The field hockey team came back from a Saturday loss to No. 9 Princeton with a commanding win Wednesday over the College of the Holy Cross.
Princeton 6, Brown 2
Welcoming the Tigers Saturday, the Bears (6-7, Ivy 1-3) faced a challenge against the defending national champions (8-4, 4-0). The Tigers came out strong, and over the course of the first half battered Brown’s defense with a flurry of shots — 23 in all. This offensive assault produced two goals, coming in the 24th and 33rd minute.
The Tigers logged an equal number of shots in the second half, adding another four points to their tally. Forward Meghan O’Donnell ’15 managed to net a pair of goals for the Bears during the period, but these were not enough to even the score.
Goalkeeper and captain Shannon McSweeney ’15 put forth a mighty effort, blocking 22 shots on goal.
Brown 3, Holy Cross 1
Eager to avenge their loss to Princeton, the Bears readied to conquer the Crusaders at home.
From the start, Brown controlled passing and dominated possession. Head Coach Jill Reeve said this was one of the best aspects of the team’s game.
“I felt like our ball movement was good,” Reeve said. “We transferred the ball better than in previous matches.”
Brown besieged Holy Cross during the first half. Utilizing her signature speed, O’Donnell launched several breaks into the visitors’ side of the field. Though O’Donnell did not net any goals herself, she enabled Alexis Miller ’16 and Katarina Angus ’17 to score. When the halftime whistle blew, Bruno left the field leading 2-0.
The second half brought similar play, with the Bears continuing to test the Crusaders’ strength. Two minutes into the period, Miller capitalized on a penalty-corner pass from Haley Alvarez ’15, a Herald sports staff writer, to log her second goal of the game.
Reeve then substituted in a number of first-year players who maintained offensive pressure on the Crusaders’ defense.
“Our players who came off the bench did a great job,” Reeve said. “It really showed that we have a lot of depth.”
Holy Cross notched its only goal late in the game when Gabriella Smith evaded Brown’s defense to score in the 65th minute.
The Bears hit the road to challenge Cornell (8-5, 2-2) Saturday. After facing the Big Red, the team only has three games left in the regular season — two against Ivy opponents. Reeve said the conference contest could turn into a battle.
“Cornell’s a talented team,” Reeve said. “We’re going to have to bring our A-game to get a win against them.”
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