The Crimson laxwomen fell asleep during the opening minutes of Saturday's game at Princeton and woke up too late in the first half to stop the offensive momentum that carried the Tigers to a 10-6 victory in New Jersey.

The Princeton team lost no time in getting off to a hot start. The first Tiger goal came when the defense hit the first home with a sharp pass while she was moving to the front of the cage. She snagged the pass and scored on a left-handed shovel shot.

Crimson attack wing Cat Ferrante put in Harvard's first tally after the Harvard defense managed to move the ball to within scoring range. Veering as she caught the ball, the agile Ferrante led her defender too far left, and then shot down into the right corner of the cage, before the slower player could recover.

Quick Stick

On the only other first-half tally for Harvard, senior Ellen Seidler quick-sticked the ball in, but only after she had aggressively outreached two defenders to haul down a pass from Sarah Mleczko, who had positioned herself behind goal to wait for Seidler's cut.

Willing to wait for the right moment, the Tigers forced the Crimson to make crucial mistakes that cost them goals. The Princeton squad seemed to anticipate every move the laxwomen tried to execute. In an impressive display of heads-up lacrosse, the Tiger offense forced a turnover by the Crimson defense and fed the ball right back in for an easy score. The Princeton defense made all the key interceptions and stickchecks they needed to thwart the Crimson's attack.

Down 6-2 at half-time, the Harvard team switched into gear for the second half and matched the Tigers goal for goal. But the Princeton defense refused to relax and allow Harvard to catch up. The Crimson could not find any way to move consistently by its opponents and instead found itself clogging up the area around the goalcage rather than spreading out and making the necessary passes.

Taking Advantages

"Teams we have played have been quick to capitalize on our mistakes and slow starts. We seem to play much better under pressure, but it takes us all too long to get our concentration focused in on our individual opponent," captain Cynthia Jensen said.

The Crimson will play its next game at home on Tuesday afternoon when Yale comes to visit. This contest and the team's last home game, Wednesday against Dartmouth, should provide a tune-up for the New England Championships, scheduled for next weekend.