Continuing Trends, Peteraf Scores and Women's Soccer Wins at Home, 1-0 over Dartmouth

Saturday, October 4

Roberts Stadium

1 p.m.

Princeton University

Dartmouth (Stadium Dedication)

Stats

Continuing Trends, Peteraf Scores and Women's Soccer Wins at Home, 1-0 over Dartmouth

October 04, 2008 | Women's Soccer

By: Princeton Athletic Communications

PRINCETON – Not that the Princeton women's soccer team minds one bit, but an unmistakable trend is developing for the Tigers at their new home, Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium.

Every time the team plays there, senior Sarah Peteraf scores and the Tigers win by a goal. It may not make for rest-easy soccer, but so far Princeton is coming out on top.

The trend continued Saturday afternoon when Peteraf's 33rd-minute goal topped Dartmouth 1-0 in the first Ivy League match played at the new stadium. With the win, Princeton improved to 6-1-1 overall and 2-0 in the Ivy League.

“I think that 1-0 games are really tough because you just never know,” Peteraf said. “You're always kind of in that window of whether the other team is going to score and then start having momentum and you're going to have to work back. So I hate 1-0 games, but if we can pull it off, then it's good.”

The shutout was Princeton's fourth straight and extended the scoreless streak to 400 minutes over the last five games since Sept. 21 at St. John's. Peteraf's goal was her fifth of the season, surpassing the four combined goals she scored over the first three years of her Princeton career.

“We're finding ways,” Princeton coach Julie Shackford said. “I thought we played a really good first half and then we knew they'd put the pressure on us. I don't think we withstood it very well overall, but we did enough to maintain our lead. That is the epitome of a league game right there. They're tight, they're not always pretty. It's a good win for us. Dartmouth is a good team.”

Underscoring the excitement-to-the-end theme that has marked all four of Princeton's home matches this season, DartmouthPrinceton 8-2 after the break and 9-5 for the game. attacked the Tigers relentlessly in the second half. The Big Green outshot

But as has been the case over the last four matches, sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Pont and the Princeton defense has been up to the task. Pont made five saves, including four in the second half.

Princeton will take a break from its Ivy League schedule – the next league game will be Saturday, Oct. 11 against Brown at Roberts Stadium – to face American Tuesday in Washington, D.C., one of four Patriot League schools on the slate this season.