Following a grueling opening weekend at Johnson Field, the Yale field hockey team (0–2) looks to bounce back this weekend with games at Hofstra and No. 16 Albany.
Last weekend, the Bulldogs held No. 16 Stanford (tied in rank with Albany) scoreless for 60 of 70 minutes, but for the other ten, which came a little after halfway through the game,, the Cardinal (3–1) broke out and turned a 1–0 deficit into a 3–1 lead they did not relinquish. Sunday brought a similarly frustrating result, as Yale outshot neighborhood rival Quinnipiac 30–18, but ultimately fell in penalty strokes after a marathon, double–overtime battle.
“We went into [last] weekend knowing the challenges we would face playing two tough teams,” goalkeeper Emily Cain ’14 said of the losses. “The outcome is not what we would have hoped for, but we will focus on what we struggled with into this week’s practice and look to make the adjustments necessary for next weekend. We are facing some of the best teams in the country this season and every game is going to be a battle, but that’s why we need to perform at the next level.”
Cain was one of the Bulldogs’ bright spots last weekend, posting 21 saves over the two games and playing to a .808 save percentage.
Offensively, Yale did everything but find the back of the net on opening weekend, generating a stellar 21 corners against the Bobcats Sunday. Capitalizing on those chances will be crucial with another top-20 team, Albany, and a perennially strong squad in Hofstra this weekend. Last year, the Bulldogs took down the Pride 4–2 at Johnson Field.
Albany has impressed so far this season with three wins on the road, but the team lost to Stanford in a 3–2 OT decision at home. Hofstra also fell to the Cardinal this season — a 4–3 overtime loss in its opener.
“Obviously it’s disappointing to lose both games in our opening weekend, but I don’t think the results are indicative of how we played,” midfielder Kirsten Krebs ’12 said. “What matters is that we learn from these games, move on, and approach our next game with an even bigger will to win.”
The Bulldogs face off against the Pride Saturday at 1 p.m. and then travel to Albany for a 2 p.m. Sunday dogfight with the Great Danes.