It will be quite a battle. Tomorrow, the women's lacrosse team squares off against the Princeton Tigers at noon at Chase Fields, located behind Thompson Arena.
The game will pit the number one ranked Tigers against the number five ranked Big Green in one of the Ivy League's fiercest rivalries. Who comes out on top will depend most definitely on which team can hold its own and dominate throughout the game.
Head Coach Amy Patton said a Dartmouth victory would be the biggest win in the program's history.
"The game is going to be very emotional," Patton said. "Both teams have developed a huge rivalry. Last year's game was one of the most talked about games."
Last year's game was indeed incredible. Dartmouth led the game by two goals with nine seconds left on the clock, but within those last few seconds, Princeton found the net two more times, tying up the game.
After two overtimes the teams were tied 9-9. It came down to the sudden death overtime in which Princeton was able to score first, leaving it with a 10-9 victory.
"A rivalry has definitely developed over the last few years," Patton said. "Both teams really get up for each other."
This year, with the home field advantage, Dartmouth is ready for revenge. Both teams are undefeated. Dartmouth brings a 3-0 record to the game while Princeton arrives in Hanover posting a 5-0 record. Princeton's most recent win was a slaughter last Wednesday against West Chester, when the Tigers thoroughly outgunned their opponent, winning 22-2.
Both teams boast a powerful offense. "Our defense really has to play to their potential because Princeton's attack is very strong. We've got to play good team defense," Patton said.
Princeton's scoring power is led by freshman Christi Samaras and junior Abigail Gutstein, who have had 11 and 10 goals respectively this season. They each have tallied 14 points total this season with Samaras assisting three goals and Gutstein assisting four.
Princeton senior Amory Rowe and junior Lisa Rebane also add to the team's offensive strength. Rowe has14 points this season (eight goals and six assists) while Rebane has 11 points (eight goals and three assists).
In the other end of the field, the Princeton defense will have some tough oppositon to deal with. Senior co-Captain Lauren Holleran heads the Dartmouth attack. "She is definitely one of the top players in the nation offensively," Patton said.
Holleran, who was named Ivy League Offensive Co-Player of the Week with Brown's freshman Allison Schettini last week, has already racked up 14 goals and four assists in three games.
Sarah Devens '96 follows close behind Holleran in scoring. Devens has nine goals and three assists this season.
"There's no doubt that [Princeton will] look to double [team] some of our strong players," Patton said. "Having our other attack players at the right place at the right time will be crucial."
According to Patton, Dartmouth's strategy is very simple: "We have to be consistent. We can't let our highs get too high or let our lows too low."
"Ball possession will be the key to determining the outcome of Saturday's game. In order to execute our plays, we need to control the ball and control it with confidence," senior co- Captain Mya Mangawang said. "Emotionally, we need to maintain composure and intensity . Overall we need to strike that all-important balance in order to beat Princeton -- the balance of playing with both head and heart."
