Three Tigers Score in Four-Goal Win Over Boston U

Thursday, September 5

Princeton, N.J.

6:00 PM

Princeton University

2-1

Boston University

0-4-1

Boston Univ.

Princeton

Courtney O'Brien, left, and Marissa Hart combined for three of Princeton's four goals against Boston University Thursday in Princeton.

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

September 05, 2019 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Bookended by games against teams who are in or received votes for the United Soccer Coaches Top 25, Thursday night's visit from Boston University wasn't overlooked in the least.

The Tigers got two first-half goals from senior Courtney O'Brien and added another each in the second half from sophomore Amy Paternoster and rookie Marissa Hart in a 4-0 win over Boston U, giving the Tigers two wins in three games to start the season.

It came four days after a hard-fought 2-1 loss to Boston College and two days before 21st-ranked Rutgers makes the short trip to Roberts Stadium, but it turned out to be a Tiger momentum boost.

Controlling possession from the start, Princeton ended up outshooting the Terriers 23-10 overall including a 15-3 edge in that stat after the break. The Tigers peppered Boston U with 16 shots on goal, forcing keeper Morgan Messner to make 12 saves.

Princeton senior keeper Natalie Grossi, in earning her 27th career shutout to move one closer to Dartmouth alum Kristin Luckenbill's Ivy League record of 29, made four saves and saw a second-half penalty kick that could have spoiled the shutout instead squib off the post.

In getting Princeton on the board in the 19th minute, O'Brien took a pass forward from Grace Sherman, collecting it at the top of the circle and maneuvering the rest of the way into the box before finding the top-right corner of the goal from seven yards out.

Here's the first of Courtney O'Brien's two goals against Boston U tonight! Watch the game here: https://t.co/ll6qFZW5UM pic.twitter.com/zOl3EuOXMc
— Princeton WSoccer (@PrincetonWSoc) September 5, 2019

Less than five minutes later, O'Brien struck again, with Hart finding her at the top of the 18 and O'Brien slicing it inside the left post.

Here's Courtney O'Brien's second goal of the day! Watch the game here: https://t.co/ll6qFZW5UM pic.twitter.com/KFf9ctkZn1
— Princeton WSoccer (@PrincetonWSoc) September 5, 2019

With just less than 20 minutes to go, Gabi Juarez, fresh off a week of training in Mexico with the Mexican U-20 national team, fired a shot off a corner that Messner saved and Paternoster collected for a rebound goal and a 3-0 lead.

Here's Amy Paternoster's goal to put the Tigers up 3-0! Watch the game here: https://t.co/ll6qFZW5UM pic.twitter.com/bxjrglRmy6
— Princeton WSoccer (@PrincetonWSoc) September 5, 2019

Hart became the second freshman to score on the young season, joining classmate Sherman, when she took a pass forward from Madison Curry, receiving it just beyond midfield and muscling her way past her Terrier defender to the doorstep of the goal and hammering it home for the four-goal lead.

Here's Marissa Hart's first career goal, putting the Tigers up 4-0!
Watch the game here: https://t.co/ll6qFZW5UM pic.twitter.com/qbwQaB372i
— Princeton WSoccer (@PrincetonWSoc) September 5, 2019

Postgame Notes

• The win was Princeton's first by four goals or more since beating Monmouth 4-0 in the first round of the 2017 NCAA tournament at Roberts.

• The win was the 53rd of head coach Sean Driscoll's career at Princeton, moving him past the program's first coach, Bob Malekoff, to stand solo in second place on the program's all-time wins list. Only predecessor Julie Shackford, now at William & Mary, had more, rolling up 203 wins in her 20 seasons. The program's two winningest coaches will meet Sept. 22 at Roberts when Shackford brings the Tribe to Princeton.

• Princeton now leads the all-time series with Boston U 7-2-2 and swept the home-and-home series over the past two seasons, shutting the Terriers out each time along with a 1-0 win last year. The teams had not played since 2008 prior to last season, with Princeton now having won the last three in the series. The 2008 game was the first game ever played at Roberts Stadium.

• The game matched both the defending champs and preseason poll picks from the Patriot and Ivy Leagues.