Patience is a virtue; and when coupled with an effective strategy, the ability to execute, and timely delivery, it may be just the right key to a championship. The No. 5 Tigers pulled out the huge victory over the No. 1 Greyhounds by taking out their run and gun game. The No. 3 Team Defense had a handful of Tigers. Princeton out shot Loyola 19-7, controlled the DC 8-2 and were able to manage Suzanne Eyler and Rachel Shuck. "Princeton played well. They deserved to win.," commented Loyola Head Coach Diane Geppi-Aikens who also reserved her opinions on the officiating (6 yellow cards were dished out to Loyola in the 2nd half). Sophomore Elizabeth Pillion (Episcopal Academy, PA) led the Tiger storm with 2g. Senior Suzanne Eyler wrapped up a great season with a strong end-to-end 2-g performance.

The highly anticipated match-up between No. 1 Loyola and No. 5 Princeton lived up to its billing. The Dome was the perfect stage for the ultimate duke out between the two great houses of lacrosse: Princeton, the very thoughtful and patient team, and Loyola, the very passionate squad looking to cap off an emotionally charged season with the title. The run and gun vs. solid and steady balance created a half time 2-2 equilibrium. Princeton outscored Loyola in the second half 3-1. As the pace and tenor of the game picked up late in the second, trigger happy refs were giving out more cards than grandma at the holidays, and consequently sent the Tigers to the line. Despite the outcomes of the game, the tension, the desire, and the heart of the Loyola women was very palpable. The Princeton crew, under the keen and exacting tutelage of Coach Sailor, kept their composure and made some clutch real time adjustments like maintaining possession of the ball on free positions where they were unsuccessful in the first half. The Tigers were able to undermine the speed of the Greyhounds and beat them to the net. With the margin for error so tight, it was difficult for the Greyhounds to recover in house built of second half yellow cards. Defensively, both teams were tight on the rides and slides. The Becker-Eyler match up exceeded the hype. Loyola was unsuccessful to find the right line-up mix in the circle as several Greyhounds went head-to-head with Sherry for the draw.

Game detail
The Tigers maintained possession of the draw from the first whistle. Princeton settled the ball and moved it around on O and moved to a stack behind while challenging up top. The Tigers bobbled the ball, but maintained GBC. The looks to goal weren’t too convincing and you could almost predict a momentum shift with a caused turnover given the speed and fury of the Greyhounds. The Tigers managed two shots on goal and keeper Kim Lawton, who looked very sharp in the first half, save the second shot.

Junior Greyhound Rachel Shuck brought the ball behind and Senior Suzanne Eyler stayed opposite of the ball up top. The Shuck-Eyler ankle-busting combo were trying to generate some good looks down low, but were unsuccessful. Shuck rolled the crease and tried to get past Kolodner’s dimehole but turned up empty handed.

Tiger Theresa Sherry rolled her defender and got the lefty shot on goal and pinged Lawton on crown. The Princeton press was intense and eventually they were called for offsides at 22:17. Eyler, who has some of the best 1v1 steps today, got by Becker up top only to get crunched and checked in the hole. The turnover was the catalyst for the Tiger fast break. Tewaarton candidate Becker flew down field nearly 50+ yards and dished off to Whitney Miller who fired away top left at 8:38 (1-0).

Princeton gained possession of the draw and worked it to Sherry who got yet another shot on Lawton who then made a low right save. The Tigers followed up with a free position shot from Leigh Sloanaker as she hit the same low right corner Sherry had gone for just a few seconds earlier (2-0) at 9:41.

Loyola gained possession of the faceoff but threw it away down low on an overthrow from Shuck to Stephanie Walker from behind. The Greyhounds regained possession. Shuck started to leave tread marks on the crease after several attempts on the roll. She finally was able to get a shot off, but hit Kolodner below the belt. Loyola stepped up the pressure on the ride and was able to cause the turnover. With Shuck behind and Eyler working the help defense, the two were able to finally produce results with a free position. Eyler tried to take Becker up top again with the stutter step and Becker was called with the foul. Eyler did not waste the opportunity and demonstrated touch with a well-placed bouncer in the lower left corner at 14:15 (1-2). Princeton called a time out following the goal.

Princeton scored possession of the faceoff and the two teams traded possession several times off of saves and caused turnovers on the ride. Loyola defender Marianne Gioffre got carded as she clocked Sherry coming in from the top. Lawton came up huge with a stickside hip save. Loyola did not waste the possession. Defender Kristi Korrow got the equalizer as she rolled the left side of the crease and shot past Kolodner’s helmet with a lefty zinger at 19:59 (2-2). The teams continued to pressure each other and neither team scored for the remainder of the half. Princeton out shot Loyola 8-5 in the first half.

The Tigers would outscore the Greyhounds 3-1 in the second half and out shoot them 11-2. Princeton continued to dominate the draw and took possession at the top of the second half. Loyola put in Freshman keeper Cindy Nicolaus, which didn’t seem to make much sense at the time since Lawton was playing so well and making it difficult for the Tigers. The Greyhounds were able to get possession of the ball and Eyler continued to work hard for it. Eyler unleashed even more speed and got past Kolodner with a nasty shot that hit top left (3-2) at 3:17 which would mark the last time Loyola would score for the rest of the game. The Tigers maintained possession and you could tell that the Greyhounds were very hungry. Sara Shoaf picked up a yellow card for Loyola. Sophomore Elizabeth Pillion came up huge for the Tigers in the second half. She scored her goals back to back, the first on a free position from the second left hash, which hit lower right corner. Princeton would continue to get good looks on the cage and they were able to tame and retain the loose ball. Their ability to hold onto the ball just fueled the Greyhounds’ efforts to get the ball. Eyler played out of her mind from end to end, but was unable to rattle the Tigers. The Greyhounds sent Pillion to the line for a second time and she hit the bouncer down low (3-2) at 17:27.

Princeton maintained possession. If there were every any argument for a shot clock, the Princeton stall would be the ideal platform for the opposing counsel. What some call a stall; others call possession. The ability of Princeton to hold onto the ball coupled with the clock time running out sent the Greyhounds even more over the edge. At least four yellow cards were dished out to Loyola.

The Princeton offense pulled out so wide and kept moving the ball around that the sliding double finally got beat as Theresa Sherry was left wide open in front. Sherry didn’t waste the last look on goal as she unleashed a nasty shot that hit top left (5-3) at 28:38. One last yellow card was issued to Stephanie Walker with :25 seconds left in the game.

Princeton will face UVA in the final who is looking unbeatable. The Virginia defense thwarted the otherwise prolific Maryland offense and the offense is realizing its potential. The key for Princeton will be to keep playing the team defense and getting to the net first and more often than Virginia.