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Field Hockey Holds Off Columbia For Fifth-Straight Victory, Eyes Home Date With Providence
October 03, 2008 | Field Hockey
The 12th-ranked Princeton field hockey team went to New York City Friday night with an all-time record of 11-0 against the Columbia Lions. The Tigers had to work all 70 minutes to run that streak to 12, but they fought their way to a 3-2 win. Kraftin Schreyer scored twice for Princeton, which has now won five straight games and temporarily took over sole possession of first place in the Ivy League.
Princeton, which will host Providence Sunday at 1 p.m., is now 8-1 overall and 3-0 in the Ivy League. The Tigers move one half game ahead of Cornell, which is 2-0 in league play and will take on Yale Saturday.
Columbia, looking for its first win ever over Princeton, got on the board first when Maggie O'Connor deflected a shot by Christine Buszczak past Princeton goalkeeper Cynthia Wray for a 1-0 lead 19:11 into the game. Princeton, which held a 15-5 advantage in corners, took advantage of one to even the score at 1-1 less than five minutes later. Schreyer scored off assists from Katie Reinprecht and Candice Arner at 23:57 to even the score.
With 49 seconds remaining in the half, Schreyer put Princeton ahead to stay. She rebounded her own blocked shot off yet another corner and scored an unassisted goal past Gena Miller to assure Princeton a halftime lead. That advantage would grow to 3-1 at the 56:15 mark when Kaitlin Donovan scored an unassisted goal from just in front of the Columbia goal. The goal, which came off one of Princeton's 22 shots, would prove to be critical; Columbia's Julia Garrison scored on a corner with 2:36 remaining in the game to get the Lions back within a goal.
The Tiger defense tighted from there and Princeton headed home with a hard-earned victory. Princeton outshot Columbia 22-6 in the win and Wray made three saves for the Tigers, all in the first half.