The Class of 2005 decided enough was enough, and put an end to the Red’s losing streak yesterday.
The field hockey team beat Rutgers, 4-0, to end an eight-game skid and record its first road win of the season. The Red now stands at 3-12 (1-5 Ivy).
“Before the game, we came together and said let’s stop messing around and get this win,” said senior Danielle Dunn.
Four different seniors earned points for the Red yesterday. Co-captain Gina Testa and Jamie Woolsey notched two goals apiece. Dunn helped out with two assists, and classmate Sara Weiner pitched in with an assist of her own.
“We didn’t do much differently,” Dunn said of the team’s play. “The offense was connecting. We had so many more entries into the circle. Everything worked perfectly today and it showed.”
Testa put the Red on the board at the end of the first half off a pass from Weiner. The Red broke the game wide open in the second half, with Dunn feeding Testa for her second goal eight minutes into the second period. Just before the 50-minute mark, Dunn set up Woolsey for her first collegiate goal. Less than four minutes later, Woolsey tallied again for the Red, this time unassisted.
“We were ready to play,” Dunn said. “It got to the point where we were sick of losing.”
Goalkeeper Lori Blutinger anchored the defensive two saves and her first career shutout. The defense also turned in a solid effort, giving up only five penalty corners to the Scarlet Knights.
“We laid it all on the line,” Dunn said. “We wanted to finish the season on a positive note.” The Red was coming off a physical game against Villanova on Friday, which the Wildcats won, 2-0, to end their regular season at 11-7.
After a first half dominated by a back-and-forth battle in the midfield, Villanova got on the board with a goal off a penalty corner by junior Sarah Francis, who was assisted by sophomore Lauren Campenelli and senior Vanessa Pizzulli. The Wildcats kept the Red out of the offensive end of the field, limiting Cornell to just two shots on goal. Junior Rory Rogers put the game out of reach at 46:54, with a goal assisted by Francis.
The Red had a chance to even the game when a shot by Dunn was tipped into the net by Testa. However, the referee called the goal illegal, saying that Testa had not used her stick to direct the ball.
“It was a bad call, the ref was at a bad angle,” Dunn said. “She thought it went off [Testa’s] body.”
The close game on Friday gave the Red the extra motivation it needed to shut out Rutgers in a mentally challenging game yesterday. The team is hoping it can carry the winning momentum into next weekend and its last Ivy game and final match of the season.
“Definitely, everyone was relieved,” Dunn said. “We haven’t given up all season. It’s a really young team. Everyone’s really excited to take it to Dartmouth next weekend.”
Archived article by Olivia Dwyer
Sun Staff Writer