Nearly halfway through its regular season, the Red’s field hockey has persevered, displaying great efforts on the offensive end, though not representative of its record (1-5, 0-1 Ivy).
The Red’s Ivy opener against Columbia showcased this –– Cornell took nearly 20 shots, always crashing toward the goal. While Columbia’s keeper Katie Wimmer was definitely solid in goal for the Lions with multiple diving saves, head coach Andy Smith emphasized the lack of finishing throughout the game as an “attitude problem, not a skills problem.”
Columbia’s Lindsey Yu proved to be the star of the game. She scored the only goal of the game for the Lions and proved to be troublesome for Cornell’s defense as she alone took three of Columbia’s nine shots on goal.
“It starts with the backend. … We’ve got to start quicker and finish stronger,” said senior defender Gabby Volpe. Volpe’s leadership and determination certainly made a difference for Cornell, remaining cool despite Columbia’s constant pressure.
“She’s definitely been a true leader for us in the backfield,” Smith said.
While the Columbia game proved to be frustrating for the Red, it earned its first win of the season against Bryant on Sunday afternoon. Bryant’s Alexa Sedicino scored the first goal during the game, but Cornell immediately answered with a goal by sophomore midfielder Julia Ramsey two minutes later.
“I deeply trust my defensive line,” attested sophomore goalkeeper Martha Broderick. “We keep playing. We don’t allow one goal to affect our mindset.”
Broderick was strong for Cornell these past two games only allowing two goals between Columbia and Bryant.
“[Broderick’s] communication makes it very easy to play,” Smith said. “She’s one of the best keepers in the country.”
Cornell scored three more unanswered goals to seal the victory against the Bulldogs. Sophomore midfielder Polly Parsons, sophomore midfielder Annabel Cheveley and junior midfielder Vivienne Mueller all recorded tallies.
“We knew we didn’t play our best against Columbia,” Ramsey said. “But today we came out ready to fight.”
The Red’s defensive game withstood multiple tests –– most notably four straight penalty corners for Bryant towards the end of the first half.
“We need to take one more step in everything we do, that’s the best and only way for us to move forward this season,” Smith said.
While Cornell’s Sunday game attested to the team’s strengths, both players and coaches recognized that there was room for improvement –– especially with yet another Ivy Conference game in five days.
“We’ve got to take a long look at ourselves in the mirror over the next two days and come out here with an attitude that we want and need to be better,” Smith said.
Cornell aims to continue this momentum in its game against Dartmouth on Friday, Sept. 27, with the pass back slated for 3 p.m. The Red will return to New York for a Sunday matinee against Colgate, scheduled for 2 p.m. in Hamilton.
Zeinab Faraj is a Sun Contributor and can be reached at [email protected].