The field hockey team (1-3 overall, 0-0 conference) continued their non-conference play this past weekend in which they dropped two games, the first to No. 20-ranked Wake Forest University on Friday evening and the second to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on Sunday.
Lafayette’s lone point on Friday came from captain and senior forward Molly McAndrew, who scored an unassisted goal at 20:09. The Lafayette veteran has scored over 25 goals for the Maroon and White, and has earned career honors such as Patriot League Rookie of the Year and Second-Team All-Patriot League.
“We definitely had moments of high-quality possession and simple play, and we were able to break Wake’s press several times,” McAndrew said. “However, we ultimately struggled to keep up with them, and some poor decisions on the ball resulted in their goals. A team of Wake’s caliber capitalizes on any mistakes made. We didn’t always move the ball well, and it cost us in the end.”
It was a truly dominant display from the Demon Deacons, as they more than quadrupled Lafayette’s total shot count of five. The home team also held the advantage in penalty corners, as they had nine compared to Lafayette’s zero.
“[Head Coach] Jennifer [Stone] told us that although the result was not ideal, we learned a lot about ourselves as a team,” McAndrew said. “Every game is an opportunity to learn and grow, no matter the result. We can now take the necessary steps to work on and improve the specific aspects of our game that were exposed that day.”
After the 1-6 loss, the Leopards headed to Virginia on Sunday to face VCU. The close and exciting game that went down to the wire, the final score was 2-3 in favor of the Rams.
VCU got off on the right foot, going up 2-0 at 21:41. It would be over 25 minutes before the next goal of the game, when McAndrew scored her second of the season to give the Leopards a chance at taking the game back.
“We had been so close to scoring all game, and we finally did,” McAndrew said. “Once the game was 2-1, we all thought we’d turn the game around and win. The momentum was on our side.”
However, VCU scored the next goal, widening the gap at 52:04. Sophomore midfielder Lineke Spaans then cut the lead at 56:14, marking her first goal of the season.
“VCU had a very solid backfield, and as a team, they moved the ball very well,” McAndrew said. “I thought we pressed well and had a lot of dangerous attacking sequences. Our defense also stepped up, as we didn’t allow any penalty corners. However, we ultimately conceded due to poor decisions and small mistakes. We need to connect better overall and dig a little deeper when we are fatigued.”
The Leopards held advantages in total shots (9-5) and penalty corners (1-0).
“I think traveling so far from campus was definitely taxing, as being on a bus for a total of about fifteen hours was not easy. People became antsy and tired. It definitely had an effect on us, but good teams rise to the occasion regardless of the circumstances,” McAndrew said. “There’s no excuse for losing both games.”
Lafayette’s record is now 1-3 through the first four games of the season. They held a record of 3-1 at the same point last year.
“Although our current record is not what we want it to be, I still have confidence in our team heading into the rest of the season,” McAndrew said. “We have a bit to figure out as a group in terms of learning to play together, but at the end of the day we are a very experienced team. Once we learn to execute together, the season can be very special.”
The Leopards will be back at Rappolt Field today at 7 p.m. to host Quinnipiac University.
“There’s no doubt that we need to work hard every day to get there,” McAndrew said. “We’ve already seen massive improvement in just four games, and I believe we will only get better from here on out.”
