Princeton Beat Columbia 3-1, Now Need Yale to Hand Them a Share of the Ivy Title
Princeton did their half of the job. Now they need a favour from New Haven.
The No. 8 Tigers beat Columbia 3-1 in New York on Friday night to close the regular season with eight straight wins, finishing 12-4 overall and 6-1 in the Ivy League. Clem Houlden opened the scoring off a penalty corner with 56 seconds left in the first quarter, Pru Lindsey doubled it from a penalty stroke early in the second, and Hope Delaney sealed it midway through the fourth after a cross from Lindsey. Columbia pulled one back early in the third off their own corner, and first-time starter Ainsley Pearce made five saves to keep the Lions in it, but Princeton were never really caught.
Lindsey’s goal was a milestone in its own right: she’s the first Tiger other than Beth Yeager to reach double figures in goals in a season since 2019. And the win mattered beyond the night, because Columbia came in with their own dream alive. A win would have kept their Ivy League Tournament hopes going. Instead the Lions finish 9-6 (3-4 Ivy), their nine wins the program’s most since 2017, but the season is over.
For Princeton, the maths is simple and out of their hands. They are locked in as the No. 2 seed for next weekend’s Ivy League Tournament in Cambridge, where they’ll play either Yale or Cornell in the semi-finals. But a share of the Ivy League regular-season title is still on the table, and it arrives on Saturday if Yale beat Harvard in Cambridge. Harvard have already won the outright title and the right to host, so Yale would be doing Princeton the favour while chasing their own tournament seeding.
Eight straight wins, a 7-0 October, and a team peaking at exactly the right time. Princeton have done everything they can. Saturday afternoon in Cambridge decides whether there’s a shared banner to go with it.
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