On Sunday the field hockey team put together a complete performance in its 4-1 victory over Lehigh University. The squad out-shot the Mountain Hawks 25-6 and controlled possession en route to an easy victory in Bethlehem, Pa.
The win improved the team's record to 3-1 (1-0 Ivy) on the year.
Brown dominated play from the outset. The team combined crisp passing with steady offensive pressure to set the tone early in the game. The Bears finally got on the scoreboard in the 22nd minute when Andrea Posa '08 scored on a scramble in front of the goal.
Just five minutes later, Samantha Lloyd '07 was awarded a penalty stroke when a Lehigh defenseman illegally stopped the ball from rolling over the goal line. Lloyd sent the free shot into the back of the net, giving the team a 2-0 cushion. The Bears took that lead into halftime.
"We were controlling play, so we knew we had to score sometime," said Head Coach Carolan Norris. "Once we got the goal to go up 2-0 we cruised."
Brown's aggressive play continued in the second half. Sandhya Dhir '08 scored an unassisted goal just seven minutes into the period. In the 60th minute, Lehigh found the back of the cage, ending Brown's bid for its second shutout of the year. However, Bruno responded less than 30 seconds later with a tally from Stacy Gugliotta '07 that was assisted by Abby Hein '10.
"Abby made a nice run up the right side, and I came up the middle," Gugliotta said. "She sent a nice shot across the stroke mark, and I was able to deflect it into the net. It was a great pass by Abby."
The Bears' quick reply iced the game and closed out the scoring. The goal was also Gugliotta's first of the season and Hein's first collegiate point. The final goal came with just under 10 minutes remaining in the contest, highlighting the aggressive mindset Bruno carried throughout the game. Both players and Norris stressed that the team's aggressive play allowed it to control the game from the beginning.
"We had some physical play and kept up the pressure throughout the game," Lloyd said. "Speed was also one of our major advantages. (Lehigh) has a very large and quick turf, so that helped our forwards."
On the other end of the field, Brown's defense made scoring opportunities for the Mountain Hawks few and far between. Lehigh's six shots were the lowest number of attempts that Brown has allowed this year. The shots that did get through were parried by goaltender Kristin Hodavance '08, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Week.
Gugliotta also thought the Bears exhibited excellent teamwork during the game, which contributed to the strong all-around effort. "We really gelled, from the defense, to the midfield, to the forwards ... we were clearly dominating."
Despite dictating play throughout the game, the team was disappointed to lose the shut out. Norris felt that with such a large lead, Brown might have relaxed a bit near the end.
The victory helps take the sting out of the Bears' first loss of the season - a 2-1 loss to Sacred Heart University this past Wednesday. The team, however, was able to return from the setback and with an improved passion to battle against the Mountain Hawks.
"It was a disappointing loss because we had the opportunity to pull out the win, but in this game we came back with a renewed intensity," Lloyd said. "We were out to prove a point."
The team also showed a dedication to improvement by analyzing the Sacred Heart game in an optional film session.
"Everyone came in to watch it," Gugliotta said. "We were able to see our individual mistakes and learn from them."
The team's next challenge comes Wednesday at 4 p.m., when Brown hosts the University of Rhode Island on Warner Roof.
