Tigers Run Away From Field Hockey

PRINCETON, N.J.--Counting on upsets usually doesn't work.

They do happen, but only occasionally. And more times than not, the better team is going to win.

On Saturday, the Harvard field hockey team took a road trip to meet its nemesis, the Princeton Tigers. Undoubtedly, a Crimson victory would be a surprise, as the Tigers are ranked 11th in the country, while Harvard owns a losing record.

But it was also ripe time for such a surprise. Harvard's losses have been relatively close and against equally talented teams. Princeton, on the other hand, might see the Crimson's record and get cocky.

None of this happened. Princeton won, 3-0, and clinched its first out-right Ivy League title since 1982. Harvard's record fell to 2-2 in the Ivies and 4-8 overall.

As in Harvard's other three- and two-goal losses, the game was not a blowout. Nevertheless, the Crimson did not put the ball between the posts when it had to.

"Princeton is very talented," Harvard Coach Sue Caples said. "They go hard after everything."

In the beginning of the game, the Tigers sure did go hard after a goal.

It took only 2:25 from the opening face off until Tiger attacker Jen Babik shoved a shot past Harvard goaltender Jessica Milhollin, and it looked as though Princeton was out for blood.

But the Tigers, try as they might, did not score for the rest of the half. They had numerous chances to do so, but the Harvard defense managed to keep the attack out of the goal.

Meanwhile, the Crimson offense was not at its best. The poor field conditions didn't help--the area in front of the goals was filled with bad hope--but Princeton had to play there, too.

"The main problem [on offense] was that we couldn't get our corners in," sophomore attacker Liz Schoyer said. "With the field--there's not much you can do but get used to it."

The Crimson survived throughout the rest of the first half, and then something clicked.

It was difficult to explain. Somehow, for some strange reason, Harvard came out of the second half like a team reborn.

"We got more used to everything," freshman attacker Amy DiMarzio said. "Everything just started to come together, to gel."

The offense worked nicely--the Tiger defense was forced to contain successive threats from the Crimson attack.

No goals came from them, and Princeton goaltender Liz Hill only made five saves, but there were close calls.

Balls rolled dangerously across the crease. Slapshots whistled to the right and left of the posts.

But, to Hill's credit, the net remained unruffled.

"I think we realized when it was 1-0 that unless we worked together Princeton was going to take it to us," Milhollin (12 saves) said. "We just didn't get the shots on net."

Soon enough, the Tigers learned that they could counterattack. And that it would work.

With only 13:00 left to play, Princeton's Amy MacFarlane dribbled a rebound between Milhollin's legs. After dominating practically all of the second half, Harvard was down, 2-0.

"They converted, and they put the ball in the net," Caples said. "You can't stop thinking for one second."

By this time, the game was essentially over. Scoring two goals in 13:00 is very difficult, and having the Tigers add one more with 3:23 left didn't help.

Nevertheless, it was not a blowout. A loss certainly, but not a thrashing.

"I think that they played well enough to win," Milhollin said, "but not well enough to win 3-0." Princeton  3 Harvard  0