Princeton University Athletics
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Field Hockey Visits Penn State in Meeting of Top-15 Teams
September 23, 2008 | Field Hockey
No. 15 Princeton and No. 13 Penn State
GAMETIME: Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m.
2008 RECORDS: Princeton (4-1, 1-0 Ivy); Penn State (4-3, 0-0 Big 10)
SERIES RECORD: Penn State leads 22-3, is 10-0 at Penn State
LAST MEETING: Penn State won 5-1 on Sept. 5, 2007 at Princeton
STREAK: Penn State has won the last seven meetings
The 15th-ranked Princeton field hockey team visits 13th-ranked Penn State on Wednesday in non-league action as the Tigers look to continue their strong early season play. Princeton is 4-1 this season and has outscored its opponents 23-5.
Princeton, which started the season 3-0 before a double overtime setback last week to Connecticut, got back in the win column on Saturday with a convincing 4-0 shutout against Dartmouth. Princeton outshot the Big Green 33-1 and after an early goal, never looked back, in getting the league season off to a 1-0 start.
Senior Kraftin Schreyer got Princeton on the scoreboard in the fourth minute when her blast off of a corner put the Tigers ahead 1-0. That was the only goal of the first half, but Princeton opened its lead with three scores in the second half from freshman Kathleen Sharkey, freshman Alyssa Pyros and junior Christina Bortz. Freshman Katie Reinprecht assisted on Princeton's first two goals, while senior Kristin Schwab and freshman Allison Behringer tallied assists on the other two goals. In goal, sophomore Jennifer King was only challenged with one shot as she recorded her fourth win and second shutout of the season.
The Tigers now have four players tied for the team-lead in points with nine. Senior Holly McGarvie, junior Christina Bortz and freshman Kathleen Sharkey each have four goals and an assist, while freshman Katie Reinprecht has three goals and three helpers. Princeton has gotten points from 15 players thus far this season with nine players scoring goals and 13 notching assists.
Princeton, with 23 goals in five games, ranks fourth nationally with 4.6 goals per game. Princeton ranks fourth with a scoring margin of 3.45, and is fifth with 9.4 penalty corners per game. Individually, King's goals-against average (0.29) and save percentage (.909) currently lead the nation.
Princeton's win over Dartmouth allowed the Tigers to hold steady as the 15th-ranked team in the latest STX/NFHCA Coaches Poll. Princeton has met just one ranked team this season, falling 3-2 in double overtime to then fifth-ranked Connecticut. Penn State, ranked 13th is Princeton's next ranked opponent and the Tigers have ranked opponents?Maryland, American and Albany?and teams receiving votes?Providence, Villanova and Columbia?remaining on their schedule.
Princeton heads to Penn State on Wednesday for its fifth road game of the season. The Tigers play their next four games away from home before completing the season with seven of eight at home.
Princeton is 3-22 all-time against Penn State and is 0-10 in the series on the road. Last season Penn State defeated the Tigers 5-1 at Class of '52 Stadium in Princeton's second game and Penn State's fourth of the season. Penn State has won seven straight meetings in the series, but the games have all been close. Prior to last season's 5-1 Penn State win, the previous five meetings were all decided by a single goal. Princeton's last win over the Nittany Lions came in the 2000 season.
Penn State is 4-3 this season after winning its last two games to climb above .500. The Nittany Lions opened the season with a shutout of Old Dominion, but were then blanked 1-0 in back-to-back games by Connecticut and Maryland. Penn State since has defeated Temple, Georgetown and West Chester and has a loss to North Carolina. Penn State has outscored its opponents 15-8 and is led offensively by Jessica Longstreth's eight points. She and Amy Bonenberger lead the team with three goals each.
Six Ivy League teams have midweek games on the docket. Brown hosts UMass on Tuesday afternoon, while Wednesday's schedule features Vermont at Dartmouth, Columbia at Fairfield, UConn at Harvard and Penn at Villanova, in addition to Princeton's game. All eight teams played Ivy games last Saturday with Princeton, Columbia, Cornell and Harvard getting wins.