The field hockey team recorded its first NESCAC win of the season this past Saturday, Sept. 21 when the Cardinals defeated Bates 2-0 in a tightly contested thriller. With the win, the squad improved to 2-3 on the season with a 1-2 conference record.
“It feels awesome to get our first NESCAC win of the season,” said Captain Blair Ingraham ’14 said. “And we’re looking forward to feeling this way again soon.”
This hard-earned win was especially memorable for one player in particular, goalie Sara Grundy ’16. She posted the first shutout of her Wesleyan career, stopping two Bates shots to give her 31 saves on the season with a .775 save percentage.
“It feels great to get a shutout,” Grundy said. “Bates really pushed hard in the second half and didn’t make it easy.”
Ingraham also lauded her teammate’s work in net, crediting Grundy with preserving the Cardinal lead against the late Bobcat assault.
“Sara had some big saves and put pressure on the Bates attack,” Ingraham said.
The Cards took eight shots on goal and limited Bates to only two. Ingraham and fellow Captain Amber Bruckner ’14 scored Wesleyan’s two goals, while Captain Taylor Wells ’14 assisted on both. Anna Howard ’15 was also credited with an assist on Bruckner’s goal. Ingraham and Bruckner led the team with seven and six points on the season, respectively. The Cardinals constantly put pressure on Bates’ defense, making life easier for Grundy on the other end.
Although the Bobcats only recorded two shots on goal, they did have 12 penalty corners.
“I wouldn’t say it was a one-sided affair because Bates put pressure on us in the second half, but I’d say we had a strong first half and came out strong, which probably took Bates by surprise,” Ingraham said. “Our defense did a good job of staying strong in the circle and preventing Bates from getting shots off.”
Grundy was very pleased with how the team played and eagerly awaits the rest of the season.
“This win really was a team effort,” Grundy said. “We are looking forward to carrying this momentum into the rest of the season.”
The team is preparing for its upcoming two-game road trip that starts Tuesday, Sept. 24 at Mount Holyoke College, which has a 7-0 record on the season thus far. The team will then head south to play NESCAC rival Hamilton, which sports a 1-3 record, next Saturday, Sept. 28.
“We’re looking forward to two more games this week and returning home next weekend with a few more wins,” Ingraham said.
After this shutout win for the Cards, the team fully believes in its ability to challenge such tough competition.
“I think we gained some confidence from this game, and we hope to carry that confidence into the rest of our games,” Ingraham said.
Shannon Welch/Staff Photographer