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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Columbia*
Players Mentioned
Columbia Ends Eight-Year Skid Versus Women's Soccer, 3-2
October 14, 2006 | Women's Soccer
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Columbia held off a late run from the Princeton women's soccer team Saturday afternoon in Manhattan to defeat the Tigers for the first time since 1998, 3-2.
The loss ended a seven-game winning streak in the series for Princeton and dropped the Orange and Black to 0-4 in Ivy League play, 4-7-1 overall. After a decade-long run of success that included a trip to the NCAA College Cup semifinal two seasons ago, the Tigers have lost their first four league contests for the first time since 1993.
Columbia rose to 6-4-3 overall and 3-0-1 in Ivy play, putting the Lions, with 10 points, into first place in the Ivy League at least until Dartmouth (nine points) faces Penn Sunday.
Sophie Reiser scored 3:59 into the match on Columbia's first venture into the attacking zone after snuffing out back-to-back Princeton corner kicks. Following a pass ahead from Meghan Hurlbut, Reiser beat her defender and got around downed Tiger keeper Maren Dale trying to cover the ball, trickling a shot just inside the left post. It was just Columbia's second goal in the series since the last time it defeated Princeton eight years ago.
Diana Matheson evened the score after Allison Williams was obstructed by her Columbia defender nearing the six-yard box, earning a penalty kick. Matheson tucked her shot inside the right post and just beyond the dive by Lion keeper Allison Vespa with 2:04 to play in the half, ending Princeton's scoreless streak at 333:33. The Tigers hadn't scored since Sept. 27 in a 2-1 win over Loyola (Md.).
But the tie was short-lived, as 1:33 into the second half, Shannon Munoz fired from just outside the 18-yard box, across the goal crease and into the upper-right corner over Dale's leap for a 2-1 lead. Reiser earned her third point on the day with the assist.
Columbia grew the lead to 3-1 with 11:27 gone in the second half when Jenny Brandt fired from just inside the left corner of the 18, beating Dale high on the right side. The goal marked the first time since 1995 that the Lions scored three times on the Tigers.
Princeton halved the lead with 8:18 to play in the game when Matheson took a free kick from just outside the 18 and chipped it toward the right to Taylor Numann, who pounded it home for her first goal of the season.
Matheson, Princeton's points leader with 14, had her highest point game since Sept. 10 versus Richmond, when she had two four-point games in three days to earn Ivy League Player of the Week honors.
Ashley Beyers, making her third straight appearance since returning from a wrist injury Oct. 4 at Rutgers, co-led the Tigers along with Matheson with three shots apiece.
Princeton outshot Columbia 14-11, as the Tigers forced Vespa to make seven saves while Dale was credited with one save.
The Tigers will take on American in the team's final non-conference game Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in Washington, D.C. Princeton will return home next Saturday for a 7 p.m. game against Harvard at Lourie-Love Field.