Field Hockey Wins Fourth League Game, Tied For Second

The Columbia field hockey team (10-6, 4-2 Ivy) sealed its fourth consecutive Ivy League victory of the season against Yale yesterday at the Field Hockey Venue by a final score of 3-1. The Lions are now in a four-way tie for second place in the league with Harvard, Penn, and Cornell. With one league match remaining in the season against Harvard, the Light Blue will end the year with its best season record since 2000, when the team won 13 games.

The Yale Bulldogs (7-9, 2-4 Ivy) have not fared as well as the Lions this season, yet played with an aggressive offense yesterday, recording 16 shots on goal. The first period was fast-paced, with freshman Julia Garrison and sophomore Christine Buszczak scoring Columbia’s first two goals and Yale’s only goal put in by sophomore forward Ashley McCauley. Garrison leads the team in goals this season with six.

The second period was slower and more controlled, with the only score coming from an assist by Lions senior forward Liz Reeve to fellow senior Erin Bogue, who currently leads the team with nine assists this season. The Lions finished up the game with strong defense, and junior goalkeeper Gena Miller recorded her 10th win of the season.

With only one game left in the season, the Lions are in the thick of competition for the Ivy League championship title. Princeton, the league leaders with a 5-1 Ivy record, would have to lose their remaining league game to Penn, and Columbia would have to defeat Harvard to have a shared Ivy title. Depending on if Cornell won its weekend match, the Lions could share a title with both the Tigers and the Big Red.

“This week we have three games in six days, which is a challenge physically,” Columbia head coach Katie Beach says. “Practices have been fairly light, and we have been focusing on set pieces and tactical situations. Tomorrow we will focus on how we will beat Harvard.”

Columbia hosts the Crimson on Friday, Nov. 2 at the Field Hockey Venue at 6 p.m.