Saturday marks both the end of the season for the Cornell field hockey team and the squad’s Senior Day.
The women hope to finish their season with a four-game winning streak by defeating Dartmouth, putting them third overall in the Ivy League. This would be their fourth consecutive finish in the top three.
“I know Ivy games are always tightly contested,” said head coach Donna Hornibrook, “but I believe we should have no trouble rising to the occasion.”
Currently, the Red is ranked fourth in the conference and 32nd overall, according to NCAA Division I standings. The Green is ranked last in the Ivy League conference and 55th overall.
Despite the women’s lead in the standings, they are not letting this status impact their preparation for the upcoming game.
“The team is taking nothing for granted,” said Hornibrook, “and we plan to out and play a very solid game.”
The last time Cornell faced Dartmouth was in the 2015 season; Dartmouth came out of the matchup victorious, beating Cornell 5-4 in overtime.
“We are going to focus on the fact that we are playing well,” Hornibrook said. “We plan to train well this week and hopefully carry it into the game on Saturday.”
All season the Red has strived for consistency and, recently, the team has hit its stride.
“These have both approved dramatically in the final third of the season,” said Hornibrook, “but we’re still going to work on creating corners and focus on corner execution in the game.”
The women have done a good job limiting their opponents’ corners and shots, according to Hornibrook.
“Overall I think the team is playing probably with more composure and confidence than we have seen this season,” Hornibrook said, “which is something we have been striving for. I wish we would have achieved it earlier, but we feel good about how we’re playing now.”
Saturday will also include Senior Day festivities. Senior midfielder Elizabeth Horak, senior back Luisa Schulte-Bockum and senior midfielder Katy Weeks will all be playing their final game for the Red.
“They are all solid character kids,” Hornibrook said of the seniors. “They understand the dynamic of positive team and positive team chemistry.”
Horak has been consistently getting her job done job all season. She is very team-oriented and can always be counted on for her consistent play, according to Hornibrook. She has had nine career goals and four career assists, resulting in a total of 22 career points for the Red.
“Liz doesn’t say a lot, but when she speaks the team listens,” Hornibrook said.
Schulte-Bockum has been one of the best post players in the conference for the past two years. This season, she has consistently made defensive saves for the Red, setting the school record for 12 defensive career saves.
“Luisa is really consistent and has had solid contributions in the backfield this season,” Hornibrook said.
Weeks was one of the four Ivy league students selected to play in the 2016 Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division I Senior game. Hornibrook said the award is “a real honor” for Weeks, who started all 66 of her career games.
“She is great at playing in both directions and stealing balls in the midfield,” Hornibrook said.
The underclassmen and juniors are motivated to finish the season off strong and send their seniors off on a positive note, according to Hornibrook.
“All three have contributed and we are going to miss them,” Hornibrook said.
Cornell will take on Dartmouth on Saturday in Ithaca, N.Y. at noon.