GAIL FORCE: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Abigail Roberts, left, goes after the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, junior defender Roberts came with up six draw controls, two ground balls, and one caused turnover to help Princeton defeat Harvard 20-6 in its Ivy League opener. The Tigers, who have won five games in a row and are now 5-1 overall, play at Rutgers (5-2) on March 12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

The Princeton University women’s lacrosse team thought it could have a pretty good defense this year.

Dylan Allen and Abigail Roberts were two of the main reasons.

The juniors help spearhead a Tigers defense that has clamped down on its last three opponents. After allowing nearly 14 goals per game in their first three contests, Princeton has allowed just 17 total goals in its last three games combined.

“Making those slight changes in-game that can help us be successful and get the ball back over to the attacking side has been really good,” said Allen. “I think changing our mindsets from not only just not letting other teams score on us, but also just if we can cause turnovers and get the ball to the offensive side so they can score goals and get those points, that really helps us.”

Princeton coach Jenn Cook felt like the returning experience at the defensive end would allow the Tigers to throw some different looks at teams, and that has been the case. Princeton has switched its looks to keep opponents guessing.

“We have held our other opponents to pretty few goals, which has been great,” said Roberts. “And just the seven of us down there willing to really lean into what isn’t maybe the most comfortable defense and just following the game plan has been super helpful.”

Princeton allowed three goals to Harvard in the first quarter of their Ivy League opener Saturday, but still held a 5-3 lead. That lead swelled as Princeton allowed only three goals the rest of the way and shut out the Crimson in the second quarter on their way to a 20-6 rout. Princeton improved to 5-1 overall, earning its fifth straight win since losing 13-11 to Virginia in the season opener.

“We’ve made it our mission to make a statement with every single game we play,” said Allen. “I think coming off of the UVA loss – that’s one of the top teams in the country and has been for the last like, decade — but we came out that game on the other side and we were like, ‘We’ve got to turn the switch now, we need to let everyone in the country know we are here to compete.’ I think Harvard’s a great team — we respect them and we wanted to come in hot and we did so in a great way.”

Princeton forced 12 turnovers against the Crimson, all in the first three quarters to amass a big lead on the scoreboard. The offense was in top gear too with a season-high in goals. Jami MacDonald tied a program record for points in a game with 10 on a balanced five goals and five assists. McKenzie Blake was overshadowed but remarkable as well with five goals and an assist and Maggie Molnar had a hat trick. Amelia Hughes stopped 11 shots in goal. The final was in stark contrast to last year’s when Harvard took Princeton to overtime before the Tigers won.

“We have really been playing our game and just showing other teams what we’re capable of,” said Roberts. “I think we’re excited to do that with Harvard and everyone just did their job right from the get-go. We didn’t want to give them a single second to kind of get their foot in the door. The first quarter was the closest it was, and then after that we really ran away with the game.”

Princeton will try to keep its momentum going in a game at a surging Rutgers team on March 12. The Scarlet Knights, now 5-2, are coming off a win over a ranked Stony Brook team and a win over Hofstra.

“It’s actually one of my favorite games of the year,” said Allen, who is from Hackensack. “We’ve play them every year since my freshman year, and I think it’s like the Battle of Jersey Bowl. It’s always a really fun game. It gets pretty chippy, and I appreciate that. They’re tough competition, so it’s fun.”

It’s the final game before a road contest at Towson on March 21, and another chance for the Tigers to improve their defense.

“We talk about communication is always obviously going to be something we harp on,” said Allen. “We might be able to start off the game talking the whole time and as we’re getting more tired into the game we start getting quieter and that’s never something we want to do. So just communicating throughout the whole game and also, if a team’s coming in and they score the first three goals on us, we’re like we need to make a change right now. Making the change not after three goals but making it after one. Not waiting.”

That’s where the Tigers hope to utilize their increasing experience to help solidify their end even more. Princeton has looked steadily more dominant each game.

In Saturday’s win, Roberts also helped Princeton command a 17-13 edge in draw controls. She had six draws, trailing only Sophie Whiteway for the Tigers. Roberts’ 28 draw controls leads the team this year, and it’s a hugely important piece of what she brings.

“One thing that’s been great this year on the draw is a lot of consistency,” said Roberts. “Some years I’ve been on the team, we’ve rotated four or five girls through our draw taker role, which when you’re losing so often, you really don’t have a choice but to switch things up. But with Sophie and Colette [Quinn] and Maggie Bacigalupo on the draw, mostly Sophie and Colette and sometimes Maggie when we need a different look, it’s just been nice having a lot of consistency.”

Roberts has been a huge asset on the draw and in her defensive role, something that might not have been expected when she arrived. She was a walk-on out of Independent Schools League power Noble & Greenough in Massachusetts before seeing her role grow each season.

“I came in with pretty low expectations,” said Roberts, a 5’5 native of Wellesley, Mass. “Lacrosse for me has always been here for a good time, not a long time. So, I wasn’t super worried about my performance or my playing time. I was just honestly so happy to be part of a team and out there with my friends that I didn’t care too much. I got into eight games, and I was ecstatic. I was really on top of the world.”

Princeton moved her out of the midfield to defense after her freshman season. She blossomed into a second team All-Ivy defender in 2024 who was second on the team in draw controls (46) and led the team in caused turnovers (23).

“One thing I really struggled with freshman year was having to learn both sides of the ball to such a high extent,” said Roberts. “And honestly, I don’t think I was doing great at it, which maybe was holding me back from being like the midfielder I could have been, which is fine because now I play defense. I love it. I had a great sophomore season and so now this year, I guess personally I’m just trying to live up to what I was able to accomplish last year and hopefully past that.”

Allen is also on a great trajectory for the Tigers. She made a handful of starts as a freshman, then appeared in 15 games last year, starting six of them. She caused four turnovers, a number that she’s already more than doubled in the early going this year. She’s trying to be supportive of less experienced teammates this year and improve her own play.

“For me it’s always been about staying calm and feeling confident in my abilities,” said Allen. “I think obviously when you’re an underclassman, you come in a little bit nervous. I didn’t get my opportunities to show up on the field. But I think my role this year has been a lot more of a leadership role. Just being comfortable in those shoes, I know the systems, I know the game plan. I know my teammates trust me and lean on me for support.”

Allen can use her own experiences to help groom the underclass players. She went through it just a couple of years ago and now can help bring them along in her leadership role.

“Just letting them know, we’ve all been in their shoes, like it’s nothing new,” said Allen. “We know there’s a lot being thrown at you and it’s OK to get lost sometimes. Just being there and supporting them if they have questions, making them feel comfortable asking. Or if they need to go in for extra film sessions, things like that, I think I can really help create a better environment for learning and learning at a quick speed, which I know is expected of them.”

Allen and Roberts are key parts of a veteran defensive core that has put their lessons into practice for a Princeton team that has grown stingier with each game, holding opponents in check to build a winning streak.