Popper, Schulze Lead Princeton Past Yale 3-1

Friday, October 1

Princeton, N.J.

5:00 PM

Princeton University

(4-5, 2-0Ivy)

Yale

(4-4, 1-1Ivy)

Yale

Princeton

Grace Schulze celebrates her fourth-quarter goal in Princeton's 3-1 win over Yale. Ophelie Bemelmans (right) had the assist.

Photo by: Sideline Photos, LLC

October 01, 2021 | Field Hockey

Box Score

The sun set. The temperature dropped. Fall is here. Summer could only hang around for so long.

Literally, and in the case of the Princeton-Yale field hockey game Friday evening, figuratively.

Though Yale goalie Luanna Summer made 13 saves to keep her team in the game, it was Princeton who came away with the win, defeating Yale 3-1 on a pair of first-half Sammy Popper goals and a gorgeous give-and-go between Grace Schulze and Ophelie Bemelmans in the fourth quarter to seal it. The victory, on a night when the Tigers outshot the Bulldogs 19-6, improved Princeton 2-0 in the Ivy League, while Yale lost this one after winning its league opener last weekend against Brown.

Off and running ... and scoring ... Princeton 1, Yale 0. Sammy Popper from Aimee Junger in less than a minute. pic.twitter.com/dGtmOAhYZY
— Princeton FH (@TigerFH) October 1, 2021

Popper's first goal came less than a minute into the game off an assist from Aimee Junger, but if Princeton thought this was going to be an easy night, Summer had other ideas. By the end of the first quarter it was still a 1-0 game and she had made seven saves, absolutely robbing Beth Yeager on a pair of corners and later making back-to-back saves off Bridget Murphy and Schulze from in close.

Yale tied it off a corner of its own that Theodora Dillman finished perfectly, giving Yale its only score of the game against Tiger goalie Robyn Thompson, who was sharp throughout with four saves of her own. Just when it looked like it was going to be tied at the break and Yale would have the momentum, Popper scored again, this time finishing a feed from Hannah Davey with just seven seconds remaining in the quarter. That was two goals in the first half for Popper - one 57 seconds into the game and the other seven seconds before the break.

Princeton takes the lead 2-1 at the half on Sammy Popper's second of the day. pic.twitter.com/W4iasUFc8Z
— Princeton FH (@TigerFH) October 1, 2021

The game stayed 2-1 until three minutes into the fourth quarter, when Schulze and Bemelmans combined for a goal that couldn't have been executed any better. Schulze took it into the circle and left it for Bemelmans, who gave it right back to her teammate. Schulze then tucked it into the corner of the cage.

Gorgeous goal on the give-and-go. Schulze to Bemelmans back to Schulze. 3-1 Tigers in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/EFgQRwcbFO
— Princeton FH (@TigerFH) October 1, 2021

The Tigers finish their weekend at home against No. 16 UConn Sunday at noon.