Princeton, TCNJ have shots at national titles
They both had to put in a little extra time, but The College of New Jersey now only needs two more wins and Princeton University needs three.
Those would give each women’s soccer team a national title.
TCNJ, ranked No. 1 nationally, defeated No. 10 Messiah in quarterfinal penalty kicks at home Sunday to reach the NCAA Division III Final Four for the first time since 2009. At around the same time in Carey, N.C., No. 13 Princeton shocked No. 2 North Carolina to move into the NCAA’s quarterfinals for just the second time in the tournament’s 64-team era.
The Lions (21-0-1) meet No. 4 University of Chicago at 11 a.m. Friday in Greensboro, N.C. TCNJ displaced Chicago (21-1) as the nation’s top ranked team three weeks ago. The Tigers (16-2-1) travel to No. 4 UCLA (18-2-2) for an 8:30 (ET) showdown.
After pummeling Lynchburg, 5-0, on Saturday; the Lions went to overtime for just the second time this season with the score tied 1-1. Trailing 1-0, TCNJ tied it on Jessica Goldman’s goal in the 59th minute. After two scoreless OTs, goalie Nicole DiPasquale stopped Messiah’s first two PKs, while Robbinsville grad Christina Levering, Elizabeth Thoresen, Kayla Bertolino and Princeton grad Haley Bodden all connected for the win.
DiPasquale faced few tests this year as the Lions allowed just 33 shots on goal. But when she had to be huge, she was. Levering wasn’t surprised. “She’s an amazing keeper,” TCNJ’s all-time scorer said. “We’re lucky that she hasn’t had to make that many saves but if she had to have had made them she would have made them. She’s just that good.”
In the first three NCAA wins the Lions outscored foes 11-0. Their 1-0 deficit against Messiah was just third time they trailed all year.
“It was crazy to say the least,” Levering said. “The whole game was just back and forth, the wind was awful and it was such a factor in the game. Any time you kicked it the ball just floated in the air. It was nerve wracking but at same time we felt good about it. The excitement and overall happiness (of reaching the Final Four) was amazing.”
It felt especially good for Levering, who is in her fifth year with the program after taking a medical redshirt in 2015. She felt as a whole, the Lions had enough of post-season frustration.
“I think we’re tired of almost making it and almost being successful,” she said. “We’ve always had pretty good seasons, we just have that bad taste in our mouth and chip on the shoulder.”
It should be a tremendous showdown against Chicago, which has outscored opponents 79-6 this year. The Lions are nearly as good with a composite 75-4 advantage
“I know they’ve been strong all year, but we don’t know their opponents and we don’t know much about them yet,” Levering said on Monday. “We more try to focus on our team and what we do and control. Our coach (Joe Russo) doesn’t look at brackets. It’s just ‘Who are we playing today?” and looks at game in front of us, just focusing on how we need to play.”
It’s safe to say Princeton was focused squarely on the Tar Heels. Anson Dorrance, who has coached UNC to 21 national titles, has long been a coaching idol of Tigers coach Sean Driscoll. Sophomore forward Abby Givens, a native of Charlotte, N.C., slotted the golden goal two minutes into the first overtime.
“That pretty much goes down as one of the best moments of my life,” Givens said in the postgame press conference. “That was a team effort from start to finish. Not one person did that. That was an entire team out there on the field from start to finish.
“It’s UNC. You can’t deny the sheer magnitude that is this program, everything that they’ve done for women’s soccer as a whole. Anson Dorrance is one of my heroes and the players that have come out of this university are top of the line. It’s a pretty cool feeling to come in here and to push and to dig and to grind as a team and to win against Chapel Hill.”
While Dorrance is merely a hero to Givens, he “is the reason I coach women’s soccer,” according to Driscoll.
“Many years ago, I had a chance to sit next to him and he inspired me to get into the profession,” the third-year Tigers coach said. “He took the time to talk to some new coach, and I never forgot that, so to stand across the way from, easily my idol, was pretty overwhelming today.
“The opportunity to come here and get a result, honestly, it’s a dream come true. I told the kids this morning, I woke up at four, I was staring at the ceiling. It was like Christmas Day, the opportunity. I wasn’t nervous, I was just so excited to get a chance to play against what has been the best program in women’s soccer.”
He was even more excited to beat them.
“I was as loud on the sideline as I’ve ever been, just trying to get us across the finish line, along with the rest of the coaching staff,” Driscoll said. “It’s an overwhelming feeling, I’ve got to say.”
It completed a Tiger blitz on the locals in Cary, as Princeton defeated North Carolina State in PKs Friday night. With the Wolfpack leading 4-3 entering the final kicks, Natalie Grossi made a save and Tomi Kennedy tied it to extend the shootout. After both teams missed, Grossi made another save and freshman Carolyne Davidson slammed in the game-winner off the post. Davidson scored Princeton’s goal in regulation.