Once again, the Yale field hockey team showed its mettle this weekend, grinding out a 1-0 shutout of Colgate and fighting back in a tough overtime loss to the University of Maine during a two-game roadtrip in Maine.
On Friday, the Bulldogs took on the Maine Black Bears (4-1), who held a two-goal lead midway through the second half. Like they did last weekend against Northwestern, however, the Elis (2-2) were not about to go down without a fight.
With just 13 minutes remaining in regulation, Yale finally got on the board, cutting their deficit in half when Katie Cantore ’10 stopped forward Ashley McCauley’s ’10 pass to set up Dinah Landshut ’12 for the penalty corner goal.
The Bulldogs were quick to capitalize on their newfound momentum, scoring again just 16 seconds later when a Cantore shot was tipped in by forward Maddy Sharp ’13 to tie the game.
Yale had several scoring chances throughout the remainder of the second half, but were unable to complete their comeback and take the lead. Unfortunately for the Yalies, the Black Bears seized their scoring chance early in overtime, when Maine’s Marie Dineen broke away from the Yale defense and scored the game-winner.
Though they suffered a setback with their back-to-back last-minute losses, the Bulldogs once again showed their mental toughness as they took to the field once again Saturday against Colgate (0-5).
With three minutes left in the first half, McCauley tipped in a Cantore pass to give her team a lead it would not relinquish.
The Yale defense played a solid game, as goalies Katie Bolling ’11 and Charlotte Goins ’10 combined for six saves in the shutout.
The two goalies have split time in all four games this season, with Bolling holding down the fort in the first half and Goins taking the net in the second. Yet far from being rivals for playing time, the two friends have accepted their roles, and as Saturday’s shutout suggests, have done so with great results.
“Char and I have a great dynamic together,” said Bolling. “We play really well off of each other in practices and in games. I think we definitely know how to help the other play their best.”
“[Bolling] and I are great friends and support each other 100 percent,” echoed Goins. “Splitting games has been great because we have different styles; we joke that if you put our specialties together it would make the perfect super goalie. I think we are unique and extremely lucky to have each other.”
The goalies are not Yale’s only dynamic duo, however. Classmates McCauley and Cantore have seemed all but unstoppable so far this season, and both are poised to rewrite the Yale record books in the near future.
Cantore’s three assist weekend gives her six on the season — a mere eight helpers short of Yale’s single season record — with 13 games to go. Her 19 career assists also place her fifth on the all-time list.
McCauley is also making her mark. Her 75 career points place her fifth all-time, and her 33 goals leave her 13 away from being Yale’s career leader. Yet, both are only concerned with individual achievements insofar as they lead to team success.
“I’m happy it’s helping us win,” Cantore said of her success. “The team is progressing phenomenally, and we have certainly shown moments of brilliance that have proven what we are capable of. We just can’t wait to start Ivy play against Harvard this weekend.”
McCauley was similarly dismissive, “More than individual achievements, I want this team to win. We’ve set high goals as a team and we’re going to do everything we can as a team to achieve them.”
The Bulldogs will continue their quest to reach those goals this weekend when Harvard comes to town Saturday for a 2 p.m. contest at Johnson Field.