Field hockey earned its first Ivy League win against Dartmouth on Friday, Sept. 27 in a physical match and beat Colgate on Sunday, Sept. 29 to extend its win streak to three.
Even with the Big Green earning nine penalty corners, the Red’s defense held steady, allowing only one goal from Dartmouth’s Ella Bowman. Cornell (3-5, 1-1 Ivy) recorded three goals: junior midfielder Grace Leahy, senior midfielder Olivia Friedberg, and sophomore midfielder Julia Ramsey.
The match against Dartmouth (3-5, 1-1 Ivy) was full of emotion and physicality, with the rivals combining for four cards.
“Our shoulders dropped after the third goal,” Leahy said “We were much more composed and together as a team.”
Leahy characterized the Dartmouth matchup as competitive and physical. “There were so many different emotions but that game marked a click in our offense,” she said.
That offensive click was clear during Cornell’s win against Colgate. The Red shut out the Raiders and notched four goals. Ramsey recorded her fourth tally of the season, which leads the team, along with scores from junior midfielder Vivienne Mueller, Leahy, and freshman forward Blake Wilks.
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“We scored quite a few goals and finished in the circle,” Mueller said. “We came out and outworked and outcompeted them.”
So, what has changed for the Red?
“In practice, we worked a lot on finishing and rebounding,” Mueller said. “We are seeing that now translate on the field,” Mueller said.
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Mueller’s goal came from a far-post tip, Wilks capitalized off a deflection off a corner from junior defender Georgia Kelly, Leahy drove through the field to take the tally herself and finally, Ramsey scored on a one-time sweep.
“We know each other more now. We know how to communicate and where our strengths and weaknesses are,” Leahy said.
Combining communication and finishing has proved valuable for Cornell. The Red took seven shots against Dartmouth and 20 against the Raiders, the majority of which were on-goal.
The Red has also started and finished stronger, as showcased by its two road wins.
Captain and senior midfielder Claire Wolfe stated that the loss to Columbia was due to resorting to “panic mode” and the team’s attitude to “play not to lose.” As a senior and leader, Wolfe is working on instilling confidence in her team and ensuring that communication is maintained even when the game gets tough.
“Picking each other up [by] communicating and talking as much as possible –– those are the keys to winning more games,” Wolfe said.
With its Ivy Record now even at 1-1, the Red is anticipating its Friday game against Princeton (5-3, 2-0 Ivy).
“Princeton is always a tough battle,” Leahy said. “We are all focused on the process — we know this is a big game, but we know we can outcompete Princeton.”
Historically, Cornell is 6-37-3 against the No. 14 Tigers. There are definitely strong feelings going into this game for the Red. Last year during the Ivy League Tournament, Cornell fell short to Princeton in a 1-0 loss.
“I am looking to find a balance between emotion and composure,” Wolfe said. Wolfe wants all her teammates to believe that they are capable of beating one of the nation’s top teams.
Cornell takes on Princeton on Friday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. at Marsha Dodson Field, with coverage of the game available on ESPN+.
Zeinab Faraj is a Sun Contributor and can be reached at [email protected].