Columbia’s field hockey team (6-2, 2-0 Ivy) will seek to extend its six-game win streak when it hosts Ivy powerhouse No. 3 Princeton on Friday. The Tigers have won at least a share of the Ivy title in each of the last seven years, and will present the greatest challenge Columbia has faced so far this season.
But Light Blue head coach Marybeth Freeman is still confident the Lions can challenge Princeton.
“Looking forward to Princeton, we know that they are a very talented group of individuals but if we play together as a team, we’re definitely in contention to give them a quality competition,” Freeman said.
Princeton (7-1, 2-0 Ivy) has started off its season strong, with its lone loss coming against No. 2 Syracuse, 2-0. The Tigers have a number of impressive wins so far this season, including wins over No. 6 Penn State, No. 15 Wake Forest, and No. 21 Duke. Star senior striker Kathleen Sharkey, a member of the U.S. National Team, leads Princeton. Sharkey has 17 goals and five assists this season, and also leads the Tigers with five game-winning goals. Senior midfielder Katie Reinprecht, who leads the Tigers in assists with eight, is also a key player for Princeton—she has four goals on the season.
Freeman emphasized the Lions’ control of the midfield play as key for their chances in the game.
“I think that our transition through the midfield has been great. We need to continue to transfer balls through the midfield and find the seams to hit those balls to our forwards,” Freeman said.
The game will start at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Columbia Field Hockey Venue.
