Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Penn
No. 9 Princeton Hosts Penn In Ivy Opener
September 18, 2025 | Field Hockey
A – About
The 2025 Princeton field hockey team has 24 players, 13 from America and 11 internationals, of which 10 are British. The Tigers return eight starters from last year’s team that went 14-6, won the Ivy League championship at a perfect 7-0 and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals. Princeton has six seniors, five juniors, seven sophomores and six freshmen.
B – Baby
Sarah Mansfield Lahl, a former Princeton assistant coach and current UConn assist, will not be making the trip for the game this weekend after she and her husband Cody had their first child Sept. 12.
C – Career Leaders
Princeton’s Beth Yeager is the only player in the top five in career goals per game and career assists per game among active Division I players. In addition, her 46 career goals are sixth among active D1 players:
51 – Dionne van Aalsum, Iowa
50 - Ryleigh Heck, UNC
49 - Makenna Webster, Ohio State
47 - Tasmin Cookman, New Hampshire/Charly Bruder, UNC
46 - Beth Yeager, Princeton
D – Defense
Princeton has not allowed a goal in its last 147:31 of regulation time. The only goal Princeton has allowed since 2:29 into the second half against North Carolina was on a penalty stroke in overtime against Syracuse.
E – Ella
Ella Cashman was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week after leading a defense that did not allow a goal in regulation for two games and then scoring the game-winner herself in the 1-0 OT win over Rutgers.
F – For Starters
Princeton has eight players who have started every game of their career: Gabriella Anderson, Ella Cashman, Anna Faulstich, Clem Houlden, Saylor Milone, Ottilie Sykes, Caitlin Thompson, Beth Yeager.
G – Goals
Ella Cashman, Ottilie Sykes and Beth Yeager have scored every Princeton goal for the last seven games dating to last season.
H – History
Princeton and Penn meet for the 52nd time in a series that Princeton leads 32-16-3. Princeton has won 17 of the last 18 games between the two, though Penn won the last game the teams played on Bedford Field, a 3-2 OT win in 2023. Princeton won 3-0 last year in Philadelphia. Princeton and UConn will meet for the 31st time in a series UConn leads 18-12 when the teams play on Bedford Field Sunday. Princeton has won three of the last four meetings, though the Huskies won the recent meeting 3-1 in Princeton in 2023.
I – Ivy League
Princeton was named the 2025 favorite in the Ivy League’s preseason media poll — barely. Princeton and Harvard each received eight first-place votes, and the Tigers edged the Crimson 120-118 in total points. The rest of the poll was in this order: Brown, Yale, Cornell, Penn, Columbia, Dartmouth.
J – Just The Numbers
Princeton has allowed its first four opponents an average of 7.2 shots per game. The last time Princeton allowed fewer for an entire season was 2018, when Princeton allowed 6.0 shots per game.
K – Korners
Princeton equaled its season high in penalty corners with seven against Rutgers Sunday. Princeton also had seven in the opener against UNC, and then seven combined against ODU and Syracuse.
L – Leaders
Princeton is led by three captains for the 2025 season: seniors Ella Hampson and Beth Yeager and junior Ella Cashman. Yeager is now the 18th player in program history to be a two-time captain.
M – Milone
Freshman Saylor Milone’s mother Stacy played field hockey and lacrosse at Georgetown, including playing against Princeton in the 2002 NCAA lacrosse final. Her lacrosse coach at Georgetown was Princeton field hockey/lacrosse alum Kim Simons (Tortolani).
N – National Rankings
Princeton moved up two spots in the NFHCA coaches’ poll this week, going from No. 11 to No. 9.
O – Olivia
Olivia Caponiti had her first career shutout in the 1-0 overtime win over Rutgers Sunday. Caponiti, a junior making her third career start, made three saves in the game, including a tough stop on a penalty corner in the first quarter and then another on the baseline in overtime.
P – Princeton Field Hockey
Princeton’s Ivy League championship a year ago was the 28th in program history, which is tied with Harvard women’s squash for the most by any Ivy women’s team in any sport in league history.
Q – Quakers
Penn is making its third appearance on Bedford Field this season after having lost to North Carolina and defeated Old Dominion during the Tiger Invitational. Penn has yet to play a game on its home field.
R – Ruby
Penn goalie Ruby de Frees leads the Ivy League in saves per game (6.25). She made 15 saves while allowing eight goals in two games at Bedford Field early this season, including 10 saves against North Carolina.
S – Senior Day
Princeton will honor the Class of 2026 at Senior Day Sunday prior to the game against UConn. Princeton’s six seniors are: Ava Dempsey, Helena Große, Ella Hampson, Grace Anne McCooey, Talia Schenck and Beth Yeager.
T – Talia
Talia Schenck, a member of the U.S. U21 Team, is second on the team in career goals with 10.
U – USA
Princeton was well-represented with USA Field Hockey this past summer. Beth Yeager, a 2024 Olympian, won a silver medal at the Pan Am Cup in Uruguay, scoring four goals in the tournament. Talia Schenck also won silver and also scored four goals, at the Junior Pan Am Games in Paraguay. Assistant coach Pat Harris was a silver medalist with the USA men’s team at the Pan Am Cup.
V – Vietnam
Princeton’s Clem Houlden and Molly Nye spent the summer in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam as part of the Coach For College program. Houlden taught biology and coached volleyball to middle schoolers, while Nye taught English and coached volleyball at a different middle school.
W – Woj
Lilly Wojcik is second on the team in shots with nine. She also had her first two career points with assists against UNC and ODU.
X – X-Factor
Princeton has six players on the NFHCA preseason Watchlist: Ella Cashman, Anna Faulstich, Clem Houlden, Talia Schenck, Ottilie Sykes, Beth Yeager.
Y – Yeager
Beth Yeager is a three-time first-team All-American selection; no Ivy League player has ever been a four-time first-team All-American. She’s also a three-time Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year.
Z – Zinger
Princeton has not failed to reach the NCAA tournament in consecutive years since 1992-93. That streak will continue through this year, as the Tigers reached the NCAA quarterfinals a year ago.
