Field Hockey Plays Host to Harvard on Saturday

Harvard at No. 12 Princeton

GAMETIME: Saturday, Oct. 25 at 12 noon
2008 RECORDS: Princeton (11-2, 4-0 Ivy); Harvard (6-7, 2-2 Ivy)
SERIES RECORD: Princeton leads 30-6-2 and is 17-2 at home
LAST MEETING: Princeton won 1-0 on Oct. 20, 2008 at Harvard
STREAK: Princeton has won 14 straight meetings

The 12th-ranked Princeton field hockey team hosts Harvard on Saturday afternoon as the Tigers look for their 12th win of the season against their Ivy rivals from Cambridge.

Princeton has won its last two games after seeing a six-winning streak snapped 11 days ago against Maryland. Princeton rebounded last week with wins over Brown and Villanova. On Saturday against Brown, the Tigers dominated play throughout on their way to a 7-1 win in which they outshot the Bears 49-5. Freshman Katie Reinprecht and senior Holly McGarvie each scored twice in the win, while freshman Kathleen Sharkey had a goal and an assist.

A day later, the Tigers again controlled play against Villanova, outshooting the Wildcats 31-4, but Villanova hung on and took advantage of their chances by pushing the Tigers to overtime in a 4-3 win. Reinprecht and senior Candice Arner led the Princeton charge with a goal and an assist each in the win. In two win over the weekend, Princeton outshot its two opponents 80-9 and combined for 31 corners to three for its two opponents.

Princeton held steady at No. 12 in the STX/NFHCA Coaches Poll for the third straight week. Princeton is 2-2 this season against ranked teams with wins over Penn State and Albany and loss to UConn and Maryland. The Tigers have one ranked opponent, No. 18 American, remaining on their schedule.

Reinprecht finished the weekend with three goals and an assist and as a result, was named the Ivy League's Player and Rookie of the Week for the second time this season. She also accomplished the feat on Sept. 30 following a five goal-three assist span against Penn State, Yale and Albany.

Also during the week, senior Kraftin Schreyer was one of 38 seniors to be selected to appear in the NFHCA Senior All-Star Game, which is played in conjunction with the NCAA final four each season. Deserving student-athletes are nominated by their coaches and selected based on accolades and coaches feedback.

Princeton will look for its fifth Ivy League win of the season when Harvard visits Class of '52 Stadium on Saturday at 12 noon. Princeton is 30-6-2 all-time against the Crimson and is 17-2 at home in the series. The Tigers have won 14 straight games in the series, but four of the last five games have been decided by a single goal and two of those came in overtime. Last season the Tigers clinched the Ivy League title with a 1-0 overtime win at Harvard. Princeton outshot Harvard 15-6 in regulation but couldn't go ahead until the 12th minute of overtime when junior Kaitlin Donovan deflected a Paige Schmidt shot into the Harvard goal.

Harvard is 6-7 overall and 2-2 in the Ivy League entering the weekend. Harvard started the year 1-3 and was 2-5 before climbing a game over .500 midway through the season at 6-5, but losses to Cornell and Boston College in its last two games has dropped the Crimson back below .500. Harvard is 2-2 in league play with wins over Yale and Brown and losses to Penn and Cornell. All four of Harvard's league games have been shutouts.

All eight Ivy League teams are in action this weekend with four league games on the docket as the teams approach the end of the season. Princeton and Cornell are currently tied atop the Ivy standings with records of 4-0 with Harvard, Dartmouth and Penn all two games back at 2-2. Losses by any of the three this weekend will eliminate them from championship contention.

In addition to the Harvard-Princeton game, Cornell visits Brown, Penn travels to Yale and Dartmouth hosts Columbia. Yale has a non-conference game on Sunday at Fairfield.

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Players Mentioned

Candice Arner

Kaitlin Donovan

Holly McGarvie

Katie Reinprecht

Paige Schmidt

Kraftin Schreyer

Kathleen Sharkey