REAR GUARD: Princeton University field hockey player Elise Wong guards the circle last Friday as 15th-ranked Princeton opened its season by hosting No. 1 North Carolina. Sophomore star Wong helped the Tiger defense hold the fort in a 2-1 loss to the Tar Heels. Two days later, Wong and Princeton topped Bucknell 5-2 to improve to 1-1 and earn their first win under new head coach Carla Tagliente. In upcoming action, the Tigers host No. 9 Albany on September 9 and No. 14 Delaware on September 11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

After starring at center back last fall in her freshman season with the Princeton University field hockey team, Elise Wong has moved up the field as a defensive midfielder in her second college campaign.

For Wong, a 2015 first-team All-Ivy League performer with six assists, the transition to her new spot has been seamless.

“It is exciting, it is something new, something fresh,” said Wong. “I am comfortable where I was last year but it is a nice new challenge that I am happy to take on.”

Last Friday, 15th-ranked Princeton faced a major challenge as it hosted No. 1 North Carolina in its season opener. The game was scoreless for most of the first half until UNC scored on a penalty corner with no time remaining. The Tar Heels took a 2-0 lead 15 minutes into the second half but the Tigers rallied back, cutting the lead in half on a goal by Ryan McCarthy with 1:37 left in regulation. With time running out, the Tigers generated a penalty corner but couldn’t convert as they fell 2-1.

While Wong was disappointed by the result, she was proud of Princeton’s defensive effort.

“We worked really hard on it this whole week, staying strong and having a pride with our defense,” said Wong.

“I think we really brought that out today over the whole field, from the forwards to our backs to our goalie in the cage, Grace Baylis. She was amazing.”

Fighting hard all over the field to the final whistle, the Tigers nearly pulled off an amazing finish.

“I am really proud of this team for battling back, even when we were down 2-0,” asserted Wong.

“It really showed our character and our heart. We were missing two of our key players (senior star Cat Caro and sophomore striker Sophia Tornetta) and everybody really stepped up. We had a lot of Tiger pride out there. I think that we just need to keep that intensity that we had in those last two minutes, bottle that, and do that for 70 minutes.”

Two days later, Princeton showed good intensity, beating Bucknell 5-2 to give head coach Carla Tagliente her first win at the helm of the program.

In Wong’s view, the Princeton players have adjusted well as Tagliente took the reins from Kristen Holmes-Winn this summer.

“It is definitely different but our team has taken it in stride and I think we are really excelling under the new leadership,” said Wong.

“I think we are really going back to basics; getting the simplest things that you can do and doing those the best that you can.”

Tagliente, for her part, liked the way her players gave their best in the opener.

“We had some kids play a lot of minutes and they had to gut it out a little bit and play longer minutes than we wanted; I thought their effort was there,” said Tagliente, noting that the Tigers missed the all-around contributions of Caro and Tornetta.

“We talked at the second timeout; it is 2-0 down and if we score one, we have got 12 minutes to score a goal to really make it a run. You could really see the difference in the momentum at that point. It just needed to happen a little sooner, that is all. We were set up to tie it at the end, you can’t ask for more.”

The Tigers produced a gutsy defensive effort in thwarting the Tar Heels for much of the contest.

“We are not deep back there we have a group of solid defenders,” said Tagliente. “We probably gave up a few too many corners down the stretch, part of that is not necessarily on them; it is what was happening in the lines leading up.”

Junior Ryan McCarthy made things happen for the Tigers at the offensive end.

“I told her to relax, she is dangerous if she has the ball; you are not dangerous if you don’t have it,” said Tagliente of McCarthy, who contributed a goal and an assist in the win over Bucknell with Caro, Tornetta, freshman Krista Hoffman, and senior Ellen Dobrijevic chipping in one goal apiece against the Bison.

“I said just dial it down; your 80 percent is faster than anybody else’s 100. The next thing you know, the ball breaks and she is off and going. She made the adjustment and that was a big thing for her. If she plays within herself, she can do some really good things. She had the big shot at the end with a blind shot.”

Tagliente enjoyed her Princeton debut, notwithstanding the final score. “My nerves are fine; I am not nervous,” said Tagliente.

“I just want them to do well because I think they deserve it, they have been working hard. I am into it as much as they are. I am a competitor, I wanted that last one to go in and play for an overtime win but I am good.”

In Tagliente’s view, that hard work is going to translate into success for the Tigers.

“We are going to do really well this year and moving on,” said Tagliente, whose team hosts No. 9 Albany on September 9 and No. 14 Delaware on September 11.

“These guys have the ability to learn quickly and they want to be great. I think when we are healthy and get everyone back, we will be contending.”

Wong, for her part, believes that a focus on getting everyone to work together is a key to Princeton being a title contender.

“One of our themes this year is that we are going to make everyone else around us be the best that we can be all the time,” said Wong.

“So it is not just improving yourself but improving the person next to you. I want to help my teammates and they are helping me.”