Despite the three-goal deficit, Masini said that she was happy with Dartmouth's performance at the game.
"I think our team started strong in the first half," Masini said. "Princeton scored some quick goals in the second half, but overall I'm pleased with how everyone did."
Co-captain Maya Herm '13 agreed that the Big Green played well, especially given the caliber of its competition.
"I think we played really well," Herm said. "We kept them to one goal at half time. Unfortunately we had a low point in the second half, but overall Princeton was ranked number two in the nation, and we didn't allow a lot of progress out of their offense."
The Tigers (6-0, 1-0 Ivy) got off to a strong start early in the first half, scoring their first goal just over five minutes into the game. Neither team managed to score during the remainder of the first period, as the half ended with Princeton up, 1-0. However, once the second half began, the Tigers quickly tallied three more goals, giving them a 4-0 lead over the Big Green.
Just as Dartmouth fans began to lose hope, Masini scored for the Big Green off a penalty corner with 12 minutes to play. Janine Leger '15 assisted on the goal Masini's third of the season which also broke the Big Green's 215:35 scoreless streak. The streak dated back to the team's Sept. 2 game against Northeastern University.
For the first time this season, Dartmouth played a single goalkeeper for the entire game. Jenna Stearns '13 manned the net, turning aside seven shots, one more than Princeton's goalie Christina Maida.
Consistent with Stearns' performance, the defensive line made a strong effort against one of best offensive lines in the league, according to Masini.
"I think we had great experience in the backfield with good decision-making skills," Masini said.
Looking ahead this season, Masini says that the team is working on improving across several areas.
"We're mainly looking to improve our connectedness between the lines and creating more goal-scoring opportunities and capitalizing on those," Masini said.
Herm added that the team hopes to build stamina throughout its games.
"I think we'd like to improve our overall consistency in playing for 70 minutes," Herm said. "Yesterday we played the first half really well, but being able to play a whole game with minimal highs and lows is one of our goals. I think we've played some really hard, talented teams during these past few weeks."
The Big Green will next face off against Bryant University on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Chase Field. Masini said she expects the team to give a strong performance.
"I hope that we can come out and play strong for the full 70 minutes, and I hope everyone continues to improve off of last game," Masini said.
Herm agreed, but added that she is confident the Big Green is prepared for the challenge.
"I think if we play our game and our style of field hockey we'll be prepared," Herm said. "The same goes for our games next weekend against Brown [University] and [the College of the] Holy Cross."
