Despite being already eliminated from Ivy League title contention, the women's soccer team was determined to upset rival Princeton in both teams' final game of the year. But while the Quakers were able to push the match to two overtimes, a header by Princeton senior Taylor Numann off a corner in the 106th minute gave the Tigers a 2-1 win.
The Quakers (8-6-3, 2-3-2 Ivy) were outplayed in the first half, not only giving up a goal to Numann off a free kick, but only earning one shot that was easily saved by Princeton goalkeeper Alyssa Pont. Meanwhile Princeton (12-2-2, 5-1-1) had four shots and held onto the ball for the majority of the half.
But whatever Penn coach Darren Ambrose said at halftime worked. The Quakers turned the tables on Princeton and dominated the second half, scoring just 110 seconds into the second frame. Sophomore Sarah Friedman added to her Penn record for assists in a season with a beautiful cross that Maggie Devitt headed past Pont. Although neither side would score again in regulation, Penn earned six other shots that half.
The overtime also saw Penn outshoot the Tigers 5-2, but that second and final shot was all the Tigers needed to beat their rival for the 16th time in the teams' 23 meetings.
With the win, Princeton won a share of the Ivy League title with Harvard. But since the Crimson beat the Tigers 2-1 Oct. 25, the Tigers will have to hope their 12-2-2 record is good enough for an At Large bid to the NCAA tournament.
For Penn, the win capped off what Ambrose described as a "very disappointing" season.
