Tigers lacrosse faces UVA in familiar situation
By: Justin Feil
Caitlin Reimers has started all 72 games of her Princeton University women’s lacrosse career, and she still had a little extra bounce in her step on the practice field Tuesday.
Part of that extra spring was the fact that Reimers would have the chance at start No. 73 after the Tigers were granted an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament on Monday night.
"I couldn’t be more excited," said the PU senior. "There’s nothing better than knowing you get one more day to play. In the past, we’ve known we had one more day. We were a little nervous."
The other part of Reimers’ excitement could be traced to the Tigers’ first-round opponent. For the second straight season, it will be the University of Virginia. The Cavaliers will host the 1 p.m. contest Sunday.
"We’ve played them at least twice every year," Reimers said. "Freshman year, they beat us in the national championship. Sophomore year, they decided to celebrate on the day we played them (in the regular season). Last year, we took them out. There’s a lot of very competitive history between the teams."
Last year, the Tigers avenged a 16-3 demolition by UVA in the regular season with an 8-7 win. This year, Princeton, which improved to 10-6 with a win over Georgetown on Sunday, will try to do it again after suffering a 9-7 loss at Virginia on Mar. 24. That loss was one for a Tigers team that still was figuring itself out. Since beginning the season, 4-4, Princeton has won six of its final eight games.
"I just think we’re playing a more poised game and smarter game," said PU head coach Chris Sailer. "We always have been a team that works hard. Earlier, we were not as polished. We’re playing with more maturity, more intelligence. We’re playing with more mental toughness.
"After the Yale loss, we were pretty down. We had lost four games, a number that were close. We knew we had to rebound and change some things. The Penn loss was another tough one. We had a tough day shooting and tough day in cage, but otherwise I thought we played well. After that, we went to Dartmouth and beat Dartmouth. That recharged us having a win against a big team that’s always a key rival. That really got us going again."
Last year, the Tigers won seven of eight before upsetting the Cavaliers, who were the No. 2 seed then. This year, the Cavaliers are the No. 3.
"I think we are in a really great position for us," Reimers said. "Virginia is probably really frustrated drawing us again. Despite our ranking, we’re a much better team than we played all season. The end of our season demonstrates a lot of growth. It’s similar to how we came out last year."
Added Sailer: "At this point, we’re all starting out 0-0. We feel confident. We’ve been in this situation and had the win down there. It’s a familiar venue for us, and the situation (is familiar)."
The Tigers come into this year’s NCAA matchup of the teams more confident than last year because they were right with the Cavaliers in the regular-season meeting. The Tigers’ confidence has risen throughout the season as has their play. It was enough to propel them to an at-large berth, rather than the automatic bid from the Ivy League that Princeton has become accustomed to.
"Our end of season performance really helped us," Reimers said, adding, "and the fact two other Ivies got in (Ivy champion Penn and Yale).
"We needed to build the chemistry on both ends of the field," she added. "Early on, we were able to perform at one end or the other. In the Duke game, the attack played well and the defense struggled. The Virginia game, the defense played well and the offense couldn’t find the net. We’ve seesawed back and forth. After the Yale game, we started to come together at both ends of the field at the same time."
Reimers again did most of her work for the Tigers at the defensive end. She is third on the team in caused turnovers and has helped a PU defense that has allowed just 8.7 goals per game.
"We’ve had a really, really great year," Reimers said. "We have some really tough mark-up defenders. Our focus has been on team defense. It’s something we’ve been building. More and more, we’re becoming a suffocating unit. We’ve worked hard on that and communication. We’re solid so that gives our offense the confidence to take risks."
With the offense and defense working more consistently together, the Tigers have played better down the stretch. That improvement brought with it a 10th straight NCAA appearance, against a Virginia opponent that it only seems as though Princeton has played in each of those 10 trips. For Princeton, once again, Sunday’s game presents a chance to show again how far they have come in a season.
"I didn’t think senior year would be as tumultuous," Reimers said. "But we’re excited by the place it’s put us in. The team is unified in its purpose and mission. Freshman year, we were undefeated all along until the tournament so we knew we’d be in. This year makes us more excited to be ready to play. This is exactly where we want to be. There’s no better place to be."
And no better place for Reimers, who is looking to earn a few more chances to start for the Tigers before ending her career. Hers is a career marked by steady play at the defensive end.
"It will be odd without her next year," Sailer said. "She’s such a consistent player. She’s a really good communicator. She has so much experience within the defense. She sees things so well. We usually don’t give her the toughest matchup. We use her for the slides. We use her for team defense. She brings experience. She’s played every game of her career. I think she’s someone that the kids really look up to listen to and respect as a leader."