At the end of a triumphant season for the stickwomen, the Red looks to make one last impression: the 10th win and a school record.
When the field hockey team (9-7, 3-3 Ivy) earned its ninth win against Albany it had high hopes. After defeating No. 14 UVA the previous day, the school record of 10 wins seemed at hand. Yet, a tough loss to Brown and No. 14 Princeton presented the Red with the current proposition: one game remaining, one more win needed.
After two weeks of rest, the Red will be looking to notch the final win, and the record. The girls have been working hard and keeping their enthusiasm high.
“The kids’ spirits are very high,” said head coach Michelle Tambroni. “They are very excited to play. We’ve had very short practices, hard but short. It’s just a matter of maintaining our fitness and excitement.”
A season marked by dominating speed and key performances will culminate in Sunday’s game against Dartmouth (10-6, 4-2). Tambroni hopes the team’s speed will bring it the victory.
“We need to use our speed. We match up very well. We’re faster overall than they are. We have to play 70 minutes because Dartmouth works extremely hard and never gives up,” said Tambroni.
The season has been marked by extraordinary wins and close defeats, bringing the team on the cusp of a school record. In the past, early leads by the opponent have placed a lot of pressure on the Red. Yet, even in the 5-2 loss to Princeton, the team played all out for 70 minutes.
“I want them to finish the regular season knowing that they put everything on the field for 70 minutes,” said Tambroni. “They need to put it all out there and play with confidence. This is a team we can beat. But they can’t ever think this is over regardless of what is on the scoreboard.”
Tambroni will be relying on the leadership of her seniors to bring success to the team. With all five seniors starting the game, the team will show its appreciation for the four years of dedication. The seniors include attacks Samantha Arde, Annie O’Roarke, and Sarah Rosenbaum, and backs Laura Barndt and Sarah Nordstrom.
Tambroni hopes her team will continue to do what it has been doing all season. With an emphasis on speed, the coach also noted that the girls need to put the ball on net. Dartmouth totes freshman goalie Lauren Balukjian who has been very inconsistent this season. Having out-shot its opponents 261-216 this season, the Red looks to continue the trend and hope the ball finds its way to the back of the cage. Cornell has also outscored its opponents 30-25.
Team leaders this season include senior back Kimmy Gardner and junior attack Carissa Mirasol, each with 17 points. Gardner leads the team in goals with seven, while Mirasol leads in assists with nine. Junior goaltender Kaitlin Tierney has started in all 16 games and earned a 1.6 GAA and a .824 save percentage.
The Red has already accomplished many of its goals this season, but with one more win, it can rewrite the record books.
Archived article by Josh Dormont