The win-streak is up to four.
Last night, the Cornell field hockey team (4-2 overall, 2-0 Ivy) defeated Lehigh (4-5) by a score of 3-2 in a tight overtime match on Schoellkopf Field.
Opening up the game near the middle of the first half, freshman midfielder Lindsay Grace scored her second goal of the year on a penalty corner with assists by senior co-captain Kate McMahon and sophomore forward Anna Starkey.
At halftime, the Red led the Mountain Hawks 1-0. Lehigh started the scoring in the second half on a penalty corner shot, but Cornell answered that goal at the 49:43 mark when junior forward Ashleigh Snelson shot in a pass from Starkey. But less than five minutes later, the Mountain Hawks tied it up with another penalty corner goal.
Entering overtime, the team knew what it had to do to pull of a win.
Freshman forward Carissa Mirasol took a pass from Starkey for the game-winner.
“Overtime was the best part of the Lehigh game. We have a great overtime team and I think we proved that our best seven players were better than Lehigh’s best seven. They played with a lot of composure, they played very smart, they took care of the ball and scored a beautiful goal,” head coach Michelle Tambroni said of her team’s performance.
Although the Red came out with the win, the team was not completely content with its showing in a game that should have been more easily won.
“I don’t think they’re satisfied. I think they’re happy with the win, but we still have a lot to work on,” Tambroni commented.
Once again, although helped by a couple of veterans on the team, the underclassmen made some great goals for the Red.
Starkey had a phenomenal offensive performance, assisting on all three goals in the match. Her presence has been vital in terms of shooting and scoring this season.
This win is great for the Big Red as it enters another weekend of Ivy League competition. It was a battle for Cornell, but when it mattered, the Red put the ball away.
“I’m proud of the players. They went in, they knew the goal at hand and they achieved it. They’re fired up to play anybody right now and we’re going to go after our fifth win this weekend,” said Tambroni.
“The team performed great. We knew when we had to score and we put the ball in the net when it came down to it,” McMahon said of the win.
In practice this week, the Red will be working on finishing and taking advantage of scoring opportunities, but there is no need for motivation on this team. Everyone is excited about the upcoming game and the possibility of increasing the winning streak. The team is ready to work hard in preparation for the games ahead.
“At this point, everyone is on a roll. Once you win a few matches and score a bunch of goals, everyone wants to be in the game and everybody wants to keep winning,” McMahon added.
Archived article by Kelli Larsen