The field hockey team fell victim to American University’s revenge for last year’s Patriot League championship in a 3-1 game, surrendering the tie for first place in the conference last Friday.
“American feels like our biggest opponent in our league, but with that said, it’s just any other game,” said senior midfielder Josephine van Wijk. “It’s a completely new year.”
Lafayette College (2-1 Patriot League, 7-4 overall) has claimed victory against American (3-0 Patriot League, 7-4 overall) only seven times out of 35 since 2001, but has consistently kept the Eagles to three goals or fewer since 2016.
The Eagles broke the scoring seal first towards the end of the second quarter with a pair of penalty corner attempts. The first shot was blocked by senior goalkeeper Raffi Fragomeni, but the second was an assisting deflection that sailed high into the goal, making it 1-0 going into halftime.
“We needed some more fire, just some more strength and speed, because I think they got the better of that in the first half,” van Wijk said, with the Maroon and White recording just one shot attempt in the first half.
“But honestly, they were stronger that day,” she continued.
Another successful penalty corner halfway into the third quarter put American up 2-0. Even though junior defender Lena Thedrian was ready in front of the cage for the ball that slipped past Fragomeni, the shot skirted past the goal line.
“Those were just good corners that were just well executed by them,” van Wijk said. “Those things happen, and I don’t think there was necessarily anything we could have done better.”
However, the Leopards were finally handed a penalty corner of their own with five minutes to go in the third quarter. The shot by freshman midfielder Rosalie van Gool was sent to van Wijk, but a defender was able to deflect the ball upwards and out.
A chance for redemption appeared just a minute later for the Leopards, but Thedrian’s drag flick was once again diverted by the Eagles’ defense.
American opened the fourth quarter with a cross-field sequence that ended with the ball in the cage, despite another near-stop, pushing its lead to 3-0.
“AU is a speedy team, and a lot of their attack comes from their speed in the midfield,” senior defender Makenzie Switzer wrote in an email. “I think we struggled a bit slowing them down, especially higher up on the field.”
The Maroon and White amped up their offensive pressure in the closing minutes, getting off eight shots compared to the Eagles’ two in the last quarter, including a barrage of penalty corners.
Around five minutes into the quarter, van Gool’s penalty corner shot was blocked, but the Leopards were given a second chance. Thedrian’s signature drag flick found the far left post to end the scoring drought.
At the end of the quarter, still trailing by two, Lafayette failed to convert on three subsequent penalty corner opportunities.
“I think we can be a little bit smarter with our decisions on what we are going to do,” van Wijk said.
With a minute to go, the first attempt was halted by American’s goalkeeper, and van Wijk’s shot was deflected on the following corner. The third time proved not to be the charm, as van Wijk’s shot was immediately stopped by a defender.
“We like to say that every loss is only a loss if you don’t learn anything from it, and this one is no different,” Switzer wrote.
The Leopards will return home for a matchup against Patriot League rival Holy Cross (0-2 Patriot League, 4-6 overall) on Friday.
