SIX SHOOTER: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player McKenzie Blake heads to goal in recent action. Last Saturday, senior attacker Blake scored six goals to help Princeton edge Cornell 12-11 and post its ninth straight win. The No. 5 Tigers, now 9-1 overall and 3-0 Ivy League, host Stony Brook on April 9 and Columbia on April 12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

McKenzie Blake is off to a great start to her senior season with the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team.

But it’s more about the finish, which the Blake and the Tigers got a little reminder of in last Saturday’s 12-11 win at Cornell.

“This has been definitely a really good start to the season,” said Blake, who tallied six goals in the victory. “But you know coming with that we can’t let up and I think that’s definitely something that is in the back of all our minds with the Ivy League tournament and NCAA tournament — definitely that’s the number one priority.”

Blake scored four of her six goals as the Tigers roared out to a 9-1 halftime lead over Cornell. But in the second half, the Big Red rallied and scored the final five goals of the game to put some pressure on Princeton.

“We knew the game was going to be a battle and Cornell came out determined in the third quarter,” said Princeton head coach Jenn Cook. “We just need to make sure we stay focused for the full 60 minutes.”

The dramatic difference in play in each half was a reminder to Princeton that they can’t let up, not after winning their ninth straight game after losing the season opener, and not after going up 9-1 in a game like they did at Cornell.

“In the fourth quarter we definitely didn’t play our best,” said Blake. “I think we weren’t executing the game plan as well as we would have liked, but I think ultimately, they were playing great and we kind of just slowed down, which obviously you can never do, especially in an Ivy League game. Those are always going to be close. So I think we just started off strong, trailed off a little bit, but you know came out with a win.”

Princeton, now ranked fifth nationally in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, is the lone unbeaten in Ivy play. The Tigers are 3-0 in the Ivies, one game up in the loss column on Brown and Penn, both of whom they have yet to play. Princeton has a mid-week non-conference game before resuming Ivy action. They will host Stony Brook on April 9 and Columbia on April 12.

“We’ve only played Stony Brook once since I’ve been here and was my freshman year, and they were obviously a really good team then, and they’re still a really good team,” said Blake. “Obviously, I think going into this game we know that it’s going to be probably a physical, really fast-paced game. I think that’s something that will be really fun about it. But I do think we’re going to have to show up mentally locked in.”

Stony Brook has traditionally been known for its tough defense, and they rank sixth in the country in goals per game allowed. They will be the next team trying to figure out how to slow down a Princeton squad that ranks third nationally at 16.44 goals per game.

“Familiarity plays a big role,” said Cook, in assessing her team’s offensive prowess. “The players have spent more time together and have grown and matured and that brings a level of comfort, confidence, and chemistry with each other.”

Blake has been a steady scorer throughout her career, but her numbers have taken leaps in the last two years. After scoring 67 goals in 18 games last season, she’s off to a torrid start this season with 50 goals in 10 games, which leads the country in goals per game.

“It’s been a lot of fun No. 1, but I think a lot of it has to do with my teammates,” said Blake. “I think Haven Dora and Jami MacDonald are both two great assisters. Their eyes are always in the middle. They can always find my stick even when there’s a little bit in traffic, which is great. I think that kind of goes off the chemistry. A lot of my goals are assisted, which has a lot to do with them.”

Blake’s scoring this year has hit another new level. Last year, she had six games with five goals. She also had four games with two or fewer goals, and Princeton lost two of those games. This year, she’s been held under three goals just once (in a 20-4 blowout win over Hofstra) and five times she’s scored six or more goals in a game. And while she credits her teammates for much of her scoring, the increase is also a part of stepping up as a senior.

“I think definitely I’m coming into more of a senior leadership role,” said Blake. “I kind of want to be a more consistent presence on the field. I think that’s something I’ve had bits and pieces of. I’ve had good games here and there last year and in years past. I’m really priding myself this year though on showing up every game consistently in whatever way that is, whether that’s on the draw control circle, whether that’s on the offense side of the ball, but whatever it is, definitely showing up in a more consistent way.”

The Haddonfield product has been the top finisher for Princeton and brought her skill set to the offense that has developed into one the best in the country.

“She is a leader on our offensive end,” said Cook of Blake. “Her confidence and understanding that despite getting a lot of defensive attention, she still has the skill and lacrosse IQ to make plays. She sets such a high standard for herself and her teammates that it makes everyone around her better.”

On Saturday, another six-goal effort helped Princeton knock off Cornell in a game that could have torn her brother’s rooting interests. Aidan Blake is a graduate student at Duke now after playing for Cornell for four years.

“I would like to think he was pulling for me,” said McKenzie of Blake. “We did a pretty good job of supporting each other when he was at Cornell. I was always rooting for Cornell men’s lacrosse and he was always rooting for Princeton women’s lacrosse, which I think is nice. You have to throw the ‘men’s’ or ‘women’s’ in front of it, but I would say he was rooting for me today, which is nice.”

He’ll be pulling for a big finish for his sister too. Princeton is focused on continuing to build on its fast start. The top four teams will play in the Ivy postseason tournament, with the No. 1 seed hosting the tournament. The league is as tight as ever with six of the eight teams having two losses or fewer.

“I have always said that the league gets less recognition than it deserves,” said Cook. “Last week we had the second highest RPI (rating percentage index) of any conference outside the ACC. Every team is playing really well this year and it could be any combination of teams that make the Ivy tournament. It’s great to see the parity. Our goal is to take each game at a time and focus on ourselves and not worry too much about standings or rankings. Our focus every week is that we need to earn the right to play in that tournament.”

And the Tigers are getting the best of every team. Princeton has knocked off Harvard, Yale, and Cornell already in league play and has only lost to Virginia outside of the conference. The Tigers are adjusting to being atop the standings again.

“In the previous years we’ve had a little bit more of an underdog mentality, which fueled us in a different way,” said Blake. “And I do think after having a couple of good wins, that is a confidence boost. Teams are coming after us, they’re having us circled on their calendar. We’re getting the recognition I think we really have deserved over the past couple of years. We just have to know that we can’t fall, any game that is close we can’t fall. We have to keep rising, which I think we have done a pretty good job of this season.”