The Cardinals’ field hockey season closed this weekend as they clashed with Bowdoin and Middlebury, ranked sixth and fourth nationally for Division III, respectively.
Saturday’s game against Bowdoin went sour early as the Polar Bears netted three goals in the first 16 minutes. Wesleyan recovered, however and played the game evenly from then on by stiffening their defense. While they couldn’t muster a comeback, the 3-0 loss meant little, as the Cards had already clinched their position in the NESCAC tournament.
“There wasn’t a lot of time to reflect on Bowdoin,” said Adrienne Shea ’07. “We just shifted immediately to get ready for playoffs.”
To get ready for their playoff showdown with Middlebury, the Cardinals had 24 hours. The game was held on Sunday in Middlebury and both teams were playing their second game in as many days.
“It’s draining to play back-to-back games, especially with Saturday in the pouring rain and crazy wind,” Shea said. “It was pretty tiring, but we had done it once earlier in the season. Middlebury was playing back-to-back as well, so the fatigue was a factor for both teams.”
The game was a tale of two halves, as Middlebury built a lead with two unanswered goals in the first half. In the second frame, Wesleyan outplayed Middlebury and doubled their shots and penalty corners. The Panthers tallied another goal with 25 minutes to go, however, to extend the lead to three.
A valiant comeback began as Alexa David ’10 scored on an assist from Sarah Rosenfeld ’07 with 19 minutes left. Then, with five minutes left in the game, Amanda Nickels ’08 scored an unassisted goal and set up a frantic finish. The Cards worked to create a great opportunity with a penalty corner in the final two minutes but couldn’t convert to complete the comeback. Middlebury now moves on to the NESCAC semi-finals.
“We realized that we had to fight back [in the second half] and give ourselves the shot we deserved to play on,” said Emily Wenzel. “Especially for our seniors who worked so hard this season.”
Top offensive performers on this year’s team were Shea, who led the team with six goals, Cortney Tetrault ’07, the team’s assists and points leader with eight assists and 14 points, Julia Perciasepe ’07 who had 13 points, and Amanda Nickels ’08 who notched 11 points. The girls finished this year’s campaign with a 6-9 overall record and a 3-6 NESCAC record.
“The season definitely had its disappointments,” Shea said. “I think everyone had big expectations for this year and we did have some frustrating games. But I think the most important thing about our team is that we battled. We never gave up. While we all wish the outcome was a little different, we succeeded in coming together as a team and really playing with tons of heart, and that’s what our future success is going to build on.”
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