Whiteway's Game-Winner In Final Minute Gives No. 11 Princeton A 12-11 Win Over Penn State

Saturday, March 19

University Park, Pa.

1:00 PM

Princeton University

Penn State

Kate Mulham scored four goals in the 12-11 win over Penn State.

Photo by: Samuel Brungo

Whiteway's Game-Winner In Final Minute Gives No. 11 Princeton A 12-11 Win Over Penn State

March 19, 2022 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

Sam Fish held the ball in her goalie stick and took a stroll around her crease as the final seconds ticked off. Back when Princeton was up by five, such an ending seemed like a good possibility. As it turned out, the final seconds would be the only calm ones.

A moment before that, Fish stood tall against Penn State's last chance, off a free position shot. Only when the Tigers gained possession after that shot didn't find the net and the Tigers had it backed up could everyone in orange and black take a deep breath.

Princeton led big early, trailed in the second half and then escaped Happy Valley with a 12-11 victory, achieved on a Sophie Whiteway goal with 32 seconds left on her own free position opportunity and then that last defensive stand.

0:32 (4th) Tigers Goal!

Sophie Whiteway with a fierce FPG to give us the lead! pic.twitter.com/1pOXBUDi9M
— Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) March 19, 2022

The win kept 11^th-ranked Princeton unbeaten at 6-0 on the year. Next up will be a trip Wednesday to Loyola and then the second Ivy League game of the year next Saturday at Columbia. Penn State fell to 5-3.

On a day when Princeton leading scorer Kyla Sears was held to one goal, it was Kate Mulham who equaled her previous season total with a career day of four goals and an assist. Mulham scored three of her goals in the first 20 minutes as the Tigers built a 7-2 lead, but Penn State had no quit on this day.

Instead of a blowout, it became a 7-5 game when Penn State scored the final three goals of the first half, including one with only one second to go. The halftime break didn't stop the momentum, as Penn State then scored the first three of the third quarter to go up 8-7.

Now it was Princeton who had to answer, and answer the Tigers did. Mulham ended the run with her fourth, and then goals from Grace Taukus and Sears made it a 10-8 game. It was 11-9 Princeton before Penn State rallied, and Taylor Regan finally tied it again at 11-11 with 1:41 left.

The following draw would be huge, as the team that won it could take most of the remaining time off the clock. That meant, of course, that it was Marge Donovan time, and she picked up her eighth draw control of the game. Now with possession, Whiteway drew a free position chance and then powered her way through two defenders to knock it home.

Final: #11 Princeton 12, Penn State 11!

Tigers stand tall on a late Nittany Lion free position to stay undefeated! pic.twitter.com/olj4XQercv
— Princeton Women's Lax (@princetonwlax) March 19, 2022

Eight different Tigers would score in the game, and Mulham and Tauckus (two) were the only ones with more than one. The group of six who had single goals were Sears, Whiteway, Ellie Mueller, Nina Montes, McKenzie Blake and Kari Buonnano.

Fish made 13 saves in goal.