University of Albany: Van Rijswijk’s Game-Winner Sends No. 12 Field Hockey Past Princeton - UAlbany Sports 2014

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports

ALBANY, N.Y. – University at Albany field hockey (7-2) earned its first program win over the Princeton Tigers on Saturday afternoon by a score of 2-0. Fiori Van Rijswijk tipped in a penalty corner shot by Paula Heuser for the game-winner.

“The word we’ve been talking about all season is “adversity,”” said head coach Phil Sykes. “This is a Princeton team that has won a national championship and had a number of Olympians. We’ve challenged ourselves on the road, and it’s nice to pick up a win over a team with that kind of tradition on our home field.”

The first half got off to a good start for UAlbany, taking a 3-1 shot advantage early on. Kelly Bonner broke through the back line on a pass from Emily White 20 minutes into the game, but couldn’t find the cage on a one-on-one with the Princeton keeper.

The Tigers responded with three shots and a penalty corner of their own, but Maxi Primus kept the UAlbany goal locked down despite the pressure on the back line. Princeton took a 4-0 advantage on penalty corners into the break.

Both teams kept substitutions ready on a hot day in Albany, but Princeton took advantage of a brief momentum shift in less than 20 minutes into the second half. The Tigers had a shot blocked; great tackles from Jaclyn Hibbs and Jordyn Homyak kept shutout hopes alive for the Great Danes.

UAlbany called a timeout of its own to regroup after a Tigers rally in the circle. The stoppage of play translated into the Purple & Gold’s first penalty corner of the game with seven minutes remaining in regulation.

Pahila Arnold had her shot blocked off the corner, but UAlbany earned a second penalty corner on the rebound. Van Rijswijk inserted, and took her place in front of the net as Heuser fired from the top of the circle on a stop from Laura Page. The sophomore midfielder scored her third goal of the season, while Page tallied her seventh assist of 2014.

Bonner found herself open in front of the cage again late in regulation. The senior forward was taken down in the circle with a wide open net, earning the Great Danes a penalty stroke. Heuser stepped up and fired into the lower left corner for the assurance goal. The German native has 10 goals on the season, and notched her 70th career point against the Tigers.

Despite earning a 16-game-low two penalty corners, the Great Danes made the most of their opportunities and have won four of their last five games.

Maxi Primus made three saves in the cage, and recorded her sixth shutout of the season to set a new program single-season record. The sophomore ranks second all-time in shutouts with 14 in her career.

UAlbany continues its four-game homestand with Siena (0-8) on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 3:00 p.m. Phil Sykes’s squad opens America East play against UMass Lowell on Saturday, Oct. 4.