BUZZER BEATER: Princeton University field hockey player Sophia Tornetta heads upfield in recent action. Last Sunday, sophomore star Tornetta scored the winning goal in the last second of regulation as Princeton defeated Virginia 3-2 in the NCAA quarterfinals. The Tigers, now 12-7 overall, face Delaware in the NCAA semis on November 19 in Norfolk, Va. with the victor advancing to the title game on November 20. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

When the Princeton University field hockey team lost to Harvard and Cornell on consecutive weekends in late October, its hopes for a 12th straight Ivy League title were dashed.

Although the players were deeply disappointed, Princeton head coach Carla Tagliente felt a weight coming off their shoulders.

“You kind of felt like it flushed the system; it was very emotional and everyone got everything out,” said Tagliente.

“Then at that point, there is nothing to lose. It was coming up on the weekend and we knew we had a glimmer of a chance to get in the NCAA. For those two weeks, I think all of our thoughts were on outcomes which hadn’t been the case for most of the season and then after Cornell, they just shifted to just play for what we have got right now and just enjoy the last game.”

After rolling to a 6-1 win over Penn in the regular season finale, Princeton got a second life as it earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Tigers were sent to University Park, Pa. to play fourth-seeded Penn State (17-2) on November 12 in an opening round contest with the winner advancing to quarters the next day at the same site against the victor of the North Carolina-Connecticut semifinal.

“It was an incredible moment; it was very exciting and over the top euphoria for a lot of them,” said Tagliente, recalling the scene after the NCAA selection show. “I think they just appreciate the opportunity to play one more day together.”

Taking full advantage of that opportunity, Princeton won 2-1 over Penn State in the opening round and then edged Virginia 3-2 a day later in the NCAA quarter finals on a last second goal by Sophia Tornetta.

As a result, Princeton, now 12-7, earned a trip to the Final 4 in Norfolk, Va. where it will face Delaware in the national semis with the winner advancing to the championship game the next day. It is the program’s first appearance in the Final 4 since 2012, when it won the national title.

Having lost 4-2 to Penn State in regular season action, Princeton hit the field relaxed last Saturday, feeling that the pressure was on the Nittany Lions.

“They had come off a big 10 championship and had all the expectations,” said Tagliente.

“They had an incredible amount of weight on their shoulders; they are hosting. Our kids are just happy to be there. We had them in the mindset that we needed them to be in.”

Noting that Princeton had played well in the prior meeting between the teams on October 2 but was tired out from playing at Yale the day before, Tagliente focused on getting the Tigers to tighten things up defensively in the rematch.

“They are a very, very good team, the big thing we focused on was our pressing,” said Tagliente who got goals from Ryan McCarthy and Cat Caro in the win. “It was some of the best pressing we have had, not just from the front line but collectively and we just gave them a lot of trouble from the get go.”

A day later, Princeton got a chance to avenge another defeat as it faced Virginia in the quarters, nearly two months after falling 2-0 to the Cavaliers.

“The first game we outshot them and outcornered them; we should have won that game 4-2 and then this game they outshot us but we were highly efficient on our attack end,” said Tagliente.

“Going into the game we thought we could generate more attack. A big conversation point for us was locking down on Nadine de Koning and Lucy Hyams, they are two players who really generate a lot for them and they hurt us quite a bit the first time. It was also just getting better quality shots in the attack end. We didn’t have the quantity we wanted but credit these guys, they finished all of their opportunities.”

Tornetta’s last second game-winning tally will go down as one of the team’s better moments this year.

“Her goal should be on SportsCenter highlights, it is an incredible goal,” said Tagliente, who also got goals from Hailey Reeves and Caro in the win.

“I am happy for her because she has had a rough go of it this year with injuries. I don’t think she has had a moment this year where she feels 100 percent from the beginning. She is still working back. In the past week, her training has been great. What she does defensively in the front line, tackling back, is great. She made some clutch tackles in the defensive 25 but that goal for her is something she is never going to forget.”

Freshman goalie Grace Baylis and senior star Caro, the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, gave the Tigers some great work in both wins.

“Grace had a fantastic weekend, she got dinged twice against UVa but she had some big saves against Virginia and Penn State as well,” said Tagliente of Baylis who had five saves against Virginia and six stops in the win over Penn State.

“She has taken her game to a whole other level right now. Cat is like her name, she has got nine lives. She had a good weekend and at times she was fantastic.”

Seeing the Tigers stay alive in their unlikely run to the Final 4 has been a fantastic experience for the program.

“It is a little bit out of nowhere; it is incredible,” said Tagliente. “I am just happy for them to have the opportunity. Every team you coach, every program you are affiliated with, you want the best for them. This group is special. I have said it from the beginning, I can’t put my finger on it, but in 14 years I have never had a group that has this team chemistry and group dynamic. For sports people who want Xs and Os, that doesn’t mean much. I can tell you what it means, it is an intangible that you can’t measure. I would take the chemistry we have over five more star players on our team.”

For Tagliente, who took the helm of the Tigers this June after five years as the head coach at the University of Massachusetts and a stellar playing career at the University of Maryland, Princeton’s success this fall has a special meaning.

“As gracious as they have been and appreciative of us coming in, they have helped this transition go along,” said Tagliente.

“Obviously, I am proud of them but I am also grateful and thankful to them for this opportunity. For me as a coach, it is my first Final 4. As a player I have been to a few. I think it is different as coach, you don’t control as much as you want to control. You trust them to do it. I think watching them go through this process, watching this experience through their eyes, it is just incredible.”

Tagliente knows that the Tigers face an incredible challenge against Delaware, now 21-2, even though the Tigers beat the Blue Hens 4-2 on September 11.

“They are very, very good; I think the record reflects it and their body of work, who they have beaten, and where they are at,” said Tagliente.

“We need to continue to play really solid defense. Delaware is another team with a really strong attack and we have to limit their corners. Offensively we have been generating some great opportunities and we need to continue with that. Their record speaks volumes and I know our kids respect them.”

But in the final analysis, the key to Princeton’s success comes down to its kids continuing to play for each other.

“Right now we are in a good point,” said Tagliente. “I think they are very humble right now and appreciative of the opportunity. They just want to play together.”