Women’s Lacrosse: Ivy-Champion Tigers Advance in NCAAs

In three of the biggest games of its season, Princeton women’s lacrosse faced off against Cornell. The Tigers won all three, including one in the NCAA Tournament, and advanced to the national quarterfinals for the second time in three years.

The Princeton-Cornell trilogy started in Ithaca April 22, where the Tigers’ Olivia Hompe ’17 scored with three seconds remaining to force overtime. Two minutes into the second overtime period, Colby Chanenchuk ’18 broke the tie, lifting Princeton to a 12–11 victory and, eventually, a share of the Ivy League title. Princeton, Cornell, and Penn each finished the season with 6–1 league records.

Cornell would host the Tigers again in the Ivy Tournament final May 7. Princeton surged ahead early, led 10–3 in the second half, and held on for a 12–9 win. Hompe scored seven goals, raising her season total to 70 (a school record). 

Princeton earned a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament, and Cornell won its opening-round game against Notre Dame to set up the third Princeton-Cornell matchup May 14. The Tigers led for most of the contest, but the Big Red rallied to tie the game, 9–9, with 4:27 remaining. Elizabeth George ’19 responded with two goals in the next two minutes, including one scored during a driving rainstorm, and the Tigers won, 11–9.

Update: Princeton fell short in a back-and-forth game against Penn State in the NCAA quarterfinals May 21. Neither team led by more than two goals, and the game was tied on 10 different occasions. The Tigers took a 12-11 lead with 5:56 remaining on a goal by Anna Doherty ’17, but the Nittany Lions scored three goals in a row to close out a 14-12 victory. Princeton finished the season with a 15-4 record, and Hompe raised her single-season goals record to 75.