Princeton University Athletics
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No. 3 Field Hockey Resumes Ivy Action with Brown Saturday
October 11, 2012 | Field Hockey
Game Info: Saturday, Oct. 13 at 12 noon
Location: Bedford Field, Princeton, N.J.
All-Time Series Record: Princeton leads 26-8-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 15, 2011, Princeton won 6-0
Live Stats l Live Video ($) l Game Notes l @PUTIGERS l @TigerFH
This Week for the Tigers: The No. 3 Princeton field hockey team (10-1, 3-0 Ivy) jumps back into Ivy League play this weekend with Brown on Saturday, Oct. 13. The Bears (3-7, 0-3 Ivy) head to Bedford Field for a 12 noon contest.
Last Time Out: The Tigers won their third consecutive game in a 2-0 shutout versus American on Oct. 7 at home. Despite a 22-2 shot differential, it took a pair of second half goals from Allison Evans and Kathleen Sharkey to break the scoreless draw.
On Deck: The Tigers' five-game homestand concludes with Harvard (Oct. 20) and No. 4 UConn (Oct. 21) traveling to Bedford Field next weekend.
Follow the Tigers: Live video and stats will be available for all Princeton home games at GoPrincetonTigers.com.
Get Connected: Are you following Princeton on Facebook and Twitter? Follow the athletics department at Facebook.com/PrincetonAthletics and Twitter.com/PUTIGERS. Connect with the Tiger Field Hockey team at Facebook.com/TigerFH or Twitter.com/TigerFH.
Scouting Brown: Brown enters this weekend's match riding a 3-7, 0-3 Ivy record. The Bears snapped a five-game losing skid with a 3-1 victory over Fairfield on Sept. 30, before falling 3-2 at Maine in their last outing on Oct. 8. Brown currently sits in last place in the conference, as the only team winless in Ivy play.
The Bears' offense is led by Meghan O'Donnell with five goals in 10 appearances. Clayton Christus leads the squad's assist efforts with three.
Shannon McSweeney has served as Brown's lone goalkeeper, tallying a 3.00 goals against average, 90 saves and 30 goals against.
Tigers All-Time vs. Brown: Princeton owns the all-time series versus Brown, 26-8-1. The Tigers have not lost to the Bears since 1999, most recently earning a 6-0 shutout victory in Providence, R.I. on Oct. 15, 2011.
Leaders of the Pack: The Tigers are in sole possession of first place in the Ivy League. Princeton is the only undefeated team in the league and leads the conference in nearly every statistical category.
Back to No. 3: Princeton remains ranked in the top-five the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Poll for the week of Oct. 8. The Tigers move up a spot to No. 3 behind 710 points. The Tigers have not been ranked lower than No. 4 all season.
Ranked Opponents: The Tigers have played six teams that are currently nationally ranked, going 5-1. No. 17 Richmond was not ranked when they played at Bedford, but earned a place in the top-25 the following week.
Princeton's lone blemish came at the hands of the current No. 1 team in the country Syracuse, 2-0, on Sept. 23.
RPI: Along with being the lone Ivy team nationally ranked, Princeton is also the only conference affiliate in the top-15 in RPI. The Tigers have been ranked No. 5 since the Oct. 1 poll was released.
Offensive Trailblazers: Kathleen Sharkey still leads the nation in points per game (4.27) and goals per game (2.00). Katie Reinprecht remains No. 2 in the nation in assists per game (1.09) and moves to No. 26 in points per game (1.82). Her younger sister Julia Reinprecht is No. 12 in assists per game (0.70), while goalie Christina Maida is No. 13 in goals against average (1.36).
In the nation, Princeton is ranked No. 2 in scoring average, assists per game and points per game. The team is No. 3 in goals per game and scoring margin, No. 4 in winning percentage, No. 6 in goals against average and No. 8 in penalty corners per game.
Kirby, U.S. U21 National Team Win Bronze: Sophomore Sydney Kirby and the U.S. Field Hockey Junior National Team have qualified for the Junior World Cup following the squad's third place finish at the Pan American Junior Championship in Guadalajara, Mexico. Team USA defeated Chile, 2-1, en route to the bronze medal.
Kirby had two goals during the preliminary round, as the U.S. finished second in its pool play.
The Captains: Seniors Katie Reinprecht and Kathleen Sharkey and junior Julia Reinprecht will serve as field hockey's tri-captains in 2012.
Sharkey Tops All-Time Scoring Record: Kathleen Sharkey is now first all-time in career goals scored with 88 and career points with 207 in program history. She has scored at least one goal in nine of Princeton's games thus far, including six multi-goal games, scoring three goals or more on four occasions.
Welcome Back: This year Princeton returns 17 letterwinners, including the return four veterans who spent the last year playing with the U.S. Senior National Team in Michelle Cesan, Julia Reinprecht, Katie Reinprecht and Kathleen Sharkey. The Tigers also welcome six freshmen to the lineup this fall.
Beautiful Bedford: In 2012 the Tiger field hockey program will call the newly constructed Bedford Field home, a state-of-the-art turf facility. Bedford features an optimal playing surface in artificial turf and a built-in watering system. There are currently 1,200 seats, with room for additional temporary seating.
Return of National Team Quartet: After spending the past year-and-a-half training and playing with the U.S. Senior National Team, juniors Michelle Cesan and Julia Reinprecht, and seniors Katie Reinprecht and Kathleen Sharkey return to the pitch. During their time with Team USA, the squad won gold at the Pan Am Games.
Both Reinprecht sisters were then named to the 16-player London Summer Olympics roster, with the duo contributing significantly in their Olympic debut. Cesan was also named one of two alternates to the Games.
A Decade Under Holmes-Winn: Head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn is entering her 10th season at the helm of the Tiger field hockey program. During that span Princeton boasts a 110-56-0 overall record and .663 winning percentage. The Tigers have won eight Ivy League titles under Holmes-Winn's tutelage, including the last seven consecutive championships.
Joining Holmes-Winn on the sidelines for her 10th season is assistant coach Melisa Meccage, and both Nate Franks '07 and Mike Pallister are entering their second season working under Holmes-Winn.
Experienced Rookies: The six-player incoming freshman class boasts a talented group. Each member of the Class of 2016 has youth national team experience, including Teresa Benvenuti who was named to the U.S. Women's Development Squad this past spring.