeton's overtime loss to the Terrapins Wednesday was the Tigers' first loss to the Terrapins since the 2001 season. The Tigers had won three straight against Maryland after losing 11 in a row to the Terrapins from 1995-2001. The Tigers and Maryland last met in the NCAA tournament in the 2001 national semifinals, when the Terps came out on top of a 14-7 decision at Johns Hopkins' Homewood Field.
Princeton enters the tournament having reached the national semifinals five consecutive seasons (2000-2004). The Tigers' last loss in the tournament in a game prior to the final four came against Penn State in the quarterfinals in 1999. The Tigers have won eight consecutive NCAA tournament games at Class of 1952 Stadium since that loss to the Nittany Lions in 1999.
Maryland ended the season on a two-game winning streak after losing to Virginia in the ACC tournament first round. In addition to the win over Maryland, the Terps defeated Loyola in their regular-season finale Saturday afternoon.
Wednesday's game between the two teams, Princeton's fourth overtime game this season, featured five ties and comebacks from both sides. The game was tied at 2-2 and 4-4 before the Tigers took a 6-4 halftime lead, and the Tigers would tie it at 10 with three late goals to send the game into overtime. Princeton led twice in the first three-minute overtime, 11-10 and 12-11, but the Terps tied it early in the second three minutes. Neither team scored in the first sudden-victory overtime session.
Princeton's Katie Lewis-Lamonica led all scorers with five goals for the Tigers against the Terps.