The field hockey team snapped a three-game losing streak Wednesday afternoon on Warner Roof, defeating the University of Rhode Island 6-2. The Bears' offense erupted for six second-half goals and reached a season high in shots on goal with 24. With the win, Brown improves to 2-3 (0-1 Ivy) on the year.
Late in the first half, it looked as though Rhode Island might take the early lead when a huge defensive mistake by the Bears led to goalkeeper Evelyn Brosi '07, who was making her first start of the year, facing two attackers in front of the net. But the Bears' defense quickly recovered, forcing the Rams to take a quick shot. Brosi made the save, and the defense was able to recover the bouncing ball to avoid any further danger.
Brown looked poised to break the scoreless tie early in the second half when co-captain Kristen Vincent '06 stepped in to take a penalty shot. Vincent let loose an enormous attempt that Rams' goalkeeper M.J. Britt sprawled out to stop. Only moments later, though, the Bears ended their 248-minute scoring drought when Samantha Lloyd '07 hammered in her own rebound, tallying the first of her three goals on the day. In less than 11 minutes of play, Lloyd single-handedly surpassed the team's scoring output on the entire year.
"It was a great individual effort on Sam's part," said Head Coach Carolan Norris. "She's tremendous in one-on-one situations, and she has the will to put the ball in the net. I think she's found a home at forward."
After facing two separate two-goal deficits, 2-0 and 3-1, the Rams battled ack with a penalty corner that led to Caitlin Rooney's second goal of the contest, closing the Bears' lead to 3-2 with 16:35 left to play.
But Brown rebounded quickly. Ani Kazarian '08 scored off of a penalty corner and Rebecca Mondics '07 notched her second point of the day when she flipped a back-handed shot into the far corner of the net, extending the lead to 5-2.
"Once we scored the first goal we never let up," Lloyd said. "We were determined to get another, and another. We came with great energy."
Despite Lloyd's outstanding offensive performance, it was perhaps Sarah Eaton '09 who had the most dominating performance of all. She and Tracy Dungo '07 displayed great chemistry all afternoon, connecting with surgical precision on passes along the sideline. Eaton navigated through the Rams' defense with ease, using her superior speed and stick handling to get by the opposition.
"They just couldn't stop her," Norris said.
It was fitting that Eaton scored the final goal of the game. Taking the ball from midfield and slicing her way toward the net, she flicked a shot over the goalkeeper and into the net.
"I told the team before the game that if they scored one then they'd score five," Norris said. "It was just a matter of getting that first goal."
No one seems to know how a team that didn't score in seven consecutive halves could score six goals in less than one. "That's the million-dollar question," Norris said.
The Bears leave the friendly confines of Warner Roof for their next game, looking to even up their record in Cambridge, Mass., on Saturday against Harvard.
