CAROLINA BLUES: Princeton University field hockey player Elise Wong heads up the field in recent action. Last Saturday, junior star Wong scored a goal to help Princeton defeat Virginia 3-2 in overtime in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. A day later, the Tigers’ season came to an end as they fell 3-2 to North Carolina in the NCAA quarters. The Tigers, who entered the tournament ranked 14th nationally, finished with a final record of 12-7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Playing North Carolina in the NCAA quarterfinals last Sunday, the Princeton University field hockey battled to the last second and beyond.

Trailing 3-2 but generating three penalty corners after time expired in regulation, 14th-ranked Princeton tried mightily to get the tying goal and force overtime but the fourth-ranked Tar Heels gamely held the fort and earned the victory and a spot in the Final 4.

Princeton head coach Carla Tagliente was proud of how her team battled to the bitter end as it ended the fall with a 12-7 record.

“You can’t really ask for more; we were two-for-three on corners at that point and I felt pretty good about it,” said Tagliente.

“They played with desperation with everyone in front of the goalie; there were a lot of bodies. We fought well; it is just small margins in games like that. It could have gone either way but unfortunately, we didn’t come out on the right side.”

A day earlier, the Tigers were on the right side of a close game as they edged host fifth-ranked Virginia 3-2 in overtime in an opening round contest.

The Tigers trailed 2-1 in the second half, but senior Ryan McCarthy was determine to extend her career as she scored the game-tying goal and then banged home the game winner in the second extra session.

“Ryan was really opportunistic; she was very good on the defensive end as well,” said Tagliente.

“On that last goal, it was a collective effort. It was Elise Wong and Clara Roth putting pressure on Tara Vittese, their top attacker, in our defensive circle. Ryan came on the back door and got it on her stick and ran 100 yards the other way with the ball. It started from that defensive effort.”

Sophomore goalie Grace Baylis produced a stellar effort in win, making nine saves.

“She had a really big game. There was one save in particular in overtime,” said Tagliente.

“Tara Vittese was going against the grain and had a backhand shot and Grace was moving in one direction and lunged in the other direction and saved it with her toenail on her left foot. It was a really challenging save and I think that gave us a little momentum and kept us in the game.”

Against UNC, Princeton struggled to get momentum as it trailed 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 at various points.

“It hurt us a little bit, not just going down once but going down three times and chasing the game that much,” said Tagliente.

“I think we did have a little wind taken out of our sails. The second goal was controversial; it hit both posts and was lying on the goal line and they called it a goal. Bad breaks like that take a little bit to overcome. I was happy we were able to get it back and level it at two but to come back a third time was tough.”

While the loss to the Tar Heels was a tough way to end the fall, the positives outweighed the negatives.

“Going undefeated in the Ivies is a pretty big feat and the UVa game was a superb game in our part; I am really proud of the team for that,” said Tagliente.

“Maybe we didn’t go as far as last year (making the Final 4) but I do think the team is farther along. How you finish the season isn’t always indicative of how good your season was. In the NCAAs, it is small margins. It is a testament to these guys, a Final 4 followed up by an undefeated Ivy season and a NCAA quarterfinal appearance is two really good seasons. I think we have a great foundation coming back and we can build on this.”

With Princeton welcoming back such standouts as sophomore Maddie Bacskai, junior Nicole Catalino, junior Sophia Tornetta, junior Jane Donio-Enscoe, freshman Julianna Tornetta, freshman Mary Kate Neff, and freshman Emma Street along with junior Wong, freshman Roth, and sophomore Baylis, there is a really good base of talent on hand.

“The offseason is the time to tap into what we have and develop some more people and really tap some people for attacking corner specialist opportunities,” said Tagliente.

“That is what we did with Ryan and we will look to do that with more players this year. I couldn’t be happier with the freshman class and their production.”

Tagliente is happy with the intangibles provided by her senior class, which included Danielle Duseau, Rachel Park, Lexi Quirk, and former Princeton Day School standout Sarah Brennan along with McCarthy.

“They may not have had the time or the minutes on the field but they have been a really great group over the past two seasons,” said Tagliente.

“It isn’t easy when only one of five played significant minutes. Behind the scenes, they have provided a lot of the backbone of our leadership for this team. A team isn’t made up of one or two people and it can go either way. It can tear you apart or they can support you. I can’t say enough about that group.”