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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
First Road Trip to Come Friday for Women's Soccer at La Salle
September 10, 2014 | Women's Soccer
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Game 3: Princeton at La Salle |
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| 0-1-1 | Team Record | 2-2-1 |
| 0.00 | Goals Per Game | 1.12 |
| 2.25 | Goals Against Average | 1.12 |
| 6 | All-Time Series Wins (1 tie) | 1 |
The Series: The teams played annually from 1987-90 and again in 2005 before resuming the series on an annual basis in 2011. All three of the recent games have been ties or one-goal outcomes, with La Salle winning 1-0 in Princeton in 2011, Princeton getting a 2-1 overtime win in 2012 and the teams playing 110 scoreless minutes a year ago back in Princeton. It could be a rematch of goalkeepers, with both Princeton's Darcy Hargadon and La Salle's Jessica Wiggins playing every minute of both that game and this season. Princeton outshot La Salle 13-9 overall last year and forced Wiggins to make seven saves to two for Hargadon.
One More Time: Princeton head coach Julie Shackford announced that the 2014 season, her 20th leading the team, will be her final one. Shackford is four wins away from her 200th victory with Princeton, already having outpaced any other soccer coach in Princeton men's or women's program history. Shackford has led the team to six Ivy League championships and an Ivy-record eight NCAA tournament appearances, highlighted by the team's run to the 2004 NCAA College Cup semifinals.
The Coaches: After two games against coaches who are in their first seasons as head coaches at their current schools, Princeton head coach Julie Shackford, in her 20th season at Princeton, will face a fellow coach with a decade plus in his current post. La Salle's Paul Royal is in his 12th season guiding the program.
Rookies: Princeton started four freshmen in its season opener against Rutgers and five more in the second game against Seton Hall. Both starting lineups included Vanessa Gregoire, Natalie Larkin, Alessia Azermadhi and Katie Pratt-Thompson, while Beth Stella started against the Pirates. In the 2013 opener, Princeton started just one freshman, Nicole Loncar.
A Head Start: As Princeton and its fellow Ivy programs do annually, the Tigers will face another early-season opponent with a couple weeks of games already played. La Salle started the season Aug. 22, the same day Princeton had its first official practice, with a 2-1 loss to Boston University.
On the Explorers: La Salle is all square on the season both in record (2-2-1) and in goals scored and allowed (six each). Plus the tie against William & Mary, every game has been decided by one goal. Senior Jessica Wiggins (1.12 GAA) has played every minute in goal, and four players have split the team's five goals scored with junior Jessika Kagan and senior Kelsey Haycook scoring twice each.
Happy Returns: Princeton brings back 24 of its 27 goals from last season, including the team's top four scorers from 2013: Tyler Lussi (10), Lauren Lazo (five), Melissa Downey (three) and Jessica Haley (three).
Returning with Honors: Tyler Lussi and Lauren Lazo are the only Tigers on the 2014 squad who have previously earned All-Ivy League recognition. Lazo is looking to go 4-for-4 in All-Ivy honors, while sophomore Lussi was honorable mention all-league in 2013. If Lazo, who was recognized as honorable mention as a freshman, first-team all-league as a sophomore and second-team as a junior, can earn All-Ivy honors this year, she'd be the first Tiger since Diana Matheson '08 to earn All-Ivy honors in all four years.
Encore: Though she and the Tigers were held scoreless over the opening two games, Tyler Lussi's 10 goals last season were the most for a Princeton freshman since 1982, when Linda DeBoer '86 had 12. Jen Hoy '13, who led Princeton in goals in all four of her seasons, was the last Tiger freshman to pace the team in goals scored, doing so in 2009.
The Back Line: Princeton's back four are all new from last season, after the most common starting foursome of Gabrielle Ragazzo (now a forward), Kacie Kergides '14 (graduated), Diane Metcalf-Leggette '14 (graduated) and Fiona McKenna (playing only ice hockey) have moved on. Among the four starting defenders against Seton Hall, senior Lauren Lazo is a former forward, junior Emily Sura and sophomore Jesse McDonough were opening-day starters for the first time and freshman Katie Pratt-Thompson started her first two collegiate games.
Getting Forward: There are plenty of new faces in new places further up the field as well. Between the six players in the midfield or up top against Seton Hall, four are freshmen (Beth Stella, Alessia Azermadhi, Vanessa Gregoire, Natalie Larkin), Gabrielle Ragazzo is a former back-liner and Tyler Lussi, the only player who was a Princeton forward a year ago, began her freshman season of 2013 as a reserve before getting 12 starts.
Between the Posts: Senior Darcy Hargadon, the most experienced goalkeeper the Tigers had entering the 2014 season, has played every one of the team's first 200 minutes and authored her sixth career shutout Monday night against Seton Hall. A year ago, she accounted for five shutouts and 12 of the team's 17 starts in goal, playing 1,141 of the team's 1,620 minutes. The remaining three keepers on the roster, senior MicKenzie Roberts-Lahti, sophomore Hannah Winner and freshman Gudrun Valdis Jonsdottir, have played in four games between them for a total of just under 200 minutes.
Up Next: Princeton will play on ESPNU Sunday in a 4 p.m. match against Villanova on Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium. Princeton leads the all-time series with Villanova 14-7-1 with the last meeting coming in 2011 at Villanova, a 2-1 Tiger win.