2008 Woodie Awards
So Close: Field Hockey Team Comes Up Short In Patriot League Final
Atit Amin '08
Issue date: 11/12/04 Section: Sports
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It was quite a magical ride for the Colgate field hockey team this season. After losing its first three games of the season, the team then won 11 of its 15 games to propel the women into the Patriot League Tournament. The entire team displayed the courage, perseverance and brilliance that define a winner. This squad played to the best of its abilities over the weekend and, regardless of what anyone says, the Raiders came out winners.
The Raiders began the Patriot League Tournament against Holy Cross, a team they had narrowly defeated during the regular season. Since the Raiders were the host of this year's tournament, one constant they could rely heavily upon was motivation and support from their dedicated followers. In the end, that could have been the deciding factor in Saturday's match.
Just as in the regular season, the Crusaders proved to be a tough task for the Raiders. For the much of the first half, Colgate was outplayed by Holy Cross, but the home team went into halftime only down 1-0, with the only goal of the half coming from Crusader forward Christina Zorzi in the 29th minute. Time after time, sophomore goalie Jacque DeMarco showed why she was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year, making saves left and right. Due to her stellar play, the Raiders were very much in the game, even though the Raiders were not playing up to par. But everyone at Tyler's Field knew the real Raiders would show up sooner rather than later.
Indeed, the true Colgate team did show up in the second half and it made its mark. The Raiders came out with a determined mindset and scored four goals in 11 minutes to seal the game. As it had all season, the team turned to its leaders when it fell behind, and the seniors did not disappoint. It all began when senior Natalie Heller received a perfect pass from senior tri-captain Ashley Schneider that finally put the Raiders on the board. With the game tied at one, the junior tandem of Jenn Weisholz and Sarah McCarthy then stepped up. The pair team up on McCarthy's go-ahead goal, her ninth of the season. Undeterred, the Raiders kept on the offensive, with first-year Natali Plesniarski netting a goal off of a pass from senior tri-captain Kath Shelley, and McCarthy following with her second goal in the 53rd minute to complete the Raiders' swift and potent offensive attack.
The Raiders began the Patriot League Tournament against Holy Cross, a team they had narrowly defeated during the regular season. Since the Raiders were the host of this year's tournament, one constant they could rely heavily upon was motivation and support from their dedicated followers. In the end, that could have been the deciding factor in Saturday's match.
Just as in the regular season, the Crusaders proved to be a tough task for the Raiders. For the much of the first half, Colgate was outplayed by Holy Cross, but the home team went into halftime only down 1-0, with the only goal of the half coming from Crusader forward Christina Zorzi in the 29th minute. Time after time, sophomore goalie Jacque DeMarco showed why she was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year, making saves left and right. Due to her stellar play, the Raiders were very much in the game, even though the Raiders were not playing up to par. But everyone at Tyler's Field knew the real Raiders would show up sooner rather than later.
Indeed, the true Colgate team did show up in the second half and it made its mark. The Raiders came out with a determined mindset and scored four goals in 11 minutes to seal the game. As it had all season, the team turned to its leaders when it fell behind, and the seniors did not disappoint. It all began when senior Natalie Heller received a perfect pass from senior tri-captain Ashley Schneider that finally put the Raiders on the board. With the game tied at one, the junior tandem of Jenn Weisholz and Sarah McCarthy then stepped up. The pair team up on McCarthy's go-ahead goal, her ninth of the season. Undeterred, the Raiders kept on the offensive, with first-year Natali Plesniarski netting a goal off of a pass from senior tri-captain Kath Shelley, and McCarthy following with her second goal in the 53rd minute to complete the Raiders' swift and potent offensive attack.