Of all the field hockey games to attend this season, the game this Friday at 3 pm against William Smith College at Harkness Field is the one not to miss. William Smith and Rensselaer are both 3-0 in the Liberty League this season, and both plan to put up a strong showing at this crucial game on Friday. The winner will stand a good chance of hosting the Liberty League Championship Tournament. Since William Smith has hosted the tournament for several years now, Rensselaer is more eager than ever to steal the honor.
Hosting the Tournament means a much greater chance of winning the championship. And with that championship comes an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The outcome of the game thus sets in motion a series of events that ultimately could decide how far the team takes their potential. This game could make or break their season.
The Red Hawks bring a strong momentum to this Friday’s match, since the team has won its last four games, including three Liberty League matches. On Saturday, September 1, Rensselaer played at Drew University and came out on top with a 3-2 win in overtime.
“It shouldn’t have gone into overtime,” said sophomore forward Kristiina Baker.
“We started off really well, but then we kind of broke down in the second half and that’s when they came back,” said sophomore forward Lisa Pak. The Red Hawks scored twice in the first half, with goals from junior forward Michelle Clemente and freshman midfielder Molly Johnston. Junior midfielder Michelle Roy, freshman midfielder Margaret Chowaniec, and sophomore Sara Stylinski all had assists as well. The Red Hawk defense kept Drew scoreless in the first half. “We played a beautiful first half. Our passes were on, there were two great goals—we were having a really good time,” said Stylinski. “Everybody had so much energy because we were having such a good time, and there wasn’t as much pressure because it wasn’t a league game.”
