The field hockey team (2-5) has learned a lot of lessons on the field this year, but on Wednesday it finally learned one that did not hurt with a solid 2-0 victory over the University of Rhode Island. The win ended a five-game losing streak that had been taking a psychological toll on the Bears.
"It felt great, because it wasn't so much about a losing streak as it was about pride and our reputation and the morale of the team," said Tess Belmont '06. "I don't think anyone on our team has been 1-5 in their lives. It was terrible."
Lindsay Boris '06 scored the first goal of the game, her second of the season. The ball bounced off a defender's stick, and Boris drove it past the goalie.
"We had the ball in the circle a lot, so it was just finishing - I happened to be there to finish it," Boris said. "It's what we're trying to do this whole season, really."
A mere seven minutes later, the Bears gave themselves some breathing room with a second goal. Kristen Vincent '06 notched the goal with an assist from Julia Kelderman '05 and Belmont. This corner combination has been huge this season for the Bears, accounting for five of the team's 14 goals this season.
"We practice and work on it, and that is one of those things that if you spend enough time, it should be a sure thing every chance you get," Belmont said.
It will be interesting to see how the Bears' goaltending situation pans out as Ivy League play begins on Saturday. Kristen Hodavance '08 got another start Wednesday, earning her first collegiate win in a five-save shutout performance. But coach Carolan Norris could easily revert to captain Katie Noe '05 for an Ivy contest.
URI was an ideal opponent leading up to an important Ivy match: it was a win for the Bears, but it was not the most difficult team on the schedule. Brown outshot URI 29-5 and had 11 penalty corners while URI had none. This reflects Brown's dominance in controlling the ball and keeping it in their opponent's circle. Most of the Rams' opportunities were breakaways, which the Bears quickly shut down without damage.
"It probably wasn't the most challenging game, but I think confidence is what we need right now, so having a win before the weekend is probably better than anything," Belmont said. "It will make practices more intense, make everyone want to be there more."
The Bears will have to take it up a notch to beat Harvard University, which is currently ranked 18th in the nation with a 4-2 record. Harvard is coming off a tough 3-1 loss to sixth-ranked University of Connecticut, so the Bears will have an opportunity to take the Crimson at the team's weakest and restore their own reputation in one swoop.
The team was playing well, though not spectacularly on Wednesday. The key thing was they got the job done, players said.
"We played well, I think. It was a little slower than usual," Belmont said. "I guess we did what we had to do that day to win, so yeah we played well."
