Princeton University Athletics
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Field Hockey Hosts ACC Pair This Weekend
October 06, 2011 | Field Hockey
GAMETIME: Friday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Princeton (4-5, 2-1 Ivy); Virginia (6-7, 0-2 ACC)
SERIES RECORD: Virginia leads 4-2; Princeton leads 2-0 at home
LAST MEETING: Virginia won 4-2 on Nov. 14, 2010 at home
STREAK: Virginia has won the last three meetings
Wake Forest at Princeton
GAMETIME: Sunday, Oct. 9 at 1 p.m.
RECORDS: Princeton (4-5, 2-1 Ivy); Wake Forest (2-8, 0-4 ACC)
SERIES RECORD: Princeton leads 1-0; first meeting in Princeton
LAST MEETING: Princeton won 3-1 on Nov. 13, 2010 at Virginia
STREAK: Princeton won the lone meeting
LINKS: Livestats | Live Video
PRINCETON (10/6/11) - The Princeton field hockey team hosts a pair of ACC opponents this weekend at home as the Tigers face Virginia and Wake Forest, both teams that that the Tigers faced in the 2010 NCAA tournament.
Princeton will host Virginia on Friday night in a rematch of the 2010 NCAA quarterfinal. The Tigers will return to the field on Sunday to take on Wake Forest, the team Princeton met in the first round of the 2010 NCAA tournament. Also on Sunday, Virginia will face fourth-ranked Connecticut in a neutral site game preceding the Princeton game.
The Tigers are now 4-5 overall and 2-1 in the Ivy League after a double overtime win last Saturday over Columbia. The win extended Princeton's perfect record against the Lions to 15-0 and kept Princeton a game behind first-place Dartmouth in the Ivy League race. Dartmouth is 3-0 and is the lone unbeaten team in Ivy League play.
In the win, Princeton struck first on the first career goal by sophomore Kelsey Byrne, but two quick strikes from Columbia on corners late in the half gave the Lions a 2-1 lead. Princeton quickly answered with a goal from Sydney Kirby on a corner to tie the game with 20 seconds left in the half. The score remained tied for the next 53 minutes and 34 seconds before Kirby scored again in the second overtime to lift Princeton to victory.
Kirby's two goals, along with an assist during the week at third-ranked Maryland, helped her earn Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors. Kirby now leads the Tigers with five goals, five assists and 15 points this season. Her honor is the second this season for a Princeton freshman as Allison Evans took rookie honors earlier in the year. Evans has four goals and two assists for 10 points to rank second on the team in scoring.
Princeton begins the weekend on Friday night against Virginia. The Cavaliers started the year highly ranked but have recently dropped into the teams receiving votes category. A final four team last season, Virginia is 6-7 overall and 0-2 in the ACC this season. UVA has won two of its last three games, topping Richmond and UC Davis in the span. Princeton and Virginia are 1-2 against common opponents. Princeton beat Penn State but fell to Richmond, while the Cavaliers topped Richmond but lost to Penn State. Both teams fell at Maryland.
Virginia is 4-2 all-time against Princeton, but the Tigers have won both meetings held on the Princeton campus. Virginia has won the last three meetings, including two last season. UVA won both games at home, 2-1 in the regular season and 4-2 in the NCAA quarterfinal.
Princeton concludes the weekend against Wake Forest on Sunday in the second meeting between the schools. The teams' first game came last season in the opening round of the NCAA tourney when Princeton won 3-1 in a game played at Virginia.
Wake is currently 2-8 overall and 0-3 in the ACC. The Demon Deacons have wins over Louisville and Delaware this season and most recently lost 1-0 last weekend to North Carolina in a league game. Princeton and Wake share two common opponents. Both teams dropped games to Syracuse and Maryland.
The Tigers begin a three-game stretch of games on the road next weekend. Princeton visits Brown and Connecticut on Oct. 15 and 16.