The field hockey team dominated the turf Tuesday, capturing its first win of the season against Salve Regina University, 3-1.
Combining their proven defensive skills with an offensive drive, the Cardinals played a strong overall game. After dropping their first two matches against Tufts and Bowdoin, the women needed no extra incentive to surge past the Seahawks, and they are posed to continue moving forward.
With the shaky start behind them, the Cards really showcased their resilience and spirit.
“We had a choice,” said co-captain Hailey Sarage ’09. “Our caliber of play in [each of] the first two games was at the extreme ends of the spectrum. We needed to decide what kind of team we were, and I think that this win was important to set the tone for the season.”
After giving up a goal, and the game, with only 13 seconds left against Bowdoin on Saturday, the women needed a boost to stay on track. They reacted perfectly, taking away the positives and leaving behind the heartaches, once they got onto the field this Tuesday. The total team effort resulted in a commanding 3-0 lead, with the women staying on the attack for most of the game, a change from Saturday’s match. Salve Regina’s Kirsten Johannesen was able to break the shutout in the middle of the second half but Wesleyan never backed down.
“We moved the ball well offensively, and had some spectacular defensive moments,” said co-captain Molly O’Connell ’09. “Most notably, we never got complacent, and continued to score even later into the second half.”
The Cardinals were hungry for a win, remaining confident and cohesive as a team. Everyone truly contributed, with the offense tallying 27 shots on goal and the defense holding the Seahawks to only three.
“The attack did a nice job flooding the circle and creating opportunities to score,” said coach Patricia Klecha-Porter.
Scoring came from women of all class years, with Sarage and Alexa David ’10 leading the team each with a goal and an assist. Jamie Thabault ’11 also scored, while Allie Lynch ’10 and Morgan McCauley ’12 both posted an assist. The offense that had been struggling in previous games returned with full force, allowing the Cards to take some pressure off of their goalkeeper.
Rested from her spectacular play on Saturday, Breen McDonald ’10 was back in the cage Tuesday and faced three shots with two saves. She was named co-Player of the Week by NESCAC Monday, recognized league-wide for her career-high 18 saves against Bowdoin, a well-earned achievement.
Always modest, McDonald acknowledged that the award was simply an added perk, not driving inspiration.
Currently, the Cardinals sit at the bottom of the NESCAC standings, tied with Connecticut College, with a 0-2 conference record. One of only three teams to have played two conference games, Wesleyan has no reason to believe that its last place position will last.
After already facing the league’s top two teams in Bowdoin and Tufts, Wesleyan can learn from its early season mistakes to ensure that it’s poised and ready for the competition to come. With upcoming games against Middlebury, Trinity, Colby and Williams all interspersed with non-conference matches, the women hope to gain momentum to finish top-seven in the league and earn a spot in the NESCAC tournament.
This weekend, the women travel to Middlebury to face off against the Panthers. This is already the third time this season that the Cardinals are facing a top-12 NCAA ranked team, so experience definitely plays in Wes’ favor. Watch for some home action next weekend against Trinity.
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