Field Hockey Plows Over Competition

Midsession week promised to be a very active one for the Trinity College Field Hockey team starting with Conn. College the Wednesday before as well as four games during. This gave the 0-5 Bantams the opportunity to turn their season around and swing into the winning mood. After three days of practice, the Bants looked to bring defensive and offensive cohesion to their game. Standing in their way, however, were the 3-4 Conn. College Camels.

Down in New London, Trinity College failed to play up to its full potential. Conn. College scored early off a penalty stroke just over 3 minutes into the game. It was 20 minutes later when Whitney Brown '01 answered back with a penalty stroke of her own. Trinity managed to hold the tie until 22 minutes into the second half when the Camels scored off a ball in play. The Bants were unable to even the score this team, resulting in their 6th loss of the season.

On Saturday, the White Mules of Colby arrived late to a find a fired up Bantam squad. The Bants were well prepared for this game and determined to clinch their first win of the season. Surging onto the field full of momentum, the Bantams needed less than 10 minutes for Heather Standring '02 to rip one right past the goalie off a pass from Brown. The Trinity defense shut down the Mules, holding them to only 5 penalty corners, 4 of those coming late in the second. Colby needed that extra offense after Trinity scored it second goal with 27 remaining this time with Brown scoring off a pass from Katie Watts '00. Colby managed to get on the scoreboard with 6 minutes left to play, but they were unable to overcome the strong playing of sophomore goalie Jess Martin who finished the game with 19 saves.

This was a pivotal win for the Trinity Field Hockey team, giving them the confidence they needed to turn their season around. The Bantams would need this confidence for their upcoming battle against Division II Southern Connecticut. The Owls were to have been a first ever matchup for Trinity back on the first Thursday of the season. A rainout and the subsequent rescheduling made this midsession the especially busy week it was. The Bantams however proved more than up to the challenge, charging out with their greatest offensive assault this season of 13 shots. The Bantams capitalized on one of those shots with 22 minutes left in the first half off of a goal by Brown, from a pass by Standring.

Anchored by strong defensive play and consistent pressure on the Owl's cage, the team scored again seven minutes into the second half, Brown netting her second goal, this time off of a pass from Watts. Thirteen minutes later the Bants increased their lead off another Watts pass, the goal this time being scored by 'Super Wing' Standring. Amidst the scoring bonanza, Martin had 9 saves in net.

On a two game winning streak and having broken the early season slump the Bantams were ready to take on visiting Smith College. At 2-6 the Bantams were eager to chalk up another win in their rapidly improving season. The Bantams appeared to be settling into their new offensive technique outscoring their competition 5-1 with 33 shots over the past 2 games.

Trinity began the game versus Smith scoring fifteen minutes into the first half off of a penalty corner. This time Mary Jacobs smashed a shot past the Smith goalie on a pass from Brown on the endline. The favor was returned later in the first half as the combination of Jacobs and Brown reversed for goal number two. Mary Jacobs sealed her offensive MVP with an assist to Standring. Not only did the final horn sound out another victory for the team, it also marked 146 minutes of scoreless play over three games for the Bantams on defense. This streak would be tested in a heated match against the Jumbos of Tufts.

Trinity climbed onto the scoreboard first with a goal by Lindsay Peet off of a corner shot by Mary Jacobs eight minutes into the game. Tufts evened the score with a goal of their own four and half minutes later. The game turned into a defensive battle until, with 14 minutes to go, Tufts scored their second goal. Rapidly running out of clock, the Bantams clawed their way back into a tie on a goal by Brown with 7 minutes to go. Regulation ended in a 2-2 tie.

For two overtime periods both teams fought viciously. At one point Trinity appeared to have won on a penalty corner from Mary Jacobs. The goal was nullified and voided on a controversial call by the referee forcing the teams to decide the match in a stroke-off. Lindsay Peet was able to score first for the Bantams, which was just as quickly countered with a goal by the Jumbos. The next set of shots were both blocked, leaving the score tied at 1-1. Trinity's next two shots proved fruitless while the Jumbos were able to covert on their next two attempts and seal the victory.

The Bantams finished the five game streak 3-2 and is in significantly better position for the remainder of the season because of it. Field Hockey will take their 3-7 record to Middletown, CT to face arch-rival Wesleyan on Wednesday. The team's next home game will be Saturday at 11 against the Bowdoin Polar Bears.