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Friday, November 11
College Park, Md.
2:30 PM
Princeton University
vs
Syracuse
Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast
Princeton Set To Open NCAA Tournament Against Syracuse At Maryland
November 10, 2022 | Field Hockey
NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
PRINCETON (13-4, 7-0 Ivy League) vs. SYRACUSE (15-5, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference)
University of Maryland Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex • College Park, Md.
Friday, Nov. 11 • 2:30 pm
NCAA.com Live Video/Live Stats
In-game Princeton field hockey Twitter updates
Full Game Notes
Back on Sept. 9, the Princeton field hockey team was 0-2, with two one-goal losses to teams that were ranked in the top four. The Tigers were staring at a brutal schedule from there, one that included seven of the top 10 teams in the country, including the defending NCAA champs and two other 2021 Final Four teams.
For its home opener, Princeton faced Syracuse, a then-unbeaten team at 4-0 that came in leading Division I goals per game to that point. The Tigers turned their season around that day, defeating the Orange 5-1.
That win started a season-ending 15-game stretch that saw Princeton go 13-2 and power through the Ivy League unbeaten at 7-0. As a result Princeton is back in the NCAA tournament after a rare year away from the tournament, and the task now to extend its season is to once again defeat Syracuse.
The Orange season hardly ended with the Princeton loss. The Cuse finished its season 15-5, including 3-3 in the brutal ACC. Syracuse received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Princeton vs. Syracuse
Five Storylines
Back in the NCAA tournament
Princeton is back in the postseason after missing out a year ago due to a penalty shot loss to Harvard and an RPI that fell just short of the last at-large bid. This year's appearance is the program's 25th in the NCAA tournament, and Princeton has made nine Final Four appearances, most recently in 2019. Princeton has also reached the final four times, winning once, in 2012.
The last time Princeton failed to reach the NCAA tournament in consecutive years was 1992 and 1993. The Tigers have played 53 NCAA tournament games in their history, with a record of 29-24. Princeton's 29 NCAA wins rank sixth among all programs.
Series history
Princeton leads the all-time series against Syracuse 13-10, including the 5-1 win over the Orange in September. Princeton won the game before that between the two, also by a 5-1 count, in the 2019 NCAA tournament.
Prior to those two games, Syracuse had defeated Princeton seven straight times, including a 2-0 Orange win in 2012 that was the Tigers' only loss during their 21-1 run to the NCAA championship.
Princeton is 3-2 all-time against Syracuse in the NCAA tournament.
Highly offensive
There are two games in the first round that will match two teams ranked in the top 10 in Division I in scoring offense. Both of those games will be played at Maryland.
The first game matches the host Terps (second in scoring offense) and Liberty (fifth). After that, it'll be Princeton (eighth) against Syracuse (fourth).
Princeton averaged more goals per game out of the conference (3.3 per game) than in its league games (2.86 per game).
The first time
Princeton defeated Syracuse 5-1 on Sept. 9, but the Orange actually outshot Princeton 21-14 for the game. Looking closer, shots were 13-11 in Princeton's favor in the first three quarters and then 10-1 in favor of Syracuse in the fourth.
Princeton scored all three goals in the first half and then the final two after Syracuse made it 3-1 midway through the third. Princeton's five goals came from five different players: Sammy Popper, Liz Agatucci, Ali McCarthy, Sam Davidson and Beth Yeager. Robyn Thompson made eight saves in the game.
The Syracuse goal was scored by Quirine Comans.
Ivy champs
Princeton won the Ivy League championship for the 27th time. Every other Ivy League team combined has won 25 Ivy titles.
Princeton's 7-0 Ivy record means that Princeton has now had 20 perfect Ivy League seasons. Every other Ivy team combined has had four.
Other notes
• Princeton is 3-3 against teams in the NCAA tournament field, having defeated Maryland, Syracuse and Delaware and having lost to Northwestern, Louisville and North Carolina.
• All four of Princeton's losses this year are by one goal.
• Princeton had nine players earn All-Ivy League honors, including both Ivy Players of the Year, with Hannah Davey the Defensive Player of the Year and Beth Yeager the Offensive Player of the Year. Davey, Yeager and Sammy Popper were all first-team selections, with Gabby Andretta and Grace Schulze on second-team, Ophelie Bemelmans, Ali McCarthy and Robyn Thompson honorable mention and Sam Davidson Academic All-Ivy League.
• Princeton's Carla Tagliente was named Ivy League Coach of the Year for the fourth time. Tagliente, and associate head coach Dina Rizzo, both won an NCAA championship as players at Maryland.
• Princeton is second in Division I in penalty corners per game, with 8.88, trailing only Liberty (9.47).
• Princeton has eight seniors, all of whom are starters.
• Princeton has scored 30 goals in the first and fourth quarters and 22 goals in the second and third. Its opponents have scored 26 total and have not reached double figures in any quarter.
• Princeton is 1-2 in overtime games this season. Beth Yeager scored the game-winner in the OT win against Maryland, and she now has three career overtime goals. Other current Princeton players with career overtime goals are Ali McCarthy (two), Sammy Popper (one) and Hannah Davey (one).
What can you say about? …
No. 1 Robyn Thompson (Jr., G, Herne, England)
• honorable mention All-Ivy League
• started 16 of 17 games (missed the Cornell game due to injury)
• had at least eight saves in five games after having a career high of seven prior to this year
• had a career-high nine saves against Penn
• made eight saves in wins over Syracuse, Maryland and Rutgers and in loss to Northwestern
• Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week after wins over Syracuse and Rutgers
No. 2 Claire Donovan (Sr., F, Unionville, Pa.)
• veteran forward who has started the last 14 games
• has three goals and two assists
No. 3 Phine Van Zijl (So., B, Rotterdam, the Netherlands)
• defender who has battled through injuries
• has played in six games, starting one
No. 4 Lily Webb (So., M, Wells, England)
• has one goal on the year, the first goal in the win over Yale
• has three career goals
No. 5 Ophelie Bemelmans (Sr., M, Riemst, Belgium)
• honorable mention All-Ivy League selection
• tied for the Ivy League lead with 11 assists
• has 22 career assists
• is the only Princeton field hockey player ever with at least 20 career assists without a goal
No. 6 Autumn Brown (Sr., B, Rudgwick, England)
• has started 16 of 17 games, including the last 15
• has four goals on penalty corners, against Rutgers, Cornell, Monmouth and Brown
No. 7 Hannah Davey (Sr., B Derbyshire, England)
• Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year
• first-team All-Ivy League selection for the third straight season
• second-team All-Ivy as a freshman
• has started every game
• has a goal and five assists in addition to playing defense
• started Princeton on way to three-goal first quarter in 4-2 win over Harvard with a 50-yard pass to Grace Schulze for first score
No. 8 Sam Davidson (Jr., B, North Andover, Mass.)
• team's Academic All-Ivy League selection
• is third on the team in goals despite playing defense
• is 7 for 7 on penalty strokes this season and 9 for 9 in her career
No. 9 Bridget Murphy (So., F, Summit, N.J.)
• forward who has played in 12 games
• has two career goals, against Maryland and Penn a year ago
No. 10 Ellie Manriquez (Jr., M, Cos Cob, Conn.)
• midfielder who has been injured almost the entire season
No. 11 Helena Große (Fr., B, Berlin, Germany)
• defender who has started five games
No. 12 Gracie McGowan (Jr., B, Lake Forest, Ill.)
• defender who has started four games and played in 15
• off the field is responsible for team social media
No. 13 Grace Schulze (So., F, Greenwich, Conn.)
• second-team All-Ivy League selection
• has five goals and nine assists
• fifth in the Ivy League in both points and assists
• had no goals and two assists in first nine games of the year
• has five goals and seven assists in the last eight games
• Ivy League Player of the Week after the wins over Yale and UConn, in which she scored two goals and had three assists
No. 15 Aimee Jungfer (So., M, Sydenham, Australia)
• had a goal against Yale
No. 16 Sammy Popper (Sr., M, Blue Bell, Pa.)
• first-team All-Ivy League selection for the second time in her career
• second on the team with nine goals and 20 points
• fourth in the Ivy League in goals and points
No. 17 Beth Yeager (So., M, Greenwich, Conn.)
• unanimous Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year
• is the second Ivy League field hockey player ever to win an Ivy Player of the Year award as a freshman and sophomore
• unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection for the second straight year
• leads the Ivy League in goals (12) and points (32)
• had the overtime goal against Maryland
• two-time Ivy Player of the Week
• member of U.S. national team
No. 18 Liz Agatucci (So., F, Chapel Hill, N.C.)
• forward who has come off the bench in all 17 games
• had goals against Syracuse and Yale
No. 19 Zoe Shephard (Sr., M, Cazenovia, N.Y.)
• midfielder who has started every game
• has two goals (against UConn and Lafayette)
No. 20 Talia Schenck (Fr., F, Lawrenceville, N.J.)
• has two goals and two assists
• started five games
• had goals against Delaware and UConn and assists against Syracuse and Columbia
No. 21 Gabby Andretta (Sr., D, Harding, N.J.)
• second-team All-Ivy League
• first-team All-Ivy League a year ago
• has started every game Princeton has played in her four years
No. 22 Ava Dempsey (Fr., M, Chester, England)
• has played off the bench in 15 games
• had an assist against Delaware
No. 23 Clare Brennan (So., M, Summit, N.J.)
• has played in 10 games
No. 24 Ali McCarthy (Sr., F, Madison, N.J.)
• honorable mention All-Ivy League
• first-team All-Ivy League a year ago
• missed four games due to injury
• has three goals and five assists
• goals came against Louisville, Syracuse and Maryland
• had assists against Syracuse, Delaware, Northwestern, Maryland and Harvard
No. 25 Grace Anne McCooey (Fr., F, Rumson, N.J.)
• played in four games
No. 26 Ella Hampson (Fr., F, Cheshire, England)
• played in 10 games, starting five
• had a goal against Monmouth and an assist against Yale
No. 27 Ella Thorburn (Fr, G, Johannesburg, South Africa)
• played in three games as backup goalie with a 0.76 goals-against average and a .833 save percentage
• played the entire game against Cornell in place of injured Robyn Thompson, making three big saves after allowing an early goal in key 2-1 Princeton win
PRINCETON (13-4, 7-0 Ivy League) vs. SYRACUSE (15-5, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference)
University of Maryland Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex • College Park, Md.
Friday, Nov. 11 • 2:30 pm
NCAA.com Live Video/Live Stats
In-game Princeton field hockey Twitter updates
Full Game Notes
Back on Sept. 9, the Princeton field hockey team was 0-2, with two one-goal losses to teams that were ranked in the top four. The Tigers were staring at a brutal schedule from there, one that included seven of the top 10 teams in the country, including the defending NCAA champs and two other 2021 Final Four teams.
For its home opener, Princeton faced Syracuse, a then-unbeaten team at 4-0 that came in leading Division I goals per game to that point. The Tigers turned their season around that day, defeating the Orange 5-1.
That win started a season-ending 15-game stretch that saw Princeton go 13-2 and power through the Ivy League unbeaten at 7-0. As a result Princeton is back in the NCAA tournament after a rare year away from the tournament, and the task now to extend its season is to once again defeat Syracuse.
The Orange season hardly ended with the Princeton loss. The Cuse finished its season 15-5, including 3-3 in the brutal ACC. Syracuse received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Princeton vs. Syracuse
Five Storylines
Back in the NCAA tournament
Princeton is back in the postseason after missing out a year ago due to a penalty shot loss to Harvard and an RPI that fell just short of the last at-large bid. This year's appearance is the program's 25th in the NCAA tournament, and Princeton has made nine Final Four appearances, most recently in 2019. Princeton has also reached the final four times, winning once, in 2012.
The last time Princeton failed to reach the NCAA tournament in consecutive years was 1992 and 1993. The Tigers have played 53 NCAA tournament games in their history, with a record of 29-24. Princeton's 29 NCAA wins rank sixth among all programs.
Series history
Princeton leads the all-time series against Syracuse 13-10, including the 5-1 win over the Orange in September. Princeton won the game before that between the two, also by a 5-1 count, in the 2019 NCAA tournament.
Prior to those two games, Syracuse had defeated Princeton seven straight times, including a 2-0 Orange win in 2012 that was the Tigers' only loss during their 21-1 run to the NCAA championship.
Princeton is 3-2 all-time against Syracuse in the NCAA tournament.
Highly offensive
There are two games in the first round that will match two teams ranked in the top 10 in Division I in scoring offense. Both of those games will be played at Maryland.
The first game matches the host Terps (second in scoring offense) and Liberty (fifth). After that, it'll be Princeton (eighth) against Syracuse (fourth).
Princeton averaged more goals per game out of the conference (3.3 per game) than in its league games (2.86 per game).
The first time
Princeton defeated Syracuse 5-1 on Sept. 9, but the Orange actually outshot Princeton 21-14 for the game. Looking closer, shots were 13-11 in Princeton's favor in the first three quarters and then 10-1 in favor of Syracuse in the fourth.
Princeton scored all three goals in the first half and then the final two after Syracuse made it 3-1 midway through the third. Princeton's five goals came from five different players: Sammy Popper, Liz Agatucci, Ali McCarthy, Sam Davidson and Beth Yeager. Robyn Thompson made eight saves in the game.
The Syracuse goal was scored by Quirine Comans.
Ivy champs
Princeton won the Ivy League championship for the 27th time. Every other Ivy League team combined has won 25 Ivy titles.
Princeton's 7-0 Ivy record means that Princeton has now had 20 perfect Ivy League seasons. Every other Ivy team combined has had four.
Other notes
• Princeton is 3-3 against teams in the NCAA tournament field, having defeated Maryland, Syracuse and Delaware and having lost to Northwestern, Louisville and North Carolina.
• All four of Princeton's losses this year are by one goal.
• Princeton had nine players earn All-Ivy League honors, including both Ivy Players of the Year, with Hannah Davey the Defensive Player of the Year and Beth Yeager the Offensive Player of the Year. Davey, Yeager and Sammy Popper were all first-team selections, with Gabby Andretta and Grace Schulze on second-team, Ophelie Bemelmans, Ali McCarthy and Robyn Thompson honorable mention and Sam Davidson Academic All-Ivy League.
• Princeton's Carla Tagliente was named Ivy League Coach of the Year for the fourth time. Tagliente, and associate head coach Dina Rizzo, both won an NCAA championship as players at Maryland.
• Princeton is second in Division I in penalty corners per game, with 8.88, trailing only Liberty (9.47).
• Princeton has eight seniors, all of whom are starters.
• Princeton has scored 30 goals in the first and fourth quarters and 22 goals in the second and third. Its opponents have scored 26 total and have not reached double figures in any quarter.
• Princeton is 1-2 in overtime games this season. Beth Yeager scored the game-winner in the OT win against Maryland, and she now has three career overtime goals. Other current Princeton players with career overtime goals are Ali McCarthy (two), Sammy Popper (one) and Hannah Davey (one).
What can you say about? …
No. 1 Robyn Thompson (Jr., G, Herne, England)
• honorable mention All-Ivy League
• started 16 of 17 games (missed the Cornell game due to injury)
• had at least eight saves in five games after having a career high of seven prior to this year
• had a career-high nine saves against Penn
• made eight saves in wins over Syracuse, Maryland and Rutgers and in loss to Northwestern
• Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week after wins over Syracuse and Rutgers
No. 2 Claire Donovan (Sr., F, Unionville, Pa.)
• veteran forward who has started the last 14 games
• has three goals and two assists
No. 3 Phine Van Zijl (So., B, Rotterdam, the Netherlands)
• defender who has battled through injuries
• has played in six games, starting one
No. 4 Lily Webb (So., M, Wells, England)
• has one goal on the year, the first goal in the win over Yale
• has three career goals
No. 5 Ophelie Bemelmans (Sr., M, Riemst, Belgium)
• honorable mention All-Ivy League selection
• tied for the Ivy League lead with 11 assists
• has 22 career assists
• is the only Princeton field hockey player ever with at least 20 career assists without a goal
No. 6 Autumn Brown (Sr., B, Rudgwick, England)
• has started 16 of 17 games, including the last 15
• has four goals on penalty corners, against Rutgers, Cornell, Monmouth and Brown
No. 7 Hannah Davey (Sr., B Derbyshire, England)
• Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year
• first-team All-Ivy League selection for the third straight season
• second-team All-Ivy as a freshman
• has started every game
• has a goal and five assists in addition to playing defense
• started Princeton on way to three-goal first quarter in 4-2 win over Harvard with a 50-yard pass to Grace Schulze for first score
No. 8 Sam Davidson (Jr., B, North Andover, Mass.)
• team's Academic All-Ivy League selection
• is third on the team in goals despite playing defense
• is 7 for 7 on penalty strokes this season and 9 for 9 in her career
No. 9 Bridget Murphy (So., F, Summit, N.J.)
• forward who has played in 12 games
• has two career goals, against Maryland and Penn a year ago
No. 10 Ellie Manriquez (Jr., M, Cos Cob, Conn.)
• midfielder who has been injured almost the entire season
No. 11 Helena Große (Fr., B, Berlin, Germany)
• defender who has started five games
No. 12 Gracie McGowan (Jr., B, Lake Forest, Ill.)
• defender who has started four games and played in 15
• off the field is responsible for team social media
No. 13 Grace Schulze (So., F, Greenwich, Conn.)
• second-team All-Ivy League selection
• has five goals and nine assists
• fifth in the Ivy League in both points and assists
• had no goals and two assists in first nine games of the year
• has five goals and seven assists in the last eight games
• Ivy League Player of the Week after the wins over Yale and UConn, in which she scored two goals and had three assists
No. 15 Aimee Jungfer (So., M, Sydenham, Australia)
• had a goal against Yale
No. 16 Sammy Popper (Sr., M, Blue Bell, Pa.)
• first-team All-Ivy League selection for the second time in her career
• second on the team with nine goals and 20 points
• fourth in the Ivy League in goals and points
No. 17 Beth Yeager (So., M, Greenwich, Conn.)
• unanimous Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year
• is the second Ivy League field hockey player ever to win an Ivy Player of the Year award as a freshman and sophomore
• unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection for the second straight year
• leads the Ivy League in goals (12) and points (32)
• had the overtime goal against Maryland
• two-time Ivy Player of the Week
• member of U.S. national team
No. 18 Liz Agatucci (So., F, Chapel Hill, N.C.)
• forward who has come off the bench in all 17 games
• had goals against Syracuse and Yale
No. 19 Zoe Shephard (Sr., M, Cazenovia, N.Y.)
• midfielder who has started every game
• has two goals (against UConn and Lafayette)
No. 20 Talia Schenck (Fr., F, Lawrenceville, N.J.)
• has two goals and two assists
• started five games
• had goals against Delaware and UConn and assists against Syracuse and Columbia
No. 21 Gabby Andretta (Sr., D, Harding, N.J.)
• second-team All-Ivy League
• first-team All-Ivy League a year ago
• has started every game Princeton has played in her four years
No. 22 Ava Dempsey (Fr., M, Chester, England)
• has played off the bench in 15 games
• had an assist against Delaware
No. 23 Clare Brennan (So., M, Summit, N.J.)
• has played in 10 games
No. 24 Ali McCarthy (Sr., F, Madison, N.J.)
• honorable mention All-Ivy League
• first-team All-Ivy League a year ago
• missed four games due to injury
• has three goals and five assists
• goals came against Louisville, Syracuse and Maryland
• had assists against Syracuse, Delaware, Northwestern, Maryland and Harvard
No. 25 Grace Anne McCooey (Fr., F, Rumson, N.J.)
• played in four games
No. 26 Ella Hampson (Fr., F, Cheshire, England)
• played in 10 games, starting five
• had a goal against Monmouth and an assist against Yale
No. 27 Ella Thorburn (Fr, G, Johannesburg, South Africa)
• played in three games as backup goalie with a 0.76 goals-against average and a .833 save percentage
• played the entire game against Cornell in place of injured Robyn Thompson, making three big saves after allowing an early goal in key 2-1 Princeton win
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Defense
/ Field Hockey
Forward/Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Defense
/ Field Hockey
Defense
/ Field Hockey
Defense
/ Field Hockey
Midfield/Defense
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Defense
/ Field Hockey
Forward/Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Defense
/ Field Hockey
Foward
/ Field Hockey
Forward/Defense
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Goalie
/ Field Hockey
Goalie
/ Field Hockey
Midfield
/ Field HockeyPrinceton Athletics 2023-24 Highlights
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