Oct. 2, 2005

Box Score

PRINCETON, N.J. - The No. 15 Villanova field hockey team (10-2, 2-0 Big East) beat the Princeton Tigers (5-5) Sunday in a seesaw match ending with a 3-2 win in New Jersey. A huge defensive effort was the key to the game which saw five goals in the first half and none in the second.

`Nova began the scoring with a goal off of a penalty corner. Lauren Campanelli (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) took the ball on the line passing to Sara Schmidt (Mullica Hill, N.J./Wilmington Friends) who stopped it. Stephanie Campbell (Gibbsboro, N.J./Eastern Regional) then fired the shot past goalkeeper, Allison Nemeth, to make it 1-0.

Princeton then answered with a shot of its own as Hillary Schmidt controlled the rebound to sneak the ball past Erin Scott (Malvern, Pa./West Chester East). Catherine Somits (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) wouldn't allow the deadlock for long however. Positioned on the right side of the goal, she tipped Campbell's shot in to make the score 2-1 midway through the half.

The Tigers didn't give up as Sarah Reinprecht took a shot from the top of the circle and Katie Kinzer snagged the tip to surprise Scott and tie it up.

Nearing the end of the first half, Rory Rogers (Rosemont, Pa./Sacred Heart Academy) took matters into her own hands and backed the ball in against the Tiger defense. Faking in the middle of the circle, Rogers turned to her left and hit an off balance shot past Nemeth to put `Nova up by one. This goal was Roger's eleventh on the season and the game winner.

The second half displayed a huge Villanova effort as the Wildcats held onto their slim lead despite being on defense almost the entire half. Princeton had many opportunities to score, but every time the `Nova defense came up with a big block or save.

Villanova held no advantage in statistics with thirteen shots and six penalty corners to Princeton's seventeen and nine. Nemeth took the loss for the Tigers with five saves, while Scott tallied the win and four saves.

The Wildcats are back in action on Wednesday, October 5th at Monmouth at 4:00 p.m.