Wesleyan field hockey faced off against three teams last week, taking on NESCAC foes Bates and Middlebury on Saturday and Sunday, and out-of-conference opponent Salve Regina on Tuesday. The Cardinals split their NESCAC matches, defeating Bates in Lewiston but taking a loss from Middlebury at home. However, two days after the Middlebury loss, the Cardinals rebounded in spectacular fashion with a record setting 12-0 win against Salve Regina on Smith field. The Cardinals are in good position to make a run in the playoffs with only two regular season matches remaining, and this weekend they face a pivotal NESCAC and Little Three matchup against Amherst. Both Wesleyan and Amherst have an identical 9-3 record and both own a 1-0 win over Williams this season so the victor on Saturday will claim the 2010 Little Three title.

Going into the Bates match the Cardinals were ranked 18th nationally in Division III, and they exhibited why as they made quick work of the Bobcats. Wesleyan received a goal and an assist from both Morgan McCauley ’12 and Liz Chabot ’12. Chabot’s seventh goal of the season, set up by McCauley on a penalty corner, gave Wesleyan a 2-0 lead in the tenth minute of the game, after Taryn Murray ’13 opened up the scoring in the fourth minute by tipping the ball in on an Ashley McLaren ’13 assist. In the 17th minute the Bobcats were able to sneak one past Tori Redding ’13, but this proved to be the Bobcat’s only goal of the match. The second half was all Wesleyan, as Blair Ingraham ’14 sent one home in the 40th minute, and McCauley sailed one by the Bates keeper in the 58th minute to cap the day’s scoring and seal the 4-1 victory.

In their second match of the weekend, Wesleyan faced off against Middlebury. Coming into the game the two teams sported identical 4-2 NESCAC marks, and the result of the game had large implications for NESCAC standings. Wesleyan fell behind in the sixth minute on a fluke goal as Redding came out to play a ball sent into the circle from long range, but missed the ball, allowing it to roll right in front of the goal where a waiting Panther put it home from short range.  The Panthers added a goal in the 21st minute for a 2-0 halftime edge and bumped the margin to 3-0 in the 38th minute. Wesleyan was unable to rebound from this deficit, and with their victory Middlebury improved to 5-2 and moved into third place for a tie with Trinity, while Wesleyan fell to fifth place in the standings for a tie with Amherst.

In the third game of the week Wesleyan had a historic win, and behind hat tricks from attackers Alex Bean ’11 and Amy Blum ’14 Wesleyan racked up a school-record 12 goals in defeating Salve Regina for the fourth consecutive year. Wesleyan had equaled its school record for goals in a game earlier this season during s 10-2 triumph at Eastern Connecticut.

Scoring five goals off rebounds as the Salve keepers combined for 20 saves, Wesleyan scored twice in the opening five minutes.  Chabot and Murray were the opportunists, getting to the loose ball after their initial shots were saved.  Wesleyan ran the margin to 6-0 by halftime with McCauley, Jamie Thabault ’11, Bean and Lila Creighton ’11 all getting into the scoring act.  McCauley’s goal was her team-leading ninth of the year.

All but one of the goals in the second half came courtesy of Bean or Blum, Averill Roberto ’13 contributed one goal to make it 7-0 just 1:50 into the second half.  Bean and Blum finished off the scoring, and by the end of the match each player posted their first career hat trick.

The Amherst match this weekend is Wesleyan’s last NESCAC game before the tournament, and has large implications for tournament seeding. Face off is at 2 pm on Smith field.