Princeton Moves On to NCAA Quarterfinals with 17-13 Win Over Loyola

Sunday, May 12

Princeton, N.J.

1:00 PM

Princeton University

16-3

#10 Loyola

16-5

Team	1	2	Final F
Loyola	8	5	13
Princeton	9	8	17

Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

Princeton Moves On to NCAA Quarterfinals with 17-13 Win Over Loyola

May 12, 2019 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

Scoring the first six goals of a regular-season game in April between two top 20 teams is great. Scoring the first six goals of the second half of a close NCAA tournament game between those same two teams a month later is even better – even if it took an extra 10 seconds to get there.

Princeton broke open a close game against Loyola with the first six goals after intermission, a run that sparked the seventh-seeded Tigers to a 17-13 win at a cold and rainy Sherrerd Field for a spot in the NCAA quarterfinals at No. 2 Boston College next weekend.

"Being in the quarterfinals sounds pretty good," said Chris Sailer, who is taking her team there for the third straight time and 21^st as Tiger head coach. "Loyola is an outstanding team. They came at us strong from the start, as we knew they would, and we had to be ready for that. Our team, especially our seniors, didn't want this season to end, especially not on our field."

Princeton had defeated Loyola 14-10 back on April 10, racing out to a 6-0 lead in the first 11:36 of the game. This time Princeton led 9-8 at the half but then scored the first six after intermission, needing 11:46 to score those six goals.

Suddenly 9-8 had become 15-8, and when that stretch ended, Princeton already had more than it would need to win the game.

"Everybody always says 'well, what did you tell them at halftime, Coach," Sailer said. "I didn't have to tell them anything. They knew what we were playing for, and they were razor focused when the second half started. It was beautiful to watch."

Elizabeth George scored six goals on the day, including the first two of that 6-0 second half run, which would include two from Tess D'Orsi and one each from Izzy Mangan and Lillian Stout.

Kyla Sears had a seven-point afternoon, with three goals and four assists, of which two came during the decisive second-half burst. D'Orsi and Mangan both had three goals as well.

Unlike the first game, Loyola scored twice in the first 1:30 to take the early lead, but Princeton stormed back with four straight, two each from George and Mangan, and the Tigers would never be tied or trail again. Still, Loyola wouldn't go away, and the Greyhounds got three of the last four of the first half to make it a one-goal game at the break.

The second half couldn't have started better for Princeton. Nonie Andersen won the first draw, and George cashed it in. Andersen won the second draw, and George cashed it in again. Suddenly it was 11-8.

It stayed that way for eight more minutes, before the knockout blow came in the form of four goals in a little more than two minutes.

Andersen finished the game with eight draw controls, one better than George. Sam Fish made 11 saves for the Tigers.

Hannah Powers had five goals and one assist for Loyola, and she finishes her career as the all-time leading scorer in program history with 317 points.

Princeton has now won 11 straight games. The Tigers' season ended with a 16-10 loss to BC in last year's quarterfinals.