The field hockey team came close to beating its second ranked opponent Wednesday afternoon, falling to No. 12 Northeastern University 3-2 on Warner Roof. The Bears couldn't overcome a rough first half in which they were outshot 13-1 and quickly fell behind by two goals. With the loss the Bears fell to 3-4 (1-1 Ivy) for the season.
Brown came into the game on a two-game winning streak, having defeated in-state rival University of Rhode Island Sept. 21 and No. 20 Harvard this past weekend.
"The team got together and we talked about how we can accomplish anything we put our minds to," said co-captain Brooke Townsend '06. "We've realized just how good we can be."
At the start of the match, the Bears looked like they had forgotten about that sentiment, giving up a goal three minutes into the game and another at the 24:34 mark. Brown struggled to control the ball, failing to connect on passes or push the ball up the field on the ground.
The Bears also looked sloppy taking and defending penalty corners, while the Huskies controlled the ball, passing lanes and even the air, using the lob pass with extraordinary accuracy and finesse.
"We didn't do anything right in the first half," said Head Coach Carolan Norris. "And then in the second half we realized we could play."
Goalkeeper Evelyn Brosi '07, recently named Ivy League Player of the Week after going 2-0 with a 0.92 GAA, was pulled shortly after giving up her second goal. She was replaced by Kristen Hodavance '08, who made her first appearance since Sept. 18.
"I just thought she was struggling a little bit," Norris said of Brosi. "We are fortunate to have two strong goalies."
The team looked re-energized in the second half after making some major adjustments at intermission. The Bears opened up their attack, looking to connect on the big ball by finding holes in Northeastern's zone defense.
Townsend and the team's leading scorer, Samantha Lloyd '07, had tried and failed to connect on a long pass earlier in the game. The second time, though, the two connected for a beautiful pass that yielded a one-on-one situation between Lloyd and Husky goalkeeper Colleen Duffy. Lloyd forced Duffy to commit and made a move to her right, firing a shot into the vacated net before any help defense arrived. The goal cut the lead to one with exactly 15:00 to play.
Northeastern quickly answered with its third goal as Whitney Shean fired a perfect free shot from outside the circle that was deflected right on goal. A lunging Hodavance got her pads on the shot but wasn't able to prevent the goal.
"It was beautifully executed," Norris admitted.
With less than nine minutes to play, the Bears easily could have quit, but another huge ball by Townsend rocketed over the stick of a lunging defender and continued its course to a streaking Lloyd. The junior made another great individual move to beat Duffy for her second goal of the game, making the score 3-2 with 3:55 to play.
"They were backing off so the big ball was open," Townsend said.
With only seconds to play, the game looked just about over, but the Bears raced the ball into the Huskies' circle. Just before time expired everyone on Warner Roof watched Lloyd's attempt at a game-tying third goal pop up and miss the top of the net by a foot.
"This is a game we should have tied and could have won. We're all very disappointed," Townsend said.
The Bears look to even up their record on Saturday when they face Colgate University on Warner Roof.
