The backline of the Columbia field hockey team faced relentless offensive attacks this weekend, but in the end the Lions proved their strength.
After a heartbreaking 3-2 loss in double-overtime to Princeton on Saturday, the Light Blue (4-5) found some consolation in a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Rutgers on Sunday.
The Tigers (4-5) began their offensive attack early in the game and sustained it for all 88 minutes, outshooting the Lions 23-8 and out-cornering them 20-5. But the Light Blue defense proved its worth.
“Our backfield again has done a stellar job for the past two days now of really holding their ground well, seeing the play develop, and stepping in that lane to really make a hard intercept,” head coach Marybeth Freeman said.
Princeton’s sophomore midfielder Kelsey Byrne scored first in the 13th minute, but the Lions turned up the heat with five minutes remaining in the first half
Junior forward Gabby Kozlowski and junior midfielder Paige Simmons put in back-to-back goals to give the Light Blue the lead.
The Lions almost made it to the break with the advantage, but freshman back/midfielder Sydney Kirby blasted a shot into the net with 20 seconds left to tie the game at 2-2.
Both defenses shined in the second half as the score remained tied, pushing the game to two overtime periods.
The Columbia defense—led by junior goalie Christie O’Hara, who had nine saves—proved unbeatable until three minutes into the second overtime period when Kirby put in the goal that gave Princeton its 15th win against the Lions.
“It’s a tough one to swallow when you lose after playing hard for 88 minutes but I’m really proud with how the team did, defense especially,” senior back Desi Scherf said.
After the loss, the Lions had a slow start against the Scarlet Knights (3-8) on Sunday, with both teams unable to maintain possession.
The breakthrough came in the 23rd minute when sophomore midfielder Liz Malone tipped a shot in front of the net to put the Lions on the board.
However, only 13 seconds later Rutgers’ Cornelia Duffin slipped a shot between O’Hara’s legs to tie it up.
The Light Blue regained the lead just two minutes later when Scherf’s pass found Kozlowski, who fired in the game-winner and her seventh goal of the year.
The rest of the game was a defensive struggle for the Lions, who relied on big plays from junior midfielder/forward Katie DeSandis and freshman back Lauren Skudalski to hold off a Rutgers offense that outshot the Lions 14-8 and out-cornered them 11-3.
“With a team like Rutgers, you just have to be prepared to be a little more physical than with other teams,” Scherf said. “It’s a little bit more difficult to stay focused on what you have to do because you have someone pushing on you constantly, but that makes focusing on yourself and the details all the more important.”
After a controversial call with 25 seconds left in the game that voided a Scarlet Knight goal because of a high stick, the Lions held on for the win.
Columbia will travel to Syracuse, N.Y. on Sunday to take on the Orange at 1 p.m.
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