The field hockey team (4-2 overall) engaged in two tight battles in non-conference matchups this weekend. The Leopards kicked things off with an impressive 3-2 victory over Quinnipiac (2-4 overall) on Sept. 13 at home before losing on the road 2-1 against Syracuse (4-1 overall) on Sunday.
In the Friday game against Quinnipiac, the Leopards ceded the opening goal to the Bobcats at the 9:28 mark in the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter, senior defender India Ralph rifled a shot in between the two posts to bring the game to a draw. Her equalizer was assisted by senior midfielders Mackenzie Hall and Lineke Spaans.
The Leopards outscored Quinnipiac 2-1 in a chaotic third quarter, with sophomore defender Katie Gibb and Spaans recording the final two goals. The Maroon and White were able to prevent a Quinnipiac shot in the final period to close out a 3-2 victory.
“Internally, everyone on our team has really bought in,” Ralph said. “We are putting in the work day in and day out. We are devoted to trusting the process and putting the work in to be successful.”
“Another thing that we’re doing really well is self-improvement,” Ralph continued. “People signing up and doing individual drills with the coaches and really wanting to get better for themselves and for the team. I think when you have that, and when you have people getting extra reps and putting that work in, you’re going to be successful.”
The Maroon and White are looking to continue their hot start to the season, as they return multiple key starters from last season’s trip to the Patriot League final.
“Because we have a big group of returners with such a strong culture, we have been able to integrate the freshmen into this culture which we can then translate onto the field,” Gibb said. “Our connection off the field has allowed us to play some great field hockey and challenge big teams.”
The Leopards faced one of those big teams in Sunday’s matchup against the Syracuse Orange. Again, the Maroon and White ceded the first goal, this time through a penalty corner at 8:31 in the opening quarter.
After attempting 16 penalty corners throughout the game and remaining scoreless, Spaans finally found the cage to even the match in the final quarter at 56:28.
“We are having a lot of attacking opportunity and we’re not finishing on them, so that’s something that we’re trying to work on,” Ralph said. “We had 26 shots on goal and we want to try convert more of those.”
With less than a minute left in the game, Syracuse scored to retake the lead and secure the 2-1 outcome.
Lafayette’s junior goalkeeper Raffi Fragomeni recorded a notable eight saves, including five in the first half.
“After playing a strong and cohesive game against Syracuse, a new standard has been set for our team,” Gibb said. “Coming off of last weekend, we have been focusing on being strong in defense and, once we win the ball, using our speed in the midfield to our advantage.”
The Leopards look to obtain their first Patriot League victory as they venture off to Worcester, Massachusetts to battle Holy Cross tonight at 4 p.m.
“We’re so focused on getting to the final goal, but obviously there’s a lot of learning that comes with that,” Ralph said. “We actually have a saying on our team called ‘NOW,’ which stands for ‘No Opportunities Wasted,’ so we’re trying to keep this in mind for every game.”