BURSTING ON THE SCENE: Princeton University women’s soccer player Mimi Asom, left, goes after a ball in 2015 action. Asom made quite a debut last fall, scoring 12 goals and four assists to help Princeton win the Ivy League title as it went 14-4-1 overall and 6-0-1 in conference play. Asom was named the Ivy Rookie of the Year and a second-team All Ivy selection. The Tigers open their 2016 campaign this weekend by hosting Fordham on August 26 and Villanova on August 28. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

As Sean Driscoll took the helm of the Princeton University women’s soccer team last fall, he could not have scripted a much better debut season.

After starting 2-3, the Tigers caught fire, going 12-1-1 the rest of the way, roaring to an Ivy League title with a 6-0-1 record in conference play and defeating Boston College 4-2 in the first round of the NCAA tournament before falling 3-0 to Southern Cal in a second round contest.

While Driscoll is proud of what the Tigers accomplished last season, he wants his players to put 2015 in the rear view mirror.

“We have also discussed with the team about not talking about last year; last year was last year,” said Driscoll, whose team starts its 2016 campaign by hosting Fordham on August 26 and Villanova on August 28.

“It is a different team, it is a different season. The mood is positive, the kids are excited to get back and play again. What we did last year was great. It was unexpected by many but we had a lot of confidence amongst ourselves. Ultimately, you never know what is going to transpire. There are so many moving parts. Last year worked out well for a couple of reasons. We didn’t have any major injuries and our chemistry was incredible; I think those were huge factors for us.”

Another huge factor in Princeton’s success last season was the production it got from senior Tyler Lussi (15 goals and five assists in 2015), the Ivy Player of the Year last season, and sophomore Mimi Asom (12 goals, 4 assists), the Ivy Rookie of the Year.

“They showed their worth last year and their quality, they both went on to play for the U.S. U-23 and U-20 teams in the off season so they were rewarded for all of their success during the fall,” said Driscoll.

“They are both extremely gifted players, they balance each other very well, they work well off of each other so it is a good combination to have. We also have other players on our roster that we will be able to spell between our upperclassmen and talented freshmen.”

Driscoll is expecting Lussi and Asom to provide even higher quality play this fall.

“Tyler is as diligent as they come, she is extremely focused; she is the hardest working forward I have coached in my career,” asserted Driscoll.

“She gives you great energy at both ends of the field and on top of that she runs as hard and as fast in the 90th minute as she does in the first. Mimi continues to be as talented of a back to the goal player that I have worked with. She is very good at using her body and she has a tremendous burst of speed. They balance each other out; Mimi plays with her back to the goal and Tyler is more of a slashing attacker. It is a really good one-two punch.”

In the midfield, senior Nicole Loncar (1 goal, 3 assists) and junior Vanessa Gregoire (4 goals, 8 assists), a first-team All-Ivy choice in 2015, figure to give the Tigers some punch.

“Nicole looks tremendous, she was off the charts on the fitness test,” said Drsicoll.

“She is just very fresh, she spent a lot of time working out this summer with our strength and conditioning coach. She is very
confident. Vanessa is doing well, she has a lot of tricks in her bag. She is a very cerebral player; she is a very high IQ soccer player. They both are and that is beneficial to the team.”

Versatile junior standout Natalie Larkin can be a force in the midfield or the back line for the Tigers.

“Natalie played out wide in the midfield and she will also play in the back as well, depending on who we are playing against,” said Driscoll of Larkin who tallied five goals and three assists last fall in earning second-team All Ivy honors.

“She can step up and she is very much an attacking wide back so it changes our complexion and attacking abilities when she plays in the back. She gives us another player higher up the field. It creates a lot of havoc when you have a wide back like that.”

Senior midfielder/defender Jesse McDonough (1 goal, 7 assists) is another key two-way performer who can be deployed all over the pitch.

“Jess is an incredible athlete and the most versatile player on the team,” asserted Driscoll.

“She played wide mid, wide back, and center mid last year and will be used across the back line this season and, if need be, against certain opponents, she could be used in the midfield.”

Acknowledging that the defense is a work in progress, Driscoll is welcoming back three veterans: junior Mikaela Symanovich, senior Haley Chow, and junior Katie Pratt-Thompson, who each gained extensive experience on the back line last fall.

In goal, Princeton returns senior Hannah Winner, who had 17 starts in 2105 with a goals against average of 1.23, along with junior Gudrun Valdis Jonsdottir, and Noelani Kong-Johnson, and adds freshmen Natalie Grossi and Kelli Calhoun.

“All five goalkeepers are being evaluated,” said Driscoll. “Hannah had a tremendous season last year and the team trusts her. One of the most noticeable differences has been the impact the goalkeepers have had on training so far. They are all pushing each other and, as a result, putting more pressure on the attacking players to find ways to beat them. It’s a very competitive and exciting atmosphere. Like every other position, we are taking inventory of all players and giving everybody a fair shake.”

As Driscoll goes through his second preseason camp guiding the Tigers, he feels everybody is on the same page.

“I think they feel more comfortable with us as a staff,” said Driscoll. “I think they understand the expectations as far as fitness levels, work rate, and attitude, on and off the field. There are a lot more players, a lot more bodies this year. We have 28 kids instead of the 23 that we had last year.”

In Driscoll’s view, the larger group of players is meshing well. “I think in order to have a good team you need to have good senior leadership and strength throughout that group and you must have a talented freshman class that prevents complacency,” said Driscoll.

“We have that component. We have good leaders; Tyler Lussi, Jesse McDonough, Vanessa Gregoire are the captains. We have some freshmen who are very, very good and who are going to really push the envelope. The second thing you need is health. We have the ability to rotate players better and I think it is going to allow us to stay healthier and more rejuvenated with every game. That will give us the ability in these two-game weekends to compete better.”

The Tigers will have to compete hard in opening weekend in order to get wins over Fordham and Villanova.

“We eked out a win at Fordham, we were very fortunate to get out of there with a win, it was a nail-biter to say the least,” noted Driscoll, reflecting on the 2-1 triumph.

“Last year when we played Villanova, that was the turning point in our season (a 3-1 win). We had a very good outing against them in the first half, which really changed the overall belief in the team because we were coming off a three-game losing streak at the time. Villanova has added numerous freshmen this year so they are going to be a much different looking team. They got a good result over the weekend, knocking off Delaware, who beat us last year. I expect us to be fired up and ready to play in a Friday night home opener. We have a very difficult challenge ahead of us this weekend as both teams are going to be hungry and improved. In addition, they have also had a chance to play in a couple of regular season games against quality opposition. We cannot wait to see our team compete again.”