Big Weekend for Sports

What a great weekend for Princeton sports. As I sit here in my hotel room in North Carolina, I regret the fact that I can't see the men's soccer team play tonight. But tomorrow, I have the great opportunity and privilege to see the field hockey team play in the Final Four.

Tonight at 7 p.m. at Roberts Stadium, the men's soccer team takes on Bucknell in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. This is Princeton's first appearance in the tourney since 2001. The Ivy League is well represented in this year's tournament: Harvard, Brown and Dartmouth are also competing. Recently, four of Princeton's five starting defenders earned All-Ivy honors. No doubt, solid defense will be crucial in tonight's matchup.

Tomorrow at 2 p.m. in Winston-Salem, NC, the No. 4 field hockey team will battle against No. 1 Maryland in the Final Four. Earlier this season, the Terrapins narrowly defeated the Tigers by a 3-2 margin in overtime. To be sure, Princeton has improved its overall game since that matchup on October 7.

This season, the Tigers have displayed consistency on both offense and defense. Recently, sophomore midfielder Katie Reinprecht and freshman midfielder Julia Reinprecht were named Ivy League Player of the Year and Ivy League Rookie of the Year, respectively. Princeton will look to the Reinprecht sisters to jumpstart the offense at Kentner Stadium tomorrow.

That's all for now. Good luck to both the men's soccer team and the field hockey team. Go Tigers!