Katherine Harris
Senior Writer
The women’s field hockey team had a successful weekend, handing losses to both Missouri State and Ohio State, while Leigh Hillman ’14 and Vickie Resh ’14 both earned awards for the week.
“After last week’s losses to both Iowa and Lockhaven, our team had a new resolve to work harder in practice and focus on our weaknesses with more intent and focus. As a result, practice this past week had been more competitive and everyone on our team began to realize our full potential. Based on this new team mantra, we went into this weekend with a new mindset and were able to challenge teams on a new level,” Erica Perrine ’14 said.
The Bison started off their weekend of play against Missouri State as part of the Buckeye Classic hosted at Ohio State. The team’s offense started out on the attack, led by Kiersten Sydnor ’16, who totaled two goals and one assist. Teammates Rachel Misko ’14, Hope Obernesser ’15, and Emma Fitzgerald ’17 also netted a goal apiece. The defense for the Orange and Blue was also strong, allowing only one goal for a final score of 5-1.
The squad continued its momentum when it faced off against a tough Ohio State team. The Buckeyes came out strong, netting two quick goals despite Perrine’s five saves. It was then Hillman’s turn to lead the attack for the Bison, netting two goals to bring the score to a tie at 2-2. Resh sealed the deal in overtime when she scored her third career goal eight minutes into the overtime period to propel her team to a 3-2 victory.
“Historically, our team performs very well in overtime, and we knew that playing against a team like Ohio State would challenge us like never before. We stuck to our basics and continued to apply pressure to their defense, so it was only a matter of time before we would be rewarded. It was an exciting game and it feels great to have our hard work over the past week translate into a win for us in the end,” Perrine said.
The 2-0 showing for the Bison last weekend led to a couple of the team’s seniors being honored for their efforts. Hillman’s assist in the first game and two goals in the second game of the weekend led to her being named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week. Resh was also honored for her game-winning goal in the second game, earning the title of Bison Athlete of the Week.
The Orange and Blue will compete tonight when they travel to Philadelphia for a game at Drexel.