When the Princeton field hockey team trailed Delaware, 2-1, in the second half of its Final Four semifinal in Norfolk, Va., Nov. 18, the Tigers got a lift from a familiar source: Cat Caro ’17, the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, who scored her 18th goal of the season, tying the game and keeping Princeton’s national championship hopes alive.
Less than two minutes later, the Blue Hens scored to regain the lead, 3-2, and held on to earn a spot in the NCAA championship game. While the tying tally would prove to be Caro’s last goal for the Tigers, the senior does have more hockey ahead. She’ll join the U.S. national team in Chile for the Junior World Cup, which begins next week.
Princeton, making its third Final Four appearance since 2009, finished the season with a 12-8 record that included wins over four nationally ranked teams. The Tigers were outshot by the Blue Hens, 12-9, but put six of their shots on goal. “I thought overall we played a great game,” head coach Carla Tagliente said on GoPrincetonTigers.com. “We chased the game a little bit because we were down 1-0 and 2-1, but I think we did a great job in responding and coming back.”
Ryan McCarthy ’18 scored Princeton’s other goal, her 14th of the year, and Sophia Tornetta ’19 had two assists, raising her team-leading total to 10.
In the NCAA round of 16, Princeton upset No. 6 Penn State 2-1 on the Nittany Lions’ home turf Nov. 12. The Tigers stunned No. 7 Virginia with a game-winning goal by Tornetta as time expired in the quarterfinals Nov. 13.