Lions Look to Rebound Against Lehigh

After Sunday’s disappointing loss to Penn on an unfamiliar turf-style field, the Columbia field hockey team (9-3, 1-3 Ivy) will look to bounce back against Lehigh on Wednesday at 7 p.m. With Lehigh coming in on a six-game losing streak, the Lions’ goal will be to return to their previous form, as they have had a stellar 8-0 record against nonconference opponents, but have faltered in several important conference games.

“We had some players perform very well on Sunday, I just think it wasn’t our best game, and Penn just came out and played a better game on that surface,” head coach Katie Beach said. “I think we’re the better team, but we weren’t able to come out and show it. Part of it is confidence, so we’re working on giving them confidence all the time.”

With only three Ivy League games remaining in the season, the Light Blue is currently tied for sixth in the conference behind a three-way tie for third and a two-way tie for first. In order to finish in good standing, the team will need to close out the season with strong performances against Dartmouth and Harvard, which are currently ahead of the Lions, and Yale, with whom they are currently tied.

“I definitely think a lot can still happen in the league,” Beach said. “The Ivy League Championship is probably not possible, but the top three is still in our reach.”

Although the recent loss may have put the team at a disadvantage in the Ivy League, it was a learning experience for the team, bringing to light the need for the team to hone its fundamentals in preparation for the final games of the season.

“We got an opportunity to see what the depth of our bench is like, and recognize that we can continually work on our basic skills like passing and receiving,” Beach said. “Our basic skills weren’t as strong, so we worked on that today in practice, things like getting shots in the circle. We’re looking for players that can come out and be goals-scorers, and a threat on attack.”

With an emphasis on returning to basics, Wednesday will be a test for the team before its conference matchup against Dartmouth on Sunday.

“Tomorrow [Wednesday] the focus is really going to be on us, we don’t want to worry so much about the other team,” Beach said. “We want to have control and be able to play our game, to focus on playing two-touch hockey. If we can attack on corners with confidence and execute basic skills, we’ll be happy with the result.”