Brooke Worthington’s ’04 injury was not enough to break the field hockey team’s concentration last night.

The Bulldogs 4-5 (1-1 Ivy) rebounded from Saturday’s 5-2 loss to No. 11 University of Connecticut, shutting out local rival Quinnipiac (4-7) with a score of 3-0, despite a collision during the second half that seriously injured leftback Worthington’s arm. Worthington was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, and teammates suspect that her injury might be season-ending.

“Brooke [Worthington] is one of the best leftbacks we have,” goalie Spike Nesburg ’04 said. “We will definitely have a big hole to fill if her injury is serious.”

Though hampered by a dense fog, the Eli women set the tone during the opening minutes of the game. Yale’s midfielders and forwards were relentless in Bobcat territory.

“I was really impressed with the way we played tonight,” captain Francesca Gardner ’04 said. “It’s the best we’ve played against Quinnipiac since I’ve been here.”

Before the game, head coach Ainslee Lamb told her players to step up the pressure on both offense and defense.

“We dominated tonight,” Nesburg said. “We are starting to come out ready for each match.”

Jana Halfon ’04, who was named Ivy League Player of the Week on Oct. 30, initiated Yale’s scoring campaign with an unassisted corner with 10:41 left in the half.

Rookie Trish Bissett ’07 continued to be an offensive force, recording the two goals in the second half. Her first point came on a penalty shot. Bissett buried the ball in the back of the goal, despite the best efforts of the Bobcat defense.

“As a freshman, Trish was really been able to come in and impact the offense,” forward Meredith Howell ’05 said. “She continued to do that tonight.”

With 24:29 left in the game, Bissett notched her second tally — a long shot from the top of the circle over Bobcat goalie Erin McKay and into the net. Sweeper Meredith Hudson ’05 received an assist on the play.

Shortly after the third goal, Worthington was struck on the arm by a Quinnipiac offender, forcing the Eli leftback’s immediate removal from the game. Worthington was escorted off the field by Yale’s athletic trainers. Maureen Braun ’04 stepped in and filled hole in the backfield caused by Worthington’s injury.

Due to a solid effort from her defensive unit, Nesburg was not taxed at goal. The Bulldog goalie only made three saves while her McKay, her Quinnipiac counterpart, had to field a barrage of shots by the Eli offense.

“The other team only had three or four quality shots,” Howell said. “The rest of the time, our defense shut [Quinnipiac] down.”

The shutout was the Elis’ second of the season.

The Bulldogs hope to carry the momentum from this victory into their weekend contest against Dartmouth.

Yale will host the Big Green at noon this Saturday at Johnson Field.

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