Finally, it is the game the field hockey squad has been waiting for. Cornell drives to Princeton, N.J., to meet No. 4 Princeton tonight for a 6 p.m. showdown under the lights. The 18 Red women have placed a considerable amount of importance on this particular matchup, which may almost be viewed as the culmination of the fall season.

Last weekend, Cornell (9-4, 3-2 Ivy) split its back-to-back contests with a 7-3 victory over conference rival Brown and a heart-wrenching overtime loss to Bucknell, 1-0. The Red will turn its attention to raising the bar for this evening’s competition in an attempt to strengthen its overall and league standing. Meanwhile, Princeton (12-2, 5-0 Ivy) will seek to capture its fourth-straight win after scoring an astounding nine goals to defeat Harvard last Saturday.

Coming off of a full week of recovery and ample rest, Cornell is ready for action once again in its second-to-last game of 2009.

“This week has been about working on our game in terms of ball movement and finishing to prepare for Princeton,” said junior midfield Kate Thompson. “It is easy to spend a lot of time on looking at the other team and basing our play off of theirs. But our focus is on improving our unit as a whole and taking it to Princeton.”

“I am really looking forward to seeing a higher level of play,” said rookie midfield Genevieve Collins. “As a freshman, it will be a great learning experience. Princeton should be comparable to Virginia with respect to the talent and the overall quality of the team. This game will be just as intense if not more because we are both very competitive Ivy schools.”

A history, marked by a record of 21-5-3, between the Red and its formidable opponent reflects the Tigers’ strong tradition of excellence in the sport. The Red’s most recent win over the Tigers came in 2007 when Cornell interrupted Princeton’s undefeated trend of 14 consecutive games in the series between the two teams. In 2008, the Tigers were responsible for shattering the Red’s hopes of postseason play by presenting Cornell with its sole Ivy League loss. The Red will do its best to deliver an upset and avenge past frustration. Let’s see who’s behind the mask: Senior goalkeeper Melanie Jue (33) defends the net during a game against Harvard on Oct. 17 at Marsha Dodson Field.

“The biggest thing is that we have nothing to lose today and everything to gain,” Thompson said. “It is known that we are going into the game as underdogs. That fact in itself will motivate us. Seeing it as a time to demonstrate our style of play and what we are capable of as a team is also a major incentive.”

“Tonight is an opportunity to prove that we are one of the contenders for the Ivy Championship,” Collins said. “We have confidence that we can do this and play up to any standard.”

The date and time of the Cornell-Princeton face-off is unique this fall as games are typically scheduled for Saturday or Sunday afternoons and occasionally after classes during the middle of the school week. But a 6 p.m. starting whistle on Friday is a non-issue for the Red.

“We like playing at night,” Thompson said. “It is going to be exactly like the end of practice in the evening. Traveling all day and then playing is sometimes interesting, but we experienced this already against Penn and we know we can do it. The time of day won’t offer an advantage or a disadvantage to our team. It is just another chance to play.”

“Obviously, I have never faced Princeton, but I am eager to challenge them,” Collins said. “The leadership shown by the upperclassmen has been amazing. We have learned a lot from them this season, both in games and practice. It is clear that the returning players are very excited about the game and this excites the freshmen.”