Even though the first game of the weekend was snowed out, the field hockey team had a weekend to remember. Twenty hours of grueling bus rides, nine movies, and three days after the Red Hawks set out from RPI, they had bonded and made the playoffs—even though they only won one of their two must-win games.
Still recovering from a bout of sickness and injuries, the team managed to split the weekend with a 3-1 win over Hamilton on Saturday and a 3-0 loss to St. Lawrence the next day.
At Hamilton, the Red Hawks clearly controlled the game. “We definitely held possession of the ball … we didn’t have to play much defense,” said senior defenseman Andrea Flynn. The team agreed; the second half of the game was played almost entirely on the opponent’s half of the field.
Clemente led the team with one goal and two assists in the game. Rensselaer’s win ended Hamilton’s four-game winning streak.
The freshmen have completed their transition to collegiate play, among them Shaina Feldman and Molly Johnston, who sophomore Sarah Stylinski noted were “adjusting quickly.” Feldman had one goal while Johnston had two assists in Saturday’s game.
The game against St. Lawrence in Canton, N.Y., had originally been scheduled for Friday, but as the team arrived, the snow began to fall. “Eventually three inches fell; every time we hit [the ball], it turned into a snowball,” junior forward Michelle Clemente said of the snowed out game.
“They tried to plow, but that didn’t really work,” added junior defenseman Sarah Merlin. The game was eventually rescheduled for Sunday. During the break prior to the match, they found out that a combination of circumstances meant that due to the win over Hamilton, they had qualified for the playoffs.
The team was experimenting with new positions and mixing up the play these past games. The test was seen as a success. “No one had a bad game … we gelled” said sophomore forward Kristiina Baker.
“The midfield transitions were really quick,” noted sophomore Stephanie Petta. “I’m really excited, no idea of what to expect ... we can beat them,” she said of her first trip to the playoffs and impending first-round game.
“There’s usually a huge gap between the top teams,” said Merlin. “I feel this is our year to dominate; we have the skills to win.”
“It’s always a game that pushes us really far, every year the goal differential goes down, it’s our year to win it,” said Flynn of the upcoming game against nationally-ranked Middlebury. The team will use the next two games to get ready for the playoffs.
The team is looking for consistency throughout the rest of the season, especially as William Smith hosts the Liberty League championships November 3.
