Yeager Scores All Three As Tigers Shut Out Penn 3-0 In Ivy Opener

Friday, September 20

Philadelphia, Pa.

3:00 PM

Princeton University

(3-2, 1-0Ivy)

Penn

(1-4, 0-1Ivy)

Princeton

Penn

Beth Yeager dribbles against Penn Friday afternoon. She scored all three goals in the Tigers' 3-0 win.

Photo by: Caean Couto

Yeager Scores All Three As Tigers Shut Out Penn 3-0 In Ivy Opener

September 20, 2024 | Field Hockey

Box Score

Gracie McGowan said "not at all." Carla Tagliente said "maybe a brief mention." Whatever they actually said, it's hard to believe that last year's game against Penn wasn't foremost on the minds of the Princeton field hockey team as it opened its Ivy League season against the Quakers in Philadelphia Friday afternoon.

How could it not be? Penn had beaten Princeton in two overtimes last year, and in doing so ended a 17-game losing streak to the Tigers. Could they stretch their streak to two straight, or would it be Princeton with 18 of the last 19? In fact, it would be the latter.

Beth Yeager, who wasn't even at last year's game, scored three times to lead Princeton to a 3-0 win over Penn as the Tigers started a new streak against the Quakers. Yeager, who was away last year with the U.S. Olympic team, became the first Princeton player to score at least three times in a game since … Beth Yeager, who had four against Dartmouth her freshman year.

Did we say Beth had two goals? Make that three now. Tigers up 3-0 at Penn in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/otF4YXK0IE
— Princeton FH (@TigerFH) September 20, 2024

The game last year was incredibly frustrating, as Penn jumped out to a 2-0 lead only to see Princeton tie it at 2-2 to force OT and then another OT, where Penn's Sophie Freedman — Yeager's high school teammate at Sacred Heart Academy in Greenwich — won it, setting off a huge Quaker celebration on Bedford Field.

This time, Yeager's first goal came four minutes into the game when she rocketed home a shot off a penalty corner, with assists to inserter Grace Schulze and stopper Talia Schenck. She then added goals in the third and fourth quarter, her second unassisted after she dribbled all the way in from just inside midfield and her third a wraparound goal after she took a pass from Ella Hampson.

This was more than just The Yeager Show, though. Tagliente played every healthy field player in the game, and the Tigers dominated possession, outshooting Penn 20-8 and keeping the ball in the offensive end most of the game.

Princeton's passing was the best it has been this season. Midfielders like Pru Lindsey, Izzy Morgan, Molly Nye, Aimee Jungfer, Clare Dempsey, Ava Dempsey and Anna Faulstich rarely let the ball get to the defensive end, and when they did, defenders McGowan, Ottilie Sykes, Clem Houlden, Hope Delaney and Ella Cashman were able to connect and reconnect to move the ball up the field.

Robyn Thompson made four saves for the shutout, and Grace Schulze, a forward, had a defensive save on a penalty corner.

Princeton has a quick turnaround and will play at Rutgers Sunday at noon.