By October 8, 2004
Over fall break while most Cornell students are relaxing, the Red field hockey will have its hands full. The Red will head east to meet Ivy League leading Harvard tomorrow and then square off against Providence on Sunday. “If we can beat Harvard, we’re right back in it,” said head coach Donna Hornibrook. “All the Ivy schools have at least one loss. Harvard is the team to beat right now and beating them would be an amazing confidence boost. We also feel like we have a shot at beating Providence. They are an up-and-coming program.” Harvard is currently ranked 17th in the nation and has a 6-4 record (2-0 Ivy League). The Crimson already has wins over Brown and Penn — the Red fell to the Quakers in overtime, 2-1. Although, the Crimson is nationally recognized it has not beaten a ranked team all season losing to 20th-ranked Maine, sixth-ranked Connecticut, third-ranked Michigan, and 10th ranked Northeastern. The Red lost to 16th-ranked Syracuse earlier this season but feel that Harvard is more vulnerable to the upset. “Syracuse lost some games early on,” Hornibrook said. “Since the first three games of the season, Syracuse has been one of the better teams. And they should be ranked higher than they are. Harvard has not played the same caliber of opponents that Syracuse has but they are definitely a top-20 team.” Harvard has a balanced team. The attack has nine players who have scored at least one goal. Containing the Crimson attack will be difficult but if the Red wants to win the defense will need to stop senior Shelley Maasdorp. Maasdorp has eight goals and three assists and leads the Ivy League in goals, shots, and points. The Harvard is defense equally strong surrendering just 14 goals on 82 shots this season. The Red expects a tough game. “They are a very technical team,” Hornibrook said. “They are athletic and strong at all the positions. They are an excellent team with a very good penalty corner and dangerous players. They are a balanced team.” On Sunday, the Red will try to even its record against Big East foes with a win over Providence. The Friars have a 6-7 record this fall and are coming off a 3-1 victory over instate rival Rhode Island. The team has played several tough teams including Harvard, Maine, and Boston College. The Friars are a not powerhouse but the Red are prepared for a close game. “They’re young and had some mixed results,” Hornibrook said. “They are a solid team and there are no weak teams. This will be a very good match for us. They are a balanced, hard working, and a little bit of a gritty team.” The Red is hoping this road trip will get its season back on track and have not hit the panic button yet. “I would like to see a little bit more urgency,” Hornibrook said. “We’ve had three losses by a goal. When you’re in that tight of a game there is not that much difference between the two teams. Our team has worked hard but there’s a reserve there that we haven’t emptied. The team is learning to win but we need to realize there is more in the tank than we think we have.” Archived article by James RichSun Staff Writer
By October 8, 2004
With a full week of preparation behind it, the women’s soccer team heads out to Boston to take on Harvard (3-4-2, 1-1 Ivy) tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. The Red (4-3-2, 1-1 Ivy) looks to rebound from a 3-0 loss last Saturday against Penn at Berman Field. Without a midweek game to play this week, the booters were able to hold a team meeting to talk about the season. “Because we had no game during the week, we got together, got some perspective, discussed what went well, what didn’t go well, and what we need to work on,” said head coach Berhane Andeberhan. “The other thing is we were able to give some people a little bit of rest in the beginning of the week, and then turn it up in terms of fitness.” Last weekend, Penn capitalized on the Red’s mistakes and the absence of two of its seniors, netting two goals in the span of six minutes. Katy Cross, one of the best players in the league, scored the Quakers’ first goal, while Rachel Snyder found the back of the net twice off assists from Carolyn Cross. “We made some critical mistakes about four or five times, and that ended up in three goals, so we’re trying to sure up those errors. You can’t give a phenomenal player like Katy Cross a chance to get in between your defenders and receive the ball,” Andeberhan said. Another thing the team is working on in practice is avoiding the slow start, which was a problem in the team’s last two games. Normally, Andeberhan lets his squad warm up before the game by themselves, but he will introduce some new warm-ups before the game against Harvard. “I suggested, if necessary, that I will warm the team up before a game. But my captains came up with an even better idea. They wanted me to suggest some more active, more competitive things, instead of the couple of things we tend to do,” Anderberhan said. “We’re casting aside a couple of our warm-up exercises, and getting a competitive exercise in there, so hopefully that helps.” Last season against the Crimson, the Red came away with a 1-1 tie, but Andeberhan has described the “1-1 win” as the team’s best effort last season. “Technically and tactically, we’re a little better this year. If we can replicate that level of intensity [from last year], we should have a good game,” Andeberhan said. Harvard comes into tomorrow’s contest after winning its first Ivy game of the season against Yale. Alisha Morgan’s goal in the 31st minute proved to be all the offense the Crimson needed, as Harvard held on for the 1-0 win over the Bulldogs. Morgan and Emily Colvin each have two goals on the year. In goal, Katie Shields has posted a goals against average of 0.84 with two shutouts. While the Crimson lacks a Katy Cross-type player, its starting 11 are solid throughout the lineup. However, the Red’s bench should be a big factor in the game. “If we keep the game close, we will fare well because of our depth. I don’t think [Harvard] has that kind of depth. When they go to their bench, they drop to where we were in the past, but their first 11 are very good,” Andeberhan said. “Historically, I think you have to give them the edge, but I think we can compete well.” Archived article by Jonathan AuerbachSun Staff Writer