Undefeated Lions field hockey set to face Tigers

Still reveling in the 3-1 victory against Cornell last Saturday, the Columbia field hockey team is heading into a full weekend of games.

The Lions (3-4) will head to Princeton, N.J. to take on the Tigers (3-5) at noon Saturday before coming back to New York to face off against Rutgers (2-7) at home on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Light Blue and Dartmouth are the only 2-0 teams in Ivy League play, and Columbia is hoping to still hold its unblemished record after Saturday.

But the Lions’ attention has not been on rankings at practice this week. Rather, the players have focused on the tactics and fundamentals they will need to beat Princeton.

“I want this team to be centered and focused on the now,” said head coach Marybeth Freeman. “I want them to concentrate on what we have full control over, and the things we can control are our attitudes and our performance.”

The Tigers are coming off a hard 6-2 loss to Maryland on Tuesday. Despite an excellent performance by freshman forward Allison Evans, who scored on Tuesday and leads the team with four goals, Princeton has dropped four of its last five outings.

While Princeton is the focus this weekend, Columbia is keeping an eye on the Scarlet Knights, who ended their seven-game losing streak last Sunday with a 3-1 win over Bucknell.

Columbia field hockey players of years past will be in attendance on Sunday, as the game against Rutgers coincides with the Lions’ Spirit Day and Alumni Day.