Princeton University Athletics
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Field Hockey Opens NCAA Tournament Saturday Against Stanford
November 13, 2009 | Field Hockey
No. 14 Stanford at No. 4 Princeton
NCAA First-Round
GAMETIME: Saturday, Nov. 14 at 11:30 a.m.
RECORDS: Princeton (14-2, 7-0 Ivy); Stanford (17-41, 5-1 NorPac)
RANKINGS: Princeton (Poll: 4, RPI: 4); Stanford (Poll: 14, RPI: 21)
SERIES RECORD: Series tied 1-1, Princeton leads 2-0 at home
LAST MEETING: Princeton won 8-2 on Nov. 11, 2008 at home
STREAK: Princeton won the last meeting
Links: Tournament Central | Postseason Notes
Also on Saturday, Boston College and Syracuse meet in a first-round game at 2 p.m., at Class of '52 Stadium. The winners of the two first round games will meet in the quarterfinal round on Sunday at 2 p.m., for a chance to move on to the NCAA final four.
This Week's Storylines
Tourney Time
Princeton returns to the NCAA tournament this weekend as the fourth overall seed. Princeton will host 14th-ranked Stanford in the opening round of regional play. The Princeton/Stanford winner will take on the winner of the Syracuse/Boston College game for a spot in the NCAA final four.
How We Got Here
Princeton claimed the Ivy League's automatic bid the NCAA tournament when it defeated Cornell in its second to last Ivy League game of the season. Princeton completed the Ivy season perfectly a week later at Penn.
The 14th Time
Princeton's NCAA tournament appearance is the 14th in school history. Princeton's first NCAA appearance came in 1982. The Tigers went until 1994 before reappearing in the tournament, but have been in 12 of the 15 tournaments since.
Tournament History
In its 13 visits to the tournament, Princeton is 14-13 overall. It has reached the semifinals four times and the championship game twice in 1996 and 1998. Princeton defeated Penn State in the first round and fell to Syracuse in quarterfinals in its last visit to the tournament in 2008.
Hosting in the Tournament
Princeton is 5-2 in NCAA tournament games played at Class of '52 Stadium. The Tigers have hosted four regionals since the 16-team tournament format was adopted and advanced to the quartefinals in the three of those instances. Princeton most recently hosted in 2006 and knocked off Old Dominion, the national four seed in the opening round.
Perfect Seven
Princeton defeated Penn 7-0 last Friday night to cap its 14th perfect 7-0 Ivy League season. The Tigers ran the table in league play for the fourth time in five years and have won 34 of their last 35 Ivy League games.
18th Title
Princeton's Ivy League championship was its 14th title in the last 15 years and its 18th overall. Princeton has won 18 of the 30 Ivy League championships awarded since 1979.
Player of the Year
Sophomore Katie Reinprecht was a unanimous choice among the Ivy League's coaches in earning her second Ivy League Player of the Year Award. A season ago, she became the first Ivy League freshman to claim Player of the Year honors. Reinprecht was also a unanimous choice for first-team All-Ivy. The League's Player of the Year has come from Princeton 15 times and in nine of the last 10 years.
Rookie of the Year
Freshman Julia Reinprecht was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year. The freshman becomes Princeton's 16th Rookie of the Year and is one of three on the current roster with Kaitlyn Perrelle (2006) and Kathleen Sharkey (2008). Reinprecht was also a first-team All-Ivy selection.
More Ivy Honors
A total of nine Tigers received All-Ivy honors this season. In addition to the Reinprecht sisters, senior Kaitlyn Perrelle, sophomore Kathleen Sharkey was and freshman Michelle Cesan earned first team honors. Perrelle earned her third All-Ivy selection and Sharkey was a unanimous first-teamer for the second straight season. Senior Christina Bortz, junior Jennifer King and sophomore Alyssa Pyros were second-team selections and junior Alexandra Douwes was an honorable mention.
In the Polls
Princeton has held down the fourth spot in both the NFHCA Coaches Poll and the NCAA's RPI since it's win over Connecticut in early October. Princeton has been ranked as high as fourth and as low as seventh in the polls this season.
Against The Field
Princeton was 5-1 against tournament teams as it defeated American, Connecticut, Ohio State, Richmond and Syracuse, and fell to national top-seed Maryland.
Against Stanford
Princeton will host Stanford in the opening game on Saturday morning. The teams did not meet this season but met late in 2008 when the Tigers bested Stanford 8-2 in an NCAA Play-In game held at Princeton. The teams have split their two overall meetings.
Last Season vs. Stanford
Senior Kaitlyn Perrelle and sophomore Kathleen Sharkey each scored two goals in an 8-2 win over Stanford on Nov. 11, 2009. The Tigers built a 2-0 lead three minutes into the win and never looked back as Princeton played its way into the NCAA tournament field.
Against Syracuse
Princeton is 9-3 all-time against Syracuse. The teams have met twice over the past two seasons with the Orange ousting Princeton from the 2008 NCAA tournament with a 3-2 overtime win in the quarterfinals last season. Princeton avenged the loss with a 3-2 overtime win at Syracuse early this season. The teams 1-1 in NCAA tournament games and Princeton leads the series 4-2 at home.
This Season vs. Syracuse
Freshman Michelle Cesan scored late in regulation and sophomore Rachel Neufeld scored the game-winning goal in overtime as Princeton overcame a 2-1 deficit in a 3-2 win on Sept. 6, 2009. Sophomore Katie Reinprecht gave Princeton a 1-0 lead in the game before Syracuse scored two-straight goals. Junior goalkeeper Jennifer King made 10 saves in the win.
Against Boston College
Princeton and Boston College have met once before with Princeton winning 3-2 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament in the 1997 season at Maryland.
Dominating the Ivies
Princeton's Ivy League season was simply dominant. The Tigers went 7-0 and outscored Ivy opponents 46-5. Princeton shut out three of those opponents. Princeton scored 12 more goals in Ivy play this season than it did in a 7-0 season in 2008.
On a Roll
Princeton enters the weekend having won its last five games. The Tigers have outscored their opponents 34-4 in the five-game stretch.
Nation's Best Offense
Princeton leads the nation in scoring, averaging 4.81 goals per game. The Tigers rank second with 12.56 points per game and eighth with 2.94 assists per game.
Around the Corner
Princeton is averaging 10.06 penalty corners per game this season to rank fourth in the category behind Albany, Syracuse and Yale.
Scoring More
Princeton has scored 77 goals this season in 16 games. That total is the fifth highest total in program history, four behind the 84 scored in 1997. Princeton's all-time high is 109 scored in 1996. Princeton's point and assist total of 125 ranks third in the program record books.
Individually Ranked
Kathleen Sharkey ranks 12th in the nation with 1.06 goals per game and 10th in the nation with 2.63 points per game. Katie Reinprecht ranks 19th in the country with 2.38 points per game.
Winning Goals
Kathleen Sharkey has a team-high five game-winning goals this season. Katie Reinprecht has three and Julia Reinprecht has two.
Weekly Player Awards
Three members of the Tigers have won Ivy League Player of the Week Awards this season. Kathleen Sharkey claimed three awards and Kaitlin Donovan and Katie Reinprecht each won once.
Weekly Rookie Awards
Three members of the Princeton freshman class have won Ivy League Rookie of the Week Awards this season. Michelle Cesan has collected three honors, while Julia Reinprecht and Carrie Diamond each have one award.
Backstop
Junior Jennifer King ranks 12th in the nation with a 1.05 goals-against average. She is 12-2 in the Princeton goal with three shutouts this season. King has lowered his career goals-against below 1.00 to 0.98 and has 11 career shutouts.