By Ron Egan
With the Sacred Heart University Pioneers, a non-conference opponent, in town, the Pride field hockey team was offered a unique opportunity to have a break, small as it may be, from the treacherous play of CAA field hockey. The Pride seized the opportunity it was given, dominating play for much of the contest on a rain-soaked field at James M. Shuart Stadium to record a 2-0 victory last Friday.
Entering its final tune-up before the three most pivotal games of the season, the Pride field hockey team knew it had to play flawlessly in order to get itself prepared for its stretch run.
“This game gave us a chance to work on things we hadn’t been doing well,” senior captain Sara Gonzalez said. “It was a chance to tune up before Delaware this Friday.”
The tune-up was difficult thanks to rainy conditions, as a steady downpour enveloped the entire stadium, filling the field with puddles and making play for both teams difficult. However, the weather was not enough to side-track the Pride from its goal.
“We were forced to use less transfer balls and focus on harder passing, since the rain slowed down the ball on the surface,” sophomore Doni-Melissa Jantzen said. “We were able to pull out the victory thanks to a solid team effort.”
The effort started with the Pride defense, which recorded its second shutout in as many games. Following a 5-0 victory over Quinnipiac University two days prior, the defense played well, anchored by sophomore goaltender Jessica Cowperthwait. Cowperthwait made acrobatic saves throughout the game to held the Pride secure the victory.
The two teams traded chances early on, but it was the Pride that was able to strike first, marking the second contest in a row in which the Pride struck first. Freshman Imme Van Dijk scored the first goal of her collegiate career, as she rocketed home a rebound off of a shot from senior Alexandra Alonge to put the Pride up 1-0. The goal, 21:59 into the first half, allotted the Pride room to breathe on a night in which goals would not be easy to come by.
The two teams went back and forth for the remainder of the half, both unable to find the back of the cage. Cowperthwait came up big on a couple of chances in the half to keep the Pioneers at-bay, and the Pride headed into halftime with a 1-0 lead that proved more commanding then the scoreboard could possible tell. Both teams took eight shots in the half; however, the Pride’s chances were far more threatening.
The second half began much like the first had ended, with two teams sharing scoring opportunities. The rain thwarted both teams’ attempts to play a fast-paced game, and the methodical play of the squads led to a much slower-paced second half.
The Pride defense continued to hold strong, as any Pioneer attempt was quickly dismissed. The Pride got its second goal of the game off a penalty corner, as sophomore Kara McEneaney fired a shot through the Pioneer defense and past goaltender Robyn Breer. The play was set up by a fake to Jantzen, who passed the ball two feet to her right to a wide-open McEneaney, who scored her sixth goal of the season with less then 15 minutes to play in the contest.
The goal proved to be more than enough for the Pride on this night, as the rain and stingy defense continuously prevented the Pioneers from putting the ball past Cowperthwait as the Pride held on for the much-deserved 2-0 victory. Cowperthwait led the game with nine saves on 12 shots, one of her best performances of the season. Her counterpart, Breer, recorded four saves, on 11 shots. The Pioneers also held the edge on penalty corners, 7-5, but were unable to convert.
With the victory, the Pride improves to 10-6, the team’s fourth consecutive double-digit win season. The Pioneers fall to 7-9 with the loss, the fourth season in a row the Pioneers have taken a loss from the Pride. The team must now look towards the remaining CAA games in order to give itself a chance for post-season play. The win did its job in moving the team in the right direction.
“It gave us extra confidence,” Gonzalez said. “Regardless of conditions, we were able to fight through for the win.”
The game tomorrow against the University of Delaware will provide the Pride with one of its biggest challenges of the season. The Pride see the game as a great opportunity for the program.
“We’re excited to play them,” Gonzalez said. “We have to be on our game in order to defeat them. It is a must-win game.”
Senior midfielder Sara Gonzalez has labeled tomorrow´s game against the University of Delaware Blue Hens as a “must win game” for the Pride. (Photo Courtesy Athletic Dept.)