Confident Field Hockey Squad Heads to Princeton

Who says .500 isn’t good? Columbia field hockey hasn’t finished a season above .500 since 2000, when the Lions were ECAC champions. The team hasn’t even tasted .500 since Oct. 30, 2005, after a 1-0 victory over Rutgers pulled the squad to 8-8 on the year, and before a loss to Harvard ended that season under the break-even mark. However, after starting the year with three straight losses, the Lions have won three straight contests, evening their record at .500 and showing signs that the program is moving in the right direction.

“This gives us the confidence we need going into this weekend,” junior forward Jackie Klatsky said. “We know that if we play our game, we will beat Princeton as they try to adapt to our style of play.”

The Lions head to New Jersey tomorrow to take on the Tigers (2-2, 2-0 Ivy), a test that will reveal how far the Lions have come in recent weeks. Princeton is coming off an impressive two-win run of its own, defeating Yale and Dartmouth in convincing fashion, with at least a two-goal cushion in each game.

All three of Columbia’s losses have come on the road, however, and the Lions know that they have to channel the attitude they have when they are at Wien Stadium in order to win on Saturday.

“We have to have the same mind-set,” Klatsky said. “After our first three road games, we made the necessary adjustments and proved we know how to win at home. Now we’re ready to get back out there and prove it on someone else’s field.”

Columbia should have the confidence to take on the Tigers, but it will take solid execution of the fundamentals on both sides of the field to determine the result.

“Their [Princeton’s] stick skills are something to look out for,” Klatsky said. “But we’ve been working hard on our defense within the circle, so we are prepared for anything. There’s no reason we can’t beat them.”