Coming off a crucial win on Oct. 23 against Brown, Cornell field hockey looked to build on that momentum this past weekend when they faced No. 10 ranked Harvard (14-1) and No. 12 ranked Syracuse (12-4).
But these two top 25 programs proved to be too tall a challenge for the Red, as it fell 3-1 against the Crimson on Saturday and 6-0 against the Orange on Sunday. This brings them back to a .500 record (8-8) for the first time since September, when they were 3-3.
The Red began the weekend with a Saturday afternoon matchup against Ivy League rival Harvard, in what was the team’s final game of the season at Dodson field. The game began just as the Red could have hoped, as it struck first in the opening period to take the lead.
It was once again the combination of senior defender Kate MacGillis, junior midfielder Bridget Mahoney and junior defender Caroline Ramsey who came together to convert on a penalty corner. This was Ramsey’s 17th goal of the season. However, this would be the apex of the game for the Red, and the remaining three quarters would be all Crimson.
Harvard began their comeback in the second quarter, when senior Hannah Pearce was able to fire a shot off of a penalty corner past junior goalkeeper Aerin Park. The game went to halftime tied 1-1. The third quarter was a scoreless possession battle, but the Crimson pulled away in the fourth, scoring two goals within three minutes of each other. This proved to be an insurmountable deficit for the Red, who was blanked in the final three quarters of the match, resulting in a 3-1 final score.
The Red had a back-to-back this past weekend, traveling to Syracuse on Sunday to face the Orange. The Red played the Orange at home on Sept. 22, losing in a hard fought 1-0 game. Though the score in the first half indicated a similar narrative, this match was not competitive for the Red.
Cornell had one shot on goal the entire game, as well as zero penalty corners. The vast majority of the match was played in the Red’s defensive end, with the Orange scoring one goal in the first quarter, two in the third and three in the fourth. This game marked the most goals the Red has allowed this season, and the largest margin by which it has lost — previously the team had not lost a game by more than two goals. The Red will have time this week to reflect on this difficult defeat.
The Red looks to end its season on a high note, as well as above .500, when it heads to New Haven to face longtime Ivy League rival Yale on Saturday.