No. 15 Women’s Lacrosse Runs By No. 14 Rutgers, 18-12
A dominant second half for No. 15 Princeton saw the Tigers break open what was a tie game at halftime as the Tigers knocked off No. 14 Rutgers, 18-12, in Piscataway.
Kari Buonanno scored four times and dished out four assists, setting a new career high and tying for 12th all-time in single game points by a Tiger with eight. For good measure, she added a career-high six draw controls.
5:58 (3rd) Buonanno Buries It!
With time running out on the shot clock, Kari whips home her 3rd of the night for a hat trick!
Princeton leads, 11-8! pic.twitter.com/MyhG7ALy2K
— Princeton Women’s Lax (@princetonwlax) March 2, 2023
First-year attacker Jami MacDonald had a breakout performance, scoring six times and adding an assist for a seven-point game.
4:04 (3rd) Too Easy.
Everyone watches Ellie Mueller and Jami MacDonald is left wide open for her 5th of the night!
Princeton with all the goals so far this quarter and lead Rutgers, 12-8! pic.twitter.com/kWmzwyrH3x
— Princeton Women’s Lax (@princetonwlax) March 2, 2023
Seven different Princeton players had at least one goal in the game. McKenzie Blake also had a hat trick, while Ellie Mueller had two goals and two assists. Sophie Whiteway (who added five draw controls), Grace Tauckus, and Kate Mulham added the other Princeton goals.
Amelia Hughes made nine saves for the win in goal.
After conceding the first goal of the game 2:30 in, Princeton answered with MacDonald’s first of the game with 9:50 left in the opening quarter. Princeton never trailed the rest of the way, MacDonald starting a quick 3-0 run over 2:32 which built a 3-1 Princeton lead.
The Tigers did not gain much separation in the first half, never leading by more than three goals and eventually seeing the Scarlet Knights pull even at 8-8 just before halftime.
Probs wanna guard Ellie Mueller on the restart.
Just sayin’ pic.twitter.com/WeLxhhQJff
— Princeton Women’s Lax (@princetonwlax) March 1, 2023
Out of the break, it was all Tigers, though.
Princeton scored the first four goals of the third quarter to build a 12-8 lead with 4:04 left in the period. McKenzie Blake opened the scoring with a goal 4:17 into the frame off an assist from MacDonald, before MacDonald then struck for her fourth of the game just under 2:00 later. Kari Buonanno gave the Tigers a three-goal lead three minutes later, before MacDonald capped the run with a point-blank goal from right in front of the keeper.
8:52 (3rd) She’s A Canadian National Treasure!
Jami MacDonald with a nifty move to goal and she scores her 4th of the night!
Tigers lead, 10-8! pic.twitter.com/CHJzTC2mT6
— Princeton Women’s Lax (@princetonwlax) March 2, 2023
Rutgers mounted a bit of a comeback, scoring three goals before the end of the third quarter – including the third literally as time expired in the period – to close within one at 12-11 through 45:00 of play.
For the second straight game, Princeton outscored its opponent by a 6-1 margin in the fourth quarter to salt away a game.
This time, the Tigers connected for five goals in a row to open the final frame, halting Rutgers’ comeback in the process. Mueller scored 1:03 into the period, finishing off a sequence which started at the other end of the field with a Sophie Whiteway caused turnover. Kari Buonanno would then scamper down the field, traversing nearly 70 yards before dishing to Mueller for the score and a two-goal lead.
13:57 (4th) Defense?? Offense
Sophie Whiteway causes a turnover…
Kari Buonanno carries the mail…
Ellie Mueller seals the deal!
Tigers lead, 13-11! pic.twitter.com/KJxXp43ve5
— Princeton Women’s Lax (@princetonwlax) March 2, 2023
Whiteway would then get a goal of her own 2:33 later off a nice shimmy and shake of a defender, before Blake netted back-to-back goals 2:15 apart.
5:29 (4th) The Ball Movement …??
Whiteway with a scoop of the floor, Buonanno with a dandy of a dish and Blake now has a hat trick!
Princeton leads Rutgers, 16-11! pic.twitter.com/a7lGtvzy2q
— Princeton Women’s Lax (@princetonwlax) March 2, 2023
MacDonald would net her sixth and final goal of the game with 3:11 to play, slipping free in front to quick-stick home a Mueller pass for a 16-11 lead.
After the Scarlet Knights ended the Princeton run with their first goal of the period with 2:48 to play, Buonanno uncorked one final Tiger goal with 1:36 left to seal the Top-15 win.
The Tigers open Ivy League play on March 4, heading to New Haven to take on Yale at 1 p.m.
