Field hockey (5-8, 2-3 Ivy) improved its record this week with a road win against the University of Pennsylvania (3-9, 1-4 Ivy) in a double-overtime thriller.
The game’s first goal came within the first 20 seconds as sophomore forward Ashley Plzak racked goal number three of the season off an assist from junior midfielder Georgia Kelly.
“Going into the game, we wanted to ensure we got the first goal to boost our confidence,” Plzak said.
Cornell recorded its second goal off a penalty corner. Sophomore midfielder Julia Ramsey sent the ball into the circle, where senior midfielder Claire Wolfe gained control and trapped it. The tally came from Kelly on defense, who swept the ball into the net.
“Watching film before the game, we had recognized that lane was going to be open and played to that,” Kelly said.
Those two goals gave the Red an excellent first-half start — a 2-0 lead against Penn.
“We were able to drop our shoulders and relax a little. … Our confidence was high,” Plzak said.
But the second half of the game proved to be more challenging for Cornell. Junior Livia Loozen of Penn drove the ball down to the circle from the center line and hit the top shelf to put a point on the board for the Quakers.
Less than five minutes later, Penn’s Sophie Freedman connected with junior midfielder Julia Ryan to even the score. Ryan finished the game with seven shots, five being on goal for a career high.
Even with the Quakers taking a total of 14 shots against Cornell’s seven, sophomore keeper Martha Broderick recorded eight saves.
Broderick’s strong mentality was key to the Red’s victory.
“For me, I always focus on the next save I want to make. I don’t focus my energy on mistakes because I can not rectify them in that moment,” Broderick said.
With the score even, the Red and Penn headed into overtime.
During the first overtime period, Cornell struggled to gain possession and create opportunities to end the game. The Red did not have a shot or penalty corner. The Quakers, on the other hand, attempted to finish the game three times.
Going into the second overtime period, the Red recorded two shots within the first two minutes. The deciding goal came with junior midfielder Vivienne Mueller’s electric shot coming off of Plzak’s dribbling into the circle.
“It felt amazing. … We knew this was our biggest game of the season,” Mueller said.
Notably, Cornell remained cool-headed during this game, with no penalties being called.
Kelly said that as a team, the Red has a “new focus on being disciplined and composed during the game and when we talk to the referees.”
With this win, Cornell is looking to continue its win streak against Brown. To keep Ivy League Tournament hopes alive, this game is a must-win for the Red.
“We are all in for everything we do,” Broderick said.
In preparation for this game, Cornell is focusing on reviewing film and practicing hard.
“This week we plan on giving 100 percent at practice to prepare for this all-or-nothing game,” Plzak said.
Cornell’s contest against the Bears is Friday, Oct. 25 at 2 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].