In the midst of the hype surrounding the inaugural Ivy League women’s lacrosse tournament, a four-team playoff to award the conference’s automatic NCAA bid, the Penn-Princeton game is taking on a whole new level of importance.
The Quakers’ showdown with the Tigers in Princeton, N.J., could go a long way toward rounding out the tournament slate.
The Quakers (10-3, 5-0 Ivy) enter the matchup undefeated in the League and can clinch the conference regular season title and home-field advantage at the Ivy Tournament with a win Wednesday.
On the other hand, Princeton (5-8, 3-2) is attempting to avoid closing their season with a losing record for the first time since 1987 and trying to keep its postseason hopes alive.
“With the Ivy tournament this year especially, it doesn’t matter that they haven’t had a great season or are on the verge of a losing record,” senior co-captain Emma Spiro said. “They still have a shot at it.”
That shot, however, may be a long one, as the Tigers have lost to Penn in their last three meetings by a combined score of 33-20. In addition, Princeton has dropped four of its last five games — two of which comprise its pair of Ivy losses.
But before the Penn program came to dominate the conference three seasons ago, it was Princeton that shared the Ivy League title in 2007.
“They know that this is their opportunity to get into the tournament,” Spiro said. “We really can’t look past them. We have to bring our best game.”
Penn’s best game, however, is not all that different from that of its opponents; both teams play a remarkably similar style of both offense and defense.
On the attacking end, Penn has been known to spread the wealth, utilizing a number of scoring threats including midfield Ali DeLuca and attacks Giulia Girodano and Erin Brennan — all of whom have netted 20 or more goals this season.
Princeton, too, has a range of players capable of scoring, such as Lizzy Drumm and Kristin Morrison, who have 26 and 23 goals on the season, respectively.
“It’s good that we’ve been practicing against ourselves all season. We don’t really have to change a lot up,” Spiro said. “[They] have a few really good shooters that we’ll have marked, but in general their offense is a lot like ours.”
In the backfield, the Quakers have established a reputation for a strong team defense that can keep attackers out of the arc, allowing opponents just 17.3 shots per game. Penn also leads the Ivy League in turnovers forced with an average of 13.23 per matchup.
Where the Tigers may have the advantage, however, is in the midfield. Princeton is second in the League in draw controls — with an average of 12.67.
But Penn has out-drawn its opponents this season by a margin of 135-125 and should be ready to gain possession.
“As long as we bring our best defense and offense and we put it together,” Spiro said. “I think we’ll definitely come out with a win.”
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.