With last season's growing pains in the past, the field hockey team heads into the 2005 campaign as a unit of veterans, ready to join in the chase for what promises to be a wide-open race for the Ivy League title.
"We have a lot of the depth on the team," said forward/midfielder Samantha Lloyd '07. "We have great energy. We all get along very well. We can go far."
Already the signs point to this team being improved from last year's squad. At this time last fall, the Bears were 1-3. An inexperienced unit, Brown had just three seniors on the roster and started a first-year in the goal for the majority of the season. Not surprisingly, the Bears struggled, going 5-11 and finishing in a tie for fifth place in the Ivies at 2-5.
This year, Brown has already displayed the poise and seasoning gained from that rebuilding campaign. In its first game of the season, the team rallied back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the University of Vermont 2-1 in overtime.
That is not to say that it has been smooth sailing all year for the Bears. The team dropped its conference opener on Saturday against Dartmouth in a disappointing 3-0 game. The loss indicates that although the Bears may have many returnees, they still need to find a way to meld the familiar and new faces on the roster.
"We're still early in the season, still trying to find our niche and we still don't have our lineup down," said Head Coach Carolan Norris. "But we are much more experienced and we have the same expectations every year: We want to contend for the Ivy title."
In order to go far this year, Brown will need big contributions from its junior and senior players. The Bears return 10 of 11 starters and 18 letter-winners overall. Of those returnees, 12 hail from either the class of 2006 or 2007.
The key for Brown will be the play and leadership of its two captains, Kristen Vincent '06 and Brooke Townsend '06. Vincent was the team's leading scorer last year, notching six goals and three assists. She was also a unanimous first team All-Ivy selection and was named an STX/NFHCA Northeast Regional All-American. Vincent, who has one of the strongest shots on the team, will take most penalty corner shots.
"Kristen is poised and has very good passing skills," Norris said. "She is a good defender."
Townsend, meanwhile, is one of the team's hardest workers. Capable of playing all three positions, she was a Second Team All-Ivy selection last season and the team's fourth leading scorer with seven points.
"Brooke will work her tail off the whole game," Lloyd said. "She brings a lot of her energy to the rest of the team."
The Bears have two quality options in net with goalkeepers Kristen Hodavance '08 and Evelyn Brosi '07. Both saw action last year, although Hodavance logged more minutes, starting 12 of the 13 games in which she played. This season, Hodavance has played well, recording 16 saves while giving up just four goals. She is currently ranked second in saves per game in the Ivy League.
"Hodavance is great," Vincent said. "She plays her angles and makes some hard saves. She keeps us in a lot of games."
Also key to the defense will be Libbie Fritz '06, Rebecca Mondics '07, Laura Kavazanjian '06, Lindsay Boris '06 and Katie Auriemma '08.
"Libbie is an offensive-minded defender," Vincent said. "She gives great support to our right (attacking side) midfielders and forwards. Laura is also solid and consistent. She knows where she has to be."
Boris - who plays some midfield along with Kavazanjian - also contributed offensively last year, scoring three goals in addition to recording one defensive save.
"Lindsay in the midfield runs her butt off," Vincent said. "She has more heart than anyone I've ever seen. She is a real leader and boosts the mentality of the team."
Last season the midfield was one of the units that had the most inexperience, especially following the loss of All-Ivy recipient Lizzie Buza '04. Such a void allowed rookies like Ani Kazarian '08 and Sara Springmeyer '08 to earn valuable game experience.
On the front line, the Bears will rely on the veteran expertise of Lloyd, Tracy Dungo '07 and Stacy Gugliotta '07. Both had solid seasons last year, as Dungo tied for fourth on the team in points with seven, while Lloyd had two goals and two assists. Lloyd also is in charge of initiating most penalty corner hits.
"Sam Lloyd sees the field well, she has great tackling skills and is an all-around competitor," Norris said.
In addition to the returnees, Brown has a couple of new faces to keep an eye on. Sara Eaton '09 and Marisa Loo '09 both played on the Elite Futures Under-19 team that Norris coached in Australia two years ago. Loo played well in her first start against Dartmouth on Saturday, while Eaton got some breakaway possessions against the Big Green.
"Sara is dynamic with the ball and she rarely makes a mistake," Norris said. "She has an outstanding future here."
With the need to integrate so many players into a cohesive unit, it is not surprising that the Bears have yet to establish a rhythm, something Norris sees as key to success this season.
"I don't think that we have outstanding individual talent," Norris said. "We need to play together to do damage."
Despite the loss to begin the Ivy season, the team remains confident that it is still in the hunt.
"I personally think that everyone could win the league this year," Norris said. "I don't think the Ivy champ will go undefeated."
"We always want to win the title," Vincent said. "We are coming together as a team and realizing our potential. Once we do that it will be amazing."
