The field hockey team returned from Boston dissatisfied that its record still does not reflect its playing ability.
The Bulldogs (1–5, 0–1 Ivy) faced rival Harvard (5–0, 1–0) on Saturday, Sept. 20 before taking on Boston University (4–3, 1–0 Patriot) on Sunday. Although the team limited Harvard to only one goal in the first half, Harvard broke away in the last 10 minutes of the game, scoring two goals and taking the contest by a score of 4–1. The game was Yale’s first loss of the weekend.
“Saturday was disappointing,” head coach Pam Stuper said. “It was not only the loss, but more so our play, and I think all the players would agree. We sat down Saturday night and talked about what adjustments we needed to make before the next game on Sunday.”
The next day, Yale played against BU. The Bulldogs scored two goals, the first by forward Jessie Accurso ’15 and the second by midfielder Carol Middough ’18
Yale led by one for almost the entirety of the second half, but the Terriers scored in the final two minutes of regulation play, sending the game into overtime. Each team loses four players from the field during overtime and the first goal wins, which Stuper said necessitates a different style of play.
“You have to play aggressive,” Stuper said. “It’s something we’re used to. To me, going into it is exciting, and I’m confident that we have a chance of winning. When we get into that situation, we’re ready to play.”
At the 73-minute mark, BU player Rachel Coll scored the game-winning goal for her team to make the final score 3–2.
Although the game ended in a loss for Yale, the team remained positive about its prospects for the remainder of the season.
“On Sunday [we] played the best hockey we have to date,” Stuper said. “I am proud coming off a tough loss. We absolutely had a chance to win. We walked away with the feeling that we won, even without the “W” in the column, and that’s what’s most important heading into the rest of the season. We found out what we’re capable of.”
The players also stayed positive about the weekend.
According to goalkeeper Heather Schlesier ’15, the weekend in Boston ended on an “upswing,” a thought that was echoed by her teammates.
“Our weekend in Boston was a weekend of progress,” forward Grace McInerney ’15 said. “While we didn’t play to our potential on Saturday against Harvard, we did a great job in executing our game plan against Boston University. Our energy and intensity during that game was exhilarating.”
The team hopes to bring that energy into practice this week, according to McInerney.
The Elis will prepare to face Ivy League rival Princeton at home this weekend and are focused on getting a win.
“Our team definitely has a hunger going into this week of practice,” Schlesier said. “We nearly took down BU, and that has left us wanting more. We are looking to compete in practice the same way we competed this weekend.”
The Bulldogs will play Princeton on Saturday, Sept. 27 before taking on Stanford on Sunday, Sept. 28, both at home on Johnson Field.