Following a disappointing week that featured losses at Princeton and American University, Cornell Field Hockey needed a win to get back on track. Entering the weekend at 7-6 with their winning record on the line, the Red faced off against Brown (6-9) on Saturday. In a thrilling 77-minute contest, the Red was able to secure victory by a score of 4-3 in double overtime.
The match began as a possession battle, with neither team able to find the back of the net in the first quarter. However, It was the Red who struck first just two minutes into the second, when sophomore forward Olivia Friedberg scored off of a pass from freshman midfielder Hanke Goevaert. The lead did not hold for long, as the Bears were able to respond five minutes later with a goal by senior Dani van Rootselaar.
A minute before halftime, however, the Red was awarded a penalty corner. The reliable trio of senior defender Kate MacGillis, junior midfielder Bridget Mahoney and junior defender Caroline Ramsey came together once again to reclaim the lead for the Red with a goal.
The goal marked Ramsey’s 16th of the season, which leads the Ivy League. Mahoney also is first in the Ivy League in assists with 17. The Red went into halftime holding onto a 2-1 lead.
Coming out the half with a 2-1 lead, the Red was able to extend its lead by one with a goal by senior defender Avery Smith, and stout defense allowed the Red to retain a 3-1 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
Two of the four goals Cornell scored came from open play, a place where the Red had shown weaknesses before. Head Coach Andy Smith was pleased to see this added balance to the offense.
“I think when we’ve got open play goals, it gives us a little more confidence,” Smith said. “We’ve got scoring threats in a lot of positions … and I think that we’re very difficult to play against when we’ve got more than one scoring threat.”
Up until the fourth quarter, it seemed as though this was the Red’s game to win, with the team outshooting the Bears 12-5. However the momentum changed completely in the final period, and the Bears proved they were not going down without a fight. The Bears scored two back-to-back goals by sophomore Imogen Govan and van Rootselaar, tying up the game at three apiece.
The Red was unable to respond in regulation, leading to its third overtime game of the season. The Red was previously 0-2 in overtime games, losing to Penn and Princeton.
The first overtime period played out much like the first quarter, with neither team able to convert. It took until the 77th minute for either team to find the back of the net, and unlike previous games, it was the Red that came away victorious.
Friedberg netted her second goal of the game off of a tip from Mahoney, and the Red got a hard-fought 4-3 win. With the win, the Red moved to 8-6 on the season. It was a breakout game for Friedberg, with two goals including the game winner.
“I was told at the beginning of the season by a coach that we played against that we have a potential world class player [in Friedberg],” Smith said. “She’s an incredible talent, incredibly exciting player. She’s going to get out of this game what she puts into it, but there’s no limit to her potential.”
The Red looks to continue its momentum in its final home game of the season when it faces Ivy League rival Harvard (13-1) on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Dodson Field at noon.