Field Hockey Swings by Dartmouth, Vermont

The Columbia field hockey team (7-5, 2-2 Ivy) looks to keep its four-game win streak going this weekend, traveling north to take on Dartmouth (4-8, 1-3 Ivy) Saturday and the University of Vermont (10-5) Sunday. While the Big Green might seem like an easy opponent to beat, the Lions aren’t taking the game lightly.

“I think that Dartmouth’s record is very misleading,” junior goalkeeper Gena Miller said. “They won a couple of close games recently.”

Junior defensive stalwart Jacqui Munro agreed that Dartmouth has some fight in its team yet. The Big Green is 2-1 in its past three games, with the two close wins coming over New Hampshire and Davidson.

“Dartmouth definitely can’t be underestimated right now,” Munro said. “They have had a really hard schedule. Any Ivy opponent is a huge deal right now.”

Despite that caution, the Lions have an air of confidence about them that surpasses anything they’ve shown thus far this year.

“We’re not worried about anyone,” junior forward Jackie Klatsky said. “We’re coming off a great win against Penn, and we’ve been practicing our circle defense to continue to protect our goal like we’ve been doing so well.”

Miller was also quick to credit Sunday’s opponent. “Vermont’s another great team—they have a very strong defense,” she said. “This should be a fun opportunity to travel and play two quality teams.”

The Dartmouth game is a must-win in order to have a shot at the championship. After Dartmouth, the only remaining Ivy games are home matches against Yale (7-6, 2-2 Ivy) and Harvard (7-6, 3-1 Ivy).

The Lions take on Dartmouth at noon on Saturday and Vermont at 1 p.m. on Sunday.