2008 Woodie Awards
Field Hockey Learns Life Isn't As Swell On Grass
Atit Amin
Issue date: 9/9/05 Section: Sports
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It's the little things in life that really matter. The proverbial adage might seem cliché, but just ask the Raider field hockey team and the women will probably agree with you. In their first and last game on grass this season, the Raiders were slowed down in a few ways, as they suffered their first defeat of the year against Rider, 4-1, at Campus Field in Lawrenceville, NJ. With the loss, the Raiders extended their losing streak against Rider to three.
Unlike the season-opener, where the Raider defense stabilized and even strengthened as the game progressed, the floodgates on Saturday were open early and often for the Bronco offense. A mere six minutes into the game, Rider was able to open up a 1-0 lead on a goal by Stephanie Walker. Yielding an early goal hasn't been new territory for the Raiders; however, not being able to respond with a score of their own is. But sophomore forward Lauren Remkus doesn't believe the lack of offense is anything to worry about.
"It wasn't so much that they had a strong defense, but they had girls who could hit the ball down the field," Remkus said. "Our forwards and midfielders would block out on our free hits, [thus allowing] one of our players to hit the ball through the Rider defense, but in doing so, it became hard for someone to run through and pick up the through balls. Most importantly, the small stuff we do on turf, like small passes between two of our players to eliminate their defense, didn't work on grass."
The Raiders did not obviously stand pat, but it was simply a case of adjusting to a new playing environment that hindered the Raiders from executing. According to head coach Cathy Foto, the biggest difference in the game was that, "We are used to moving the ball a certain way and we were not able to adjust to the changes needed on grass."
Colgate had its fair share of opportunities - especially considering the nine penalty corners they attained in the first half - but could not cash in.
Unlike the season-opener, where the Raider defense stabilized and even strengthened as the game progressed, the floodgates on Saturday were open early and often for the Bronco offense. A mere six minutes into the game, Rider was able to open up a 1-0 lead on a goal by Stephanie Walker. Yielding an early goal hasn't been new territory for the Raiders; however, not being able to respond with a score of their own is. But sophomore forward Lauren Remkus doesn't believe the lack of offense is anything to worry about.
"It wasn't so much that they had a strong defense, but they had girls who could hit the ball down the field," Remkus said. "Our forwards and midfielders would block out on our free hits, [thus allowing] one of our players to hit the ball through the Rider defense, but in doing so, it became hard for someone to run through and pick up the through balls. Most importantly, the small stuff we do on turf, like small passes between two of our players to eliminate their defense, didn't work on grass."
The Raiders did not obviously stand pat, but it was simply a case of adjusting to a new playing environment that hindered the Raiders from executing. According to head coach Cathy Foto, the biggest difference in the game was that, "We are used to moving the ball a certain way and we were not able to adjust to the changes needed on grass."
Colgate had its fair share of opportunities - especially considering the nine penalty corners they attained in the first half - but could not cash in.