Tigers drop semifinal to eventual champion Maryland
By: Justin Feil
A lot of teams would be happy just to be one of the final four teams in the NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament.
The Princeton University women’s team would not say that. They were happy to make it to the semifinals for the second straight season, but there was no reason to be happy after having their season end a game short of their destiny.
After coming up just short of an NCAA title last year with a loss in the championship game, the Tigers felt they had a chance to win it all despite having a young squad. But, for the second straight season, Maryland pulled away for a lopsided win, 14-7, this time in Friday’s semifinal matchup.
"We were definitely disappointed with the Final Four," said PU head coach Chris Sailer, though her Tigers finish 14-5 overall. "We thought we would compete better. We just ran into a Maryland team that was definitely at its best. It was difficult to win because we controlled so few ground balls. The stats say they’re about the same, but I challenge that. We made some great plays, but they would get it back. We just couldn’t keep the ball enough."
The Tigers were in the game, down just 4-3, when the Terrapins burst out for two quick scores in the final minute of the first half. Ahead, 6-3, Maryland didn’t let up after the half as they added four more goals in the second half to open a 10-3 lead before Princeton played them to a deadlock the rest of the game.
"It was tough going into halftime after that," Sailer said. "I still thought we’d come out and compete well in the second half. I thought we played hard. That wasn’t the problem. We kept fighting to the end. They were just a little faster, a little better with anticipation. They came out on top of the key categories."
In the teams’ first meeting April 21, Princeton had been able to control the ball and slow the pace down in a 7-6 loss to Maryland. The Terrapins, who went on to capture their seventh straight national title with a 14-13 triple overtime win over Georgetown on Sunday, made it a point not let that happen this time.
"It was a tough game for us. They had such an edge in draw control, it was really tough for us to get the ball," Sailer said. "They beat us to so many 50-50 balls, which didn’t happen the first time we played. They were sharper this time. They put much more pressure on us. I heard them say in the postgame that they weren’t going to let us run the ball control offense, not that we were going to slow it down as much as we did the first time. They just came at us with incredible pressure. We struggled at times just to clear the ball out of our end.
"On our attack, they pressured us out. I thought in the second half we had some key opportunities still but their goalie or someone would make the play. It was just they had the ball a whole lot longer than we wanted them to, and they’re so tough offensively. In the first half, we kept their top guns down, but they had other players step up."
Despite the score, the Tigers’ 15-year head coach commended the defense of Rachel Becker, Jessica Nelson and Brooke Owens. Becker and Nelson, who held Allison Comito to one assist, were named to the all-tournament team. Offensively, the Tigers’ Lauren Simone had three goals. Princeton played without leading scorer Kim Smith, who missed the final three games of the season with mononucleosis. Princeton loses just two senior starters Dayna Federici and Julie Shaner and senior back-up goalie Julia Beaver.
"We lose a couple of key kids, especially Julie Shaner," said Sailer, pointing out the finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy that will be given to the nation’s top player. "It’s great that we have the bulk of the team coming back. We’re really motivated for next year.
"I think to get back to the Final Four was a big achievement for our group," she added. "When we look at the whole season, we accomplished some things. Beating Dartmouth for the first time in six tries and getting a share of the Ivy title were nice. This was the first year for a 16-team (NCAA) tournament, and it was the first time we had to win two games to get to the Final Four."
Princeton opened the NCAA tournament with convincing wins over Cornell and Dartmouth. The Tigers couldn’t duplicate that success when they wanted it most, against a Maryland team on its way to another NCAA title. Princeton expects to make it three straight Final Four seasons next year, but this time, they’ll be looking for a happier ending.