Field Hockey Searching for Elusive Ivy Win at Penn

With a 6-7 record, the 2005 Columbia field hockey team has already amassed the second highest win total in program history. Their general success, however, has not carried over to conference play.

The Lions are 0-4 in the Ancient Eight with just three Ivy games left on the schedule.

Therefore, a lot will be on the line tonight when Columbia hosts Penn (8-6, 2-2 Ivy) at Shuart Stadium in Hempstead for a game that was originally scheduled on Homecoming two weekends ago before flooding postponed the contest.

Not only would a victory tonight break the Lions' conference skid in an otherwise successful season, but it would also keep alive the team's opportunity to surpass last year's total of two Ivy wins. While Penn is currently on a three-game winning streak capped by a dramatic 1-0 victory over Yale last weekend, the schedule will keep the pressure on the Lions with the Bulldogs and defending league champion Harvard still slated for early November.

Adding even more significance to tonight's game for Columbia will be the element of revenge. The Lions suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in Philadelphia to the Quakers last year when Liz Lorelli notched the game winning goal with 8:54 to play in overtime. The victory was still a minor triumph of sorts for the Lions, as they nearly toppled a Quaker team that remained in the Ivy title hunt down to the final game of the 2004 season.

"We definitely want to get this win after last year's overtime loss," junior goalkeeper Kristina George said before the Lions' original matchup with the Quakers two weekends ago. "We're really taking a positive attitude toward this game. We're totally motivated and feel we can come out on top."

While the game may have held importance two weeks ago, it is even more critical now after a loss to Dartmouth last weekend leaves the Lions just three more chances for an Ivy win and no room for error if they are to improve on last year's conference mark.