With just one week left in the regular season for women’s soccer, the race to the Ivy title is shaping up to be closer than expected. For the first time in eight years Princeton has lead the Ivy conference, but Dartmouth and Penn are still vying for the first place title. Both Princeton and Dartmouth dominated this week, holding on to winning streaks of nine and five games respectively.
BROWN
Brown broke its five-game losing streak last Sunday against Cornell, winning 1-0 on a goal from junior Louisa Pitney. The win marked the Bears’ seventh shutout victory of the year. The problem that Brown has faced this season is that it has also been shut out for losses several times, lacking the offense needed to match those of Princeton and Dartmouth. Prior to defeating the Big Red, Brown lost 1-0 against Dartmouth and 1-4 against Harvard. Seeking redemption, the Bears take on the Crimson in a nonconference game this Wednesday.
CORNELL
One year failed to make a difference for Cornell, as it sits in last place in the Ivy division once again with the end of the season just around the corner. The Big Red has not won a game since its first season win against Lafayette in early October. Cornell dropped another pair of matches, with back to back shutout losses at the hands of Yale and Brown. In its final two games of the season, the Big Red will take on the top teams in the Ivy division, Princeton and Dartmouth.
DARTMOUTH
Amid a five-game win streak, Dartmouth currently holds on to second place in the Ivy division, three points behind leader Princeton. The Big Green has stayed close behind the Tigers, edging out close victories against its most recent opponents. Dartmouth continued its winning streak last Saturday, beating the Columbia Lions 1-0 with a goal from sophomore Tasha Wilkins. Freshman Corey Delaney earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors—her third time this season—for her game-winning assist to Wilkins. Delaney leads the Big Green in assists, in addition to contributing nine points on two goals and five assists. Dartmouth next faces Harvard on Sunday.
HARVARD
Harvard, last year’s reigning champion, fell 3-1 to Princeton, losing for the first time in six matches. Harvard looked strong heading into its match against the Tigers, scoring four goals against both Brown and Holy Cross, but saw firsthand why Princeton leads the Ivy conference. Despite Lauren Varela’s game-tying goal in the 69th minute, the Crimson team was unable to respond to Princeton’s two additional goals. Harvard will play Brown in a nonconference game on Wednesday.
PRINCETON
For the first time since 2004, Princeton sits atop the Ivy conference, showing no signs of letting up with two matches left in its regular season. The Tigers have won games by both large and small margins this season. Most recently, Princeton defeated Harvard and La Salle, 3-1 and 2-1 respectively. Rachel Sheehy was named Ivy League Player of the Week, after the first two-assist performance of her career helped the Tigers beat the Crimson. In its match against La Salle, Princeton put its winning streak on the line once more, this time against a formidable opponent in the Explorers, who had their own 10-game win streak going into the match. La Salle had not been defeated at home for nearly two years. The Tigers escaped with a 2-1 overtime win behind goals from sophomore Lauren Lazo, who tied the game in the 75th minute, and senior Jen Hoy, who tallied her 17th goal of the season.
PENN
The Quakers are still fighting for the Ivy League crown as the season comes to a close. Penn currently shares second place with Dartmouth, three points behind division leader Princeton. After dropping a 1-0 heartbreaker to Dartmouth on Oct. 13, the Quakers redeemed themselves against Yale, winning 2-0 on goals from sophomore Callan Parra and junior Kathryn Barth. Penn next faces Brown on Saturday.
YALE
The Bulldogs’ inconsistent play throughout the season has left them next to last in the conference standings. Yale has been unable to improve its position in the standings, and it’s costing them a chance at the Ivy title. The Bulldogs suffered a 2-0 loss last Saturday against Penn, which scored both of its goals in the second half. Consistent with how their season has gone, the Bulldogs were able to bounce back from their Penn loss, earning a 1-0 win against their in-state rivals, Fairfield, on Monday. Yale plays Columbia on Saturday in its second-to-last home game of the season.
