Says Coach Bozman: "Very simply, Princeton is a great place with state of the art facilities, an education that will open doors to the future, and a nationally ranked field hockey program. I know that the attraction of an athletic scholarship is a powerful one -- all of our players had to face the difficult decision to say yes or no to a scholarship. They decided that academics and athletics were important. They gave up athletic scholarships to come here and have elevated this program to national prominence. With all Princeton has to offer, our players remain our greatest asset. They feel that they can have it all here at Princeton, and they're proving that they can."
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| 1996 Game Results |
| 1997 Game Schedule |
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The youth movement continues at Princeton as several sophomores and a handful of freshman will team up with junior co-captains Amy MacFarlane and Kathleen Kelly to challenge for the 1996 Ivy League title. Having so many young players may seem scary for some, but for head coach Beth Bozman it has become a successful challenge. Last year's team featured five freshman in a lineup that outscored its opponents 46-23 on its way to a second straight undefeated Ivy championship season. Those rookies started off the year with a bang, as freshman accounted for the first three goals of the 1995 season. The team may be young, but it has a year of experience that included an NCAA tournament second-round game against eventual champion North Carolina.
Although the Tigers are without 1995 Ivy League Player of the Year and All-America Lisa Rebane, over a third of Princeton's scoring returns, as does Canadian national team member Amy MacFarlane. The team's leading scorer in 1993 and 1994, MacFarlane is back in the lineup after playingwith the Canadian team in Holland and at the Olympic Games qualifier in South Africa. Her quickness and deceptive stickwork make her an excellent link and a formidable playmaker. A two-time All-Ivy selection, she will be an offensive playmaker for the Tigers.
Joining MacFarlane on the attack will be sophomores Kirsty Hale and Molly O'Malley. Hale, the 1995 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, was the team's second leading scorer last year with eight goals and eight assists (24 points). O'Malley played most of last year with a broken thumb, but still managed to score goals for the Tigers in key games. Players such as Brooke Doherty, Lauren Esposito, Kelly King, and Alison Morris will also be instrumental at midfield and attack for the Tigers.
Defensively the Tigers will be led by Kelly, a 1995 third-team All-America. Kelly is an intelligent player whose field vision allows her to stifle her opponents' transition games and send the Tiger attack on its way. Sophomores Adrienne Breslin, Christine Hunsicker, and Ann Marie Reich will join Kelly in shutting down opposing team's offensive drives.
With the graduation of All-America Liz Hill, the biggest question mark for Bozman is in goal. The answer may be local product Gia Fruscione. A freshman, Fruscione has played for the national Under-21 team and has international playing experience against such teams as Canada and Holland. She is the leading candidate for the starting goalkeeper job and should make an easy transition to the lineup for the Orange and Black. Along with Fruscione, several freshmen will likely dot the lineup this year as Bozman has another top-notch recruiting class. Several of these players turned down scholarships to play at Princeton and will bring championship experience to the Tigers.