TURNING THE TABLES: Princeton University field hockey player Sophia Tornetta races up the field in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, freshman midfielder Tornetta scored two goals to help 16th-ranked Princeton upset No. 5 Maryland 3-1 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. In late September, Princeton had lost 3-1 to the Terps in a regular season contest. On Sunday, the Tigers couldn’t get the offense going as they fell 5-0 to No. 2 Syracuse in the NCAA quarterfinals. The defeat left Princeton with a final record of 11-7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

When the Princeton University field hockey team played at Maryland in late September, it fell behind 2-0 on the way to a 3-0 loss at the hands of the Terps.

Last Saturday, the teams met for a rematch in the opening round of the NCAA tournament at Syracuse and Princeton head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn had the sense that her squad was primed for the challenge.

“We are just a very different team than we were in September,” said Holmes-Winn.

“Our platform is trying to get better every day. If we stay true to that, we will be a different team in November and that’s what we brought to the field on Saturday.”

Things were much different in round two as 16th-ranked Princeton jumped out to a 2-0 lead by halftime and held off No. 5 Maryland to earn a 3-1 victory.

“We had four freshmen start at the beginning of the season and I think the big difference for us is that they are not freshmen any more,” said Holmes-Winn.

“They played like upperclassmen on Saturday and that is what we needed in order to come away with a win.”

Freshman midfielder Sophia Tornetta played exceptionally well in the win, tallying two goals.

“She is the engine on our team, she really runs the midfield, literally and figuratively,” said Holmes-Winn of Tornetta, the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and a first-team All-Ivy selection who had five goals and nine assists in regular season play.

“It is just end-to-end play with an incredible work rate and a very good understanding of how she can be helpful on both sides of the ball. She just does it, she doesn’t hesitate. She had been pivotal for us all year.”

Tiger veterans came through when another freshman standout, All-Ivy defender Elise Wong, went down with an injury early in the Maryland contest.

“Our back line, Kate Ferrara, Debi Jantzen, Cat Caro, and goalie Anya Gersoff were spectacular,” asserted Holmes-Winn.

“The players adapted and adjusted really well against Maryland. We were able to sustain pressure but also create really good chances. It was a great performance.”

The win snapped a five-game losing streak for Princeton against Maryland as it advanced to the NCAA quarters for the 14th time.

“We try not to think too much about history, you have to go into the game and give your best and sometimes it is enough and sometimes it isn’t,” said Holmes-Winn.

“We had to put our best effort forward. We thought a lot about our recovery, making sure that we can be as clear-minded as possible and as physically ready as possible. We try to bring that to the field every match so on that day, our best was enough.”

A day later, though, Princeton’s best was not nearly good enough as it fell 5-0 to No. 2 Syracuse.

“We gave a good effort but Syracuse was just too good; I think our youth kind of came through on Sunday,” said Holmes-Winn, whose team was outshot 28-6 by the Orange in the defeat as it ended the fall with an 11-7 record.

“Syracuse was really able to pick us apart, we just could never get the pressure on the ball that we needed to. I think that was partly mental, that was partly physical. They were just really classy; that was the best performance I have seen at the collegiate level in my entire time coaching. I think they would have beaten the national team. They were just so good on Sunday, they are a very, very good team and they really put it together. It was an exceptional performance by Syracuse, we just couldn’t keep up.”

Reflecting on the season overall, Holmes-Winn was proud of how things came together for the Tigers.

“I think we started the season 20th in the country and finished eighth, which is huge,” said Holmes-Winn.

“Our RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is eighth in the country right now, that shows great progress over the season. I loved how our seniors (Teresa Benvenuti, Maddie Copeland, Saskia deQuant, Ferrara, Gersoff, and Jantzen) all developed over the course of the season. Each one of them emerged in different ways to help us. Our ultimate goal is to maximize our potential in a season and I think we absolutely did that. I am very proud of the team, they put everything into it, which is all that I could ask as their coach.”

Looking ahead, Holmes-Winn believes that the Tigers have the potential to do some big things next fall.

“I think we have an incredible class coming in and some sensational players returning,” asserted Holmes-Winn.

“I think we have reason to be very optimistic for the future. We have really hard workers. I just have so much faith in that; I just know that they are going to put the work in. To not have to worry about that is a good place to be for sure.”