No. 14 Princeton Falls To No. 12 Harvard In A Penalty Shootout

Saturday, October 23

Cambridge, Mass.

12:00 PM

Princeton University

(8-6, 4-1Ivy)

#11 Harvard

(13-1, 5-0Ivy)

PRIN

HARV

Photo by: Greg Fiume

No. 14 Princeton Falls To No. 12 Harvard In A Penalty Shootout

October 23, 2021 | Field Hockey

Box Score

Princeton and Harvard were separated by two spots in the national field hockey rankings and not at all in the Ivy League standings prior to their meeting Saturday in Cambridge. During 60 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime, they were again not separated at all.

It was only when the game went to a shootout that a sliver of distance emerged, and that sliver now looks huge in the chase for an Ivy title.

After No. 14 Princeton and No. 12 Harvard played 80 minutes and came out even at 1-1, the Crimson won the penalty shootout to break the tie in both the game and the standings. Harvard converted all three of its shootout chances and Crimson goalie Elli Shabho stopped all three Princeton tries, giving the Crimson a 2-1 victory.

Harvard is now 5-0 in the league and 13-1 overall. Princeton fell to 8-6, 4-1. To get at least a share of the league title, Princeton would need wins in its final two games against Brown and Columbia and a Harvard loss to either Cornell or Brown. To get the automatic NCAA bid, Princeton needs to sweep and have Harvard get swept.

Had Princeton won, all of that would have been reversed. That's how much the shootout decided.

Princeton scored first, in the first quarter, when Sam Davidson controlled the ball after a penalty corner broke down and set up Sammy Popper to make it 1-0. Harvard evened it on a Hannah Pearce goal off a penalty corner in the second, and it stayed that way until the shootout.

Princeton has a quick turnaround to its final non-league game when its hosts Monmouth Tuesday at 5.