Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Pair of Big Ten Squads Head to Bedford Field to Face No. 3 Field Hockey
September 11, 2013 | Field Hockey
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No. 3 Princeton (2-0) • Game Notes
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| Opponent: | Michigan State (2-3) | No. 13 Penn State (1-3) |
| Game Info: | Friday, Sept. 13 • 6 p.m. |
Sunday, Sept. 15 • 12 noon |
| Location: |
Bedford Field |
Bedford Field |
| All-Time Series: | Michigan State leads: 1-0 A: 0-1 |
Penn State leads 23-8 |
| Last Meeting: | -- | Princeton won 3-2 (OT) on Sept. 6, 2012 |
| Live Media: | Live Stats l Live Video ($) | @PUTIGERS l @TigerFH |
This Week for the Tigers:
• Following its undefeated opening weekend, the third-ranked Princeton field hockey team remains at home to host a pair of Big Ten opponents.
• The homestand kicks off with Michigan State (2-3) on Friday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m.
• Two days later No. 13 Penn State (1-3) visits Bedford Field for 12 noon match.
Last Time Out:
• The Tigers (2-0) are coming off a pair of tough opening contests. They employed a two-goal second half to defeat then-No. 10 Duke in the season opener 3-1 on Sept. 6.
• Goals from seniors Michelle Cesan and Julia Reinprecht bookended the game, with freshman Hailey Reeves' 51st-minute score serving as the game-winner.
• Princeton's first weekend featured back-to-back matches, as Fairfield took the Tigers the distance on Sept. 7.
• Despite outshooting the Stags 12-0 in the first half, Princeton was unable to find the back of the cage.
• The Tigers' employed a three-goal rally over a two minute span in the second half to get the offense going after Fairfield took a 1-0 lead. A resilient Princeton side managed to overcome a fighting Fairfield team to earn a 4-3 victory.
Follow the Tigers: Live audio, video and stats will be available for all Princeton home games at GoPrincetonTigers.com.
Get Connected:
• Are you following Princeton on social media? Follow the athletics department at Facebook.com/PrincetonAthletics, Twitter.com/PUTIGERS, Vine.com/PUTIGERS and Instagram.com/PrincetonAthletics.
• Connect with the Tiger Field Hockey team at Facebook.com/TigerFH and Twitter.com/TigerFH.
Scouting Michigan State:
• Michigan State heads to Princeton riding a 2-3 record, most recently coming off a 4-2 win versus Monmouth on Sept. 8.
• The Spartans are 0-2 versus currently ranked opponents.
• MSU holds differentials in goals scored, 14-13, and penalty corners, 25-20, over its first six games.
• The offense is led by Allie Ahern and Heather Howie who have four and two goals, respectively.
• In goal, Molly Cassidy (2-3) has started all five games spanning 348 minutes. She has 16 saves, a .593 saves percentage, a 2.21 goals against average and has allowed 11 goals against.
All-Time vs. Michigan State:
• Michigan State owns the all-time series versus Princeton 1-0.
• In the first and only meeting between the Tigers and Spartans, MSU defeated Princeton 2-1 on Sept. 29, 2002 in East Lansing, Mich.
Scouting No. 13 Penn State:
• Penn State (1-3) enters the week dropping from sixth to 13th in the national top-20 poll.
• PSU opened the year with a 3-1 win at Old Dominion on Aug. 30, but since has suffered losses to currently ranked teams in Virginia, Temple and UConn.
• The squad will face Lock Haven on Wed., Sept. 11 before traveling Princeton.
• Taylor Herold headlines the offense with four goals on 13 shots, while Laura Gebhart has a team-best four assists.
• Kylie Licata has played every minute in goal for the Nittany Lions, amassing 19 saves, a .613 saves percentage, a 2.98 goals against average and 12 goals against.
All-Time vs. Penn State:
• Penn State owns the all-time series versus Princeton 23-8.
• The Tigers are 4-9 at home versus PSU.
• In the last meeting, Princeton topped the Nittany Lions 3-2 in overtime on the road on Sept. 6, 2012. After taking a 2-1 lead, PSU managed to knot things up in the 57th minute. In only their third game and one of two overtime contests of the season, the Tigers scored the game-winner behind a Michelle Cesan goal in the 73rd minute.
16 and Counting: Princeton has won its last 16 consecutive games entering this weekend's action.
The National Scene:
• Along with their No. 3 national ranking, the Tigers are ranked in multiple NCAA Division I statistical categories, including top-20 spots in:
• No. 2: assists per game
• No. 9: points per game
• No. 11: goals per game and scoring average
• No. 17: scoring margin
Rookie Debuts:
• Freshmen Cat Caro, Annabeth Donovan and Hailey Reeves made their Tiger debuts off the bench, seeing action versus both Duke and Fairfield.
• Reeves scored the game-winner versus then-No. 10 Duke on Sept. 6 and dished an assist versus Fairfield the next day.
First Career Starts:
• Senior Allegra Mango and junior Cassidy Arner made their first career starts versus Duke on Sept. 6.
• The duo remained in the starting lineup versus Fairfield.
Raise the Banner Night:
• Friday, Sept. 27 will be raise the banner night for the Tigers, celebrating winning the 2012 national championship.
• During halftime, Princeton will also host a Bedford Field dedication ceremony.
Dominating the League:
• In 2012 Princeton only conceded one goal throughout Ivy League play, tallying six shutout victories.
• The Tigers played 420 scoreless minutes versus conference foes, outscoring Ivy opponents 45-1.
A Look at Last Year:
• Katie Reinprecht '13 was named Princeton's first Honda Award Winner, along with garnering NFHCA and Mid-Atlantic Player of the Year and Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year honors.
• Kathleen Sharkey '13 led the nation in scoring and was named the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year.
• Teresa Benvenuti '16 earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors.
• 10 Tigers were named All-Ivy and All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team selections.
• Five players earned All-America accolades.
• Kristen Holmes-Winn was named the NFHCA and Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year.
The Captains: Seniors Kelsey Byrne, Michelle Cesan and Julia Reinprecht will serve as tri-captains in 2013.
Beautiful Bedford:
• Bedford, a state-of-the-art turf facility, features an optimal playing surface in artificial turf and a built-in watering system.
• There are currently 1,572 seats, with room for additional temporary seating.
National Team News:
• Julia Reinprecht '14, a 2012 London Summer Olympian, competed with the U.S. Senior National Team at the World League Semifinals in London this summer.
• Michelle Cesan '14, a 2012 London Summer Olympics alternate, is a member of the U.S. Senior National Team.
• Teresa Benvenuti '16 was named to the U.S. Senior National Team this spring. She competed with the U21s at the Junior World Cup in Aug. 2013.
• Alums Katie Reinprecht '13 and Kathleen Sharkey '13 are also members of the senior national team, most recently being named to the U.S. Pan Am Cup roster.
• Former assistant coach Nate Franks '07 is on staff at USA Field Hockey.
Williamson Joins Coaching Staff:
• David Williamson joined the Tiger coaching staff as the team's goalkeeping coach in 2013.
• He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Ulster.
• He previously worked at Monmouth, Kent State, the Irish Hockey and U.S. Field Hockey associations.