Field Hockey: Spirited Ivy rivals open league games

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Friday, September 19, 2008

With their first win behind them, Yale field hockey is preparing for an intense weekend with back-to-back games against Harvard and Sacred Heart.

The Bulldogs have been looking forward to opening their Ivy League play against Harvard in Cambridge on Saturday. Historically, the Yale (1-2, 0-0 Ivy) and Harvard (1-3, 0-0 Ivy) field hockey matchup has been especially contentious. The past two years’ games ended only after entering double overtimes, with Harvard winning 3-2 in 2006, and Yale winning 2-1 in 2007.

Saturday’s game should be no exception in excitement.

This season, both the Bulldogs’ and the Crimsons’ only wins have been against Holy Cross. Harvard won, 1-0; Yale won, 3-1. And both took tough losses against Providence. Harvard lost, 4-0; Yale lost, 5-0.

Harvard, like Yale, has so far only had four scorers. Tami Jafar, who was a top scorer for the Crimson in 2007, leads again this year with two goals. Yale’s scorers this season, all with one goal, are Dinah Landshut ’12, Ashley McCauley ’10, Katie Cantore ’10, and Jayna Whitcher ’09.

After traveling to Massachusetts to face the Cantabs, the Elis will come home on Sunday to take on Sacred Heart (1-4).

Yale beat Sacred Heart last year, 5-2, with four goals from McCauley. This season, both teams have already dropped a game to the University of Connecticut.

Watch out for Carisa Eye, who has scored three times this year for Sacred Heart, and was also their top scorer last year with 12 goals.

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