Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Field Hockey Returns to Action This Week Against No. 6 Penn State, Bucknell
September 10, 2014 | Field Hockey
| 2014 Princeton Field Hockey Week 2 Notes |
|
| Week 2 Links |
Duke Video Highlights l Virginia Video Highlights l Week 2 Game Notes (PDF) |
| Gametimes | Friday, Sept. 12 at No. 6 Penn State (6 p.m.) l Penn State Field Hockey Complex |
| Sunday, Sept. 14 vs. Bucknell (1 p.m.) l Bedford Field | |
| Game Coverage | Penn State: Live Stats l Bucknell: Webstream/Live Stats |
| Twitter: @PUTigers l @GoPSUsports l @BisonSports | |
| All-Time Series |
Penn State leads Princeton, 9-24 l Princeton leads Bucknell, 3-0 |
| Last Meeting | Penn State: Nov. 16, 2013 - W, 5-4 (Box/Recap) l Bucknell: Sept. 2, 2011 - W, 2-0 (Box/Recap) |
| Records (As of 9/11/14) |
Princeton (0-2) l Penn State (3-1) l Bucknell (2-1) |
| Princeton | Roster l Schedule l Stats l @TigerFH |
| Penn State |
Roster l Schedule l Stats l @PennStateFH |
| Bucknell | Roster l Schedule l Stats l @BucknellFH |
DUKE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
VIRGINIA VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
No Rest for the Weary
Princeton will face its third consecutive ranked team in No. 6 Penn State on Friday. The program's national championship squad faced a similarly arduous start, squaring off against No. 5 Duke, No. 13 Wake Forest and No. 8 Penn State on the road to open the 2012 season. Things don't get any easier later this year for the Tigers, who still have No. 18 American, No. 12 Albany, No. 5 Syracuse, No. 3 Maryland, and No. 2 UConn on the docket.
Slow Start, Fast Finish
For the first time in seven years, the Tigers opened the season with a pair of losses thanks to setbacks at No. 4 Duke (1-0) and No. 9 Virginia (6-4). In 2007, Princeton opened the year with losses to No. 16 American (3-2) and No. 6 Penn State (5-1), before ultimately turning things around to finish with a 13-5 record and berth into an NCAA play-in game. The Tigers also began the 2006 campaign with a 0-2 mark before catching fire late and piecing together a run into the NCAA Quarterfinals. The 2005 team was the only other squad under head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn to begin the year 0-2, with that team also eventually earning an NCAA Tournament berth. The 2010 (8-0) and 2012 (7-0) Tigers got off to the best start under the 12-year head coach, while no team has suffered more than three-straight losses (2005, 2011).
Senior Leadership
Shut out for the first 110-plus minutes of the season, Princeton seniors Sydney Kirby and Allison Evans ended the Tigers' scoring drought with three goals just 13:28 apart in the second half against Virginia. Kirby got things started with a pair of scores off of corners in the 41st and 52nd minutes. Just 2:07 after Kirby's second of the game, Evans got into the act with her first goal of the season. The Tigers' shutout loss at Duke was the first time Princeton had been held scoreless in an opener since the 1992 season (Temple - L, 1-0 - 9/12/92).
Inching Closer
With a goal against Virginia last Sunday, Allison Evans upped her career point total to 86. With 14 more points the senior would become just the ninth player in program history to reach the 100-point plateau. Her combined 51 goals and assists sit tied for 12th on the Tigers' all-time charts.
Climbing the Charts
Several Tigers currently rank among the nation's leaders in several statistical categories. Matching a career-high with two goals against Virginia, Sydney Kirby is currently 14th in the country and fifth in the Ivy League in goals per game (1.00). Sophomore standout Annabeth Donovan sits eight nationally and second in the conference in assists per contest (1.00), while Anya Gersoff is fifth in the NCAA in saves per game. The junior goalkeeper was especially sharp in the opener against Duke, posting a career-high 12 saves.
Breaking Through
The Tiger offense roared to life in the second half against Virginia with four goals over a span of 17:47. Sydney Kirby got the run started with goals at 40:26 and 51:47 before Allison Evans found the back of the net at 53:54. Rachel Park notched Princeton's final score at 58:13. Last season, an explosive Tiger offense registered at least four goals in a half on four occasions (Dartmouth - 4, 2nd half; Columbia - 5, 1st half; Brown - 4, 2nd half; Albany - 4, 1st half). Kirby's two goals matched a single-game career-high. The senior has now accomplished the feat four times, with most recent occurrence prior to Sunday's outing also coming against Virginia on Nov. 11, 2012.
Welcome to the Show
Four of the five members of Princeton's field hockey's Class of 2018 saw action during the opening weekend's games against Duke and Virginia. Ryan McCarthy and Danielle Duseau started both of the Tigers' outings, while Lexi Quirk saw time in both contests, earning a start against the Cavaliers. Rachel Park also saw action in both of Princeton's games, while recording her first collegiate points against Virginia with a goal in the 59th minute.
Rivalries Renewed
Princeton is 12-24 all time against Penn State and Bucknell with a 9-24 overall mark against the Nittany Lions and a 3-0 record versus the Bison. Dropping 22 of their first 25 meetings against Penn State, the Tigers have turned the tables of late, sporting a 6-2 ledger since 2008. Last year, the Orange and Black split a pair of match-ups with its regional rival, avenging a 4-3 regular season loss with a 5-4 triumph in the NCAA First Round. Prevailing in its first two meetings against Bucknell 1-0 and 7-0 in 1989 and 2010, respectively, Princeton extended its win streak over the Bison to three with a 2-0 victory in Lewisburg during the 2011 season.
Hot Starts
This weekend Princeton will face a pair of players who have gotten off to stellar starts in 2014. Penn State redshirt senior goalie Kylie Licata has already twice been named the Big Ten Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week after going 3-1 with a 0.48 goals-against average and .938 save percentage in her first four appearances. Last weekend, she posted a career-high 14 stops at No. 3 UConn before shutting out Quinnipiac to record her second clean sheet of the year. On the other side of the ball, Bucknell senior Liz Wills recently picked up Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honors. Netting a score in each of the Bison's first three outings, she accounted for the only tally in a 1-0 win at Penn last Saturday.
Scouting Penn State
Off to a 3-1 start, Penn State has outscored its opponents 9-1 in its three victories over No. 17 Old Dominion, No. 9 Virginia and Quinnipiac. In those wins, the Nittany Lions have held a 57-33 shot advantage and a 25-20 edge in penalty corners. In a 1-0 overtime loss to No. 2 UConn, Penn State was outshot 26-11, with the Huskies also finishing with a 16-4 advantage in penalty corners. Through its first four games, the Penn State offense has been especially effective in the first half, recording eight of its nine scores, while outshooting the opposition, 40-21. Goals have been harder to come by following the intermission for the Nittany Lions, who have managed just one score while being outshot 38-28 in the final 35 minutes and overtime. Six different players have already found the back of the net for Penn State this season, led by Jenna Chrismer, Taylor Herold and Natalie Buttinger who have each accounted for a pair of tallies. Chrismer currently leads the team in points with two goals and two assists.
Scouting Bucknell
After dropping a 3-2 season-opening overtime decision to Rutgers, Bucknell notched wins over Monmouth (3-1) and Penn (1-0) and will play Saint Joseph's before meeting the Tigers on Sunday. Liz Wills currently leads the team in points (7 - 3G, 1A), having scored in each of the Bison's first three contests. Cassie Lawrence has posted a pair of goals, while Amie Pritchard was the only other player to score through the first three games with a goal against Monmouth. Shannon Keen has recorded a 1.67 GAA and .714 save percentage en route to a 2-1 record. Bucknell has outshot its opponents 32-30 with an 18-16 edge in penalty corners.