The Oberlin Review
<< Front page News October 1, 2004

Field hockey nets two victories, 4-0 against NCAC

Play on: Sophomore Claire Cheney runs in for support as the ref looks on.
 

Oberlin field hockey currently has an undefeated 4-0 record in the NCAC, following games last week against Earlham College on Saturday and Denison University on Tuesday. Although each resulted in a victory, the Yeowomen accomplished the wins differently. “In the game against Earlham we played strong all game but weren’t able to get the goals,” said junior captain Rosemary Mudry. “In the game against Denison we were able to come out strong, get the early lead and kept it.”

The home game against Earlham remained 0-0 until a goal late in the second half gave Oberlin the 1-0 win. The goal was scored at the 67:55 minute mark by sophomore Sarah Heaton off a pass from junior captain Meg Reitz. Oberlin dominated Earlham throughout the game in many ways, outshooting them 26-1, a high point for the team this year. “[The win] got off to a late start,” said Head Coach Deb Ranieri. “Our passing and shooting were good. We just need to finish earlier.”

Tuesday’s game at Denison showed a much more coordinated team that was able to take the lead early in the game and command the field throughout it. In the first 10 minutes of the game, the Yeowomen took care of business with a goal by sophomore Claire Cheney off a pass from senior captain Jamie Johnson.

At the 15-minute mark, first-year Christine Politis sent a long pass from midfield up to Reitz, who scored the second goal of the game, sealing the victory for Oberlin. “Scoring early really helps the team’s morale,” said Mudry. “It’s easier for us to keep working hard if we’re ahead.”

Despite a goal from Bobbi Kijex of Denison, the Yeowomen dominated the game offensively, outshooting their opponent 14-9, including a number of give-and-go plays that helped reinforce the team’s domination in a 2-1 victory. “Coming out strong early on and keeping it up is what we’ve been needing to do all season,” Reitz said.

Besides coming out strong offensively and defensively, Raneiri added, “this was the best passing game of the season.” Before their next game, the team hopes to keep working on refining their passing skills so that time spent at the opponent’s end results in a lot of goals. “Connecting on the field is really an important part of our success,” said first-year Katahdin Cook, “and we just keep getting better and better.”

The team’s overall record is 4-3, but their NCAC record of 4-0 makes them first in the conference. Their next game will be at Kenyon College on Oct. 2.
 
 

   

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