No. 1, Again

And Princeton is No. 1 ... again.

For, well, a lot of years in a row, Princeton has once again been ranked as the No. 1 national university in the country by US New and World Report. Actually, if TigerBlog is reading this correctly, then this would be the 15th straight year. 

That's a good starting point for today, right? 

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Even though it won't be October until next week, the field hockey game on Bedford Field tomorrow (at 5) is still a huge one. It matches eighth-ranked Princeton against No. 4 Harvard in a game that, if history is any indicator, will go a very long way towards deciding the Ivy League title and who will host the league tournament in November. 

Princeton and Harvard, in addition to both being in the top eight nationally, are a combined 85-1 against the rest of the Ivy League since the start of the 2017 season, including 1-0 each this season. The two have combined to win every Ivy title outright since 2012 (the year Princeton won the NCAA title).

Both teams are among the top Division I defenses, having allowed a combined nine goals in a combined 12 games. Princeton has allowed five in six games, of which three came in a roughly six-minute stretch against No. 2 North Carolina in the second game of the year. 

Since then, the only goal Princeton has allowed came on a penalty stroke in overtime against No. 5 Syracuse. Junior goalie Olivia Caponiti is the reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week, and yesterday she was named as the lone honorable mention selection for Division I honors by the NFHCA.

Princeton and Harvard split a pair of 2-1 games a year ago, each winning in overtime on the other's home field. Princeton won the Ivy title (its 28th), and Harvard won the Ivy tournament. Both teams reached the NCAA quarterfinals. 

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The field hockey game is one of 25 Princeton events this coming weekend. 

It's also one of three Princeton-Harvard matchups, with the other two in Cambridge, where there will be a Saturday soccer doubleheader. The women play at 1, with the men to follow at 4.

The women's team opened its Ivy League schedule last week with a 1-0 win against Penn. Harvard dropped its league opener 1-0 to Dartmouth. 

For the Crimson, this will be a remarkable eighth straight home game, after opening the season with two games on the road. 

On the men's side, this is the first weekend for league games. Princeton comes in after a very entertaining 3-1 win over Seton Hall Tuesday night. If you haven't seen the Tiger goals, check them out on the team's X page HERE.

Princeton is 5-1 on the year. Harvard is 3-1-2.  

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This week is National Equipment Managers Appreciation Week. 

Your Hard Work Lets The Tigers Roar!

From uniforms to equipment and countless requests unseen, you have a hand in how we look, feel and compete!

Sending 🧡🖤 to our amazing @PUequipment staff during #EQWeek25! pic.twitter.com/eMVKTaL0m0

— Princeton Tigers (@PUTIGERS) September 23, 2025

If you're wondering who the people who keep the Tigers looking sharp and able to compete, they are, clockwise from top left in the photo: Nicole DeNiro, Clif Perry, Mike Thibault, Brian Ackerman, Derek Griesdorn and Brendan O'Meara. 

If you are a Princeton fan, you probably don't know those names — but you can trust TigerBlog. That's a hard-working group. They deserve the recognition for this week, and really any week.

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The Ivy League women's volleyball season starts this weekend as well, with the Tigers at Penn tomorrow at 7. Princeton and Penn have the two highest non-league winning percentages in the league to date, with the Tigers at 5-3 and the Quakers at 6-4. 

The most impressive performance of the year so far, though, came in one of those three Princeton losses. That one came at Penn State, where the Tigers led 2-1 after three sets before falling 25-15, 20-25, 22-25, 25-16, 15-8. 

Is Penn State good at women's volleyball? Well, the Nittany Lions are the defending NCAA champs and currently the No. 13 team in the country. 

Princeton has won 20 Ivy League championships in women's volleyball.   

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By the way, in case you're wondering what FatherBlog looks like one day before turning 90, here is your chance. Remember: FB attributes his longevity to, in his exact words, "the fact that I'm very handsome."

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The complete schedule for the weekend can be found HERE.