The field hockey seniors led the team to victory in the final game of the season, with captain and midfielder/back Georgia Holland ’14 scoring the go-ahead goal with less than six minutes to play to defeat Brown 2–1.
With the win over Brown (6–11, 1–6 Ivy), the Elis (8–9, 4–3) finished with a winning record in the Ivy League, an accomplishment that they have now achieved four times in the last five seasons.
“It was great to get a win in our last game on Johnson Field,” forward Brooke Gogel ’14 said. “We have worked incredibly hard over the last four years and it was awesome to end on such a high note. It meant a lot to us that we could put on our Yale uniforms one last time and really show what Yale Field Hockey is all about.”
Midfielder Emily Schuckert ’14 opened the scoring in the first half, putting Yale ahead 1–0 less than five minutes into the game. Brown responded minutes later, however, with forward Meghan O’Donnell scoring at the 10:11 mark to tie the game at one.
Yale’s defensive prowess was on display, limiting Brown to just four shots in the first half, three of which were saved by goalkeeper Heather Schlesier ’15. On offense, the Bulldogs proved similarly dominant, recording 15 shots and five penalty corners in the opening half. Bears goalkeeper Shannon McSweeney made key saves to limit the Bulldogs and keep Brown in the game.
In the second half, Yale continued to pressure the Brown defense, outshooting the Bears 18–3 and earning more penalty corners, 8–3. Eventually, the Elis were able to break through again, with Holland scoring off a feed from forward Rhoni Gericke ’17 after a penalty corner.
Goalkeeper Emily Cain ’14 replaced Schlesier in goal for the second half and made a save on the final play of the game, a Brown penalty corner as time expired.
The Elis honored Holland, Gogel, Shuckert, Cain, forward/midfielder Erica Borgo ’14, and forward/midfielder Gabby Garcia ’14 before the game as part of Senior Day. This class of seniors was part of a run that led to an Ivy League title in 2011. Over four years, they have led Yale to a 17–10 record in the Ivy League; the team has also earned NFHCA National Academic Team Award the past three seasons.
The seniors have also been key contributors throughout this season. Borgo led the team with 22 points on the year, followed by 20 points from Holland and 19 points from Schuckert.
“Playing in my final game as a Bulldog didn’t feel much different than any other game. We went out with the intention of following our game plan and picking up one last win,” Holland said in an email. “As seniors, it was really nice to earn the win in our final match and have something to celebrate as we left Johnson Field for the last time.”