Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
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Field Hockey Falls in National Semifinals 7-5 to Maryland
November 20, 2009 | Field Hockey
Links: Box Score | Final Stats | Highlights
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (11/20/09) -- The fourth-ranked Princeton field hockey team battled back from a three-goal deficit to tie top-ranked and defending National Champion Maryland 4-4 in the second half, but Maryland withstood Princeton's rally in defeating the Tigers 7-5 in the National Semifinals at the 2009 NCAA Field Hockey Championship on Friday afternoon at Kentner Stadium.
Maryland's Katie O'Donnell set an NCAA Tournament record with 12 points in the game on three goals and three assists in what tied for the second highest-scoring game in NCAA Tournament history. Princeton sophomore Katie Reinprecht had two goals and freshman Michelle Cesan had a goal and two assists.
Princeton opened the scoring in the game's eighth minute when it converted on its first penalty corner of the afternoon. After the insert and a series of passes, sophomore Kathleen Sharkey took a shot towards the left post that freshman Michelle Cesan redirected into the cage for her 14th goal of the season.
Maryland slowly took over control from that point through the middle of the half, holding Princeton without a shot while evening the score and then building a 3-1 lead.
The Terps tied the game and went ahead on a pair of direct corner goals scored by Emma Thomas and assisted by Katie O'Donnell and Alexis Pappis in the 14th and 19th minutes. O'Donnell then made it 3-1 in Maryland's favor in the 24th minute when she came in along the end line and scored with a backhanded shot.
Princeton battled back to get two chances off of corners late in the opening half in the 30th and 35th minutes but has shot from sophomore Katie Reinprecht go wide and one from Sharkey saved as timed expired on the first half.
Princeton had a great chance in the opening minute of the second half when Sharkey and Reinprecht headed in on Maryland goalkeeper Alicia Grater but she broke up Sharkey's pass attempt. Maryland turned that breakup into a counter the other way and converted in the Princeton end when Katie O'Donnell scored.
The Tigers regrouped after the goal and quickly gained momentum, scoring the game's next three goals to tie things up at 4-4. A minute after Maryland's fourth goal, senior Kaitlin Donovan scored her seventh goal of the season on a corner to make it 4-2. After the insert, Reinprecht worked the ball back to Cesan, who sent a pass over Grater in and Donovan was able to knock the ball out of the air and into the goal.
Princeton continued to pressure and gained another corner in the 47th minute when sophomore Alyssa Pyros dribbled into the circle and drew a foul. On the corner, Sharkey took a blast that hit the post but the ball caromed back to Reinprecht who quickly shot it for her 16th goal of the season. Reinprecht made it 4-4 five minutes later when she scored on a corner.
The three-goal deficit Princeton erased tied the largest deficit overcome in an NCAA Tournament game. Reinprecht had a chance to put the Tigers ahead less than two minutes later but a defensive save by Maryland's Brianna Davies kept the game tied at four.
Maryland called a timeout following the play to regroup and was able to slow down the Princeton momentum after that. The Terps scored the game-winning goal three minutes later when Megan Frazer capped a run from the left side with a goal from 15 yards out. The Terps then went ahead 6-4 in the 63rd minute when Ameliet Rischen deflected a long pass from O'Donnell into the Princeton goal.
O'Donnell would add a goal for Maryland in the 67th minute and Sharkey capped the scoring in the 69th minute with her 20th goal of the season.
Maryland outshot Princeton 19-6 and outcornered the Tigers 13-10 although Princeton held 13-8 shot and 7-4 corner edge in the second half as the Tigers battled back.
Grater made six saves in the Terp goal for the win, while junior goalkeeper Jennifer King stopped three shots in the loss.
The loss completed Princeton's season at 16-3 overall.