On Wednesday afternoon, the field hockey team took an unblemished 2-0 record into Fairfield, Conn., for a match-up with Sacred Heart University. But the Pioneers ended the Bears' early winning streak when a late goal gave Sacred Heart a 2-1 victory.
The Bears were forced to play catch up from the outset. Sacred Heart scored just 10 minutes into the game, beating goalie Kristen Hodavance '08.
Bouncing right back, Bruno leveled the score at the 15:10 mark on a goal from Rebecca Mondics '07. It was Mondics' first goal of the season. The teams then traded scoring chances for the remainder of the half, but neither side could score for the rest of the period. The teams were tied 1-1 the end of the first half.
In the second half, however, the experience of the Pioneers began to show. Coming into the game, Sacred Heart had already played six contests, four of which they won.
"They're definitely a seasoned team. We had our opportunities but (the game) just didn't go our way," said Head Coach Carolan Norris. "They played an aggressive game and they're a well-coached team. They're the best team we've seen so far."
The Bears battled Sacred Heart throughout the second half, each team taking seven shots apiece. With 13 minutes left to play, however, Katie Bohren snuck the game-winning goal past Hodavance. Trailing for only the second time this year, the stunned Brown squad was unable to find an equalizer.
"When they scored the goal in the second half, I was like 'Wow, I can't believe we're down now,'" said forward Sandhya Dhir '08. "We had a lot of shots at the beginning of the second half ... but on the goal we made a sloppy play and they capitalized."
Norris agreed her team had chances to win but could not find any luck.
"We were in it until the end," she said. "We hit the post twice and the side of the cage once ... We had our opportunities but it just didn't go our way today."
In their annual September clash, Brown has gotten used to facing a Sacred Heart team with game experience than the Bears. Once Sacred Heart took the lead Wednesday, they knew just how to withstand Bruno's comeback attempt.
Despite the loss, Norris felt the team's showing was an example of the strides the squad has made this season.
"Two years ago we lost to (Sacred Heart) 6-2 and last year it was 6-2, so we're closing the gap," she said.
Even with the loss, Brown was able to use the game as another test on the road to Ivy play. The Bears hold first place in the conference, tied with three other teams with a 1-0 record. In the coming week, Brown will play two more non-conference games that will serve as useful preparation for Ivy League foes. The Bears will travel to Pennsylvania to play Lehigh University on Sunday and then host the University of Rhode Island on Wednesday.
While it was disappointing to suffer their first loss of the season, the Bears are already moving forward.
"We're not caught up in (the loss)," Dhir commented. "We now know some specific things we have to work on."
