'How You Dream Of Starting': Historic Stretch Propels Field Hockey's Best Start In 13 Years

Upper West Side NY

14 September, 2021

12:30 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY MILES SCHACHNER SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 After nearly a two-year wait, Columbia field hockey returned with a vengeance, beginning its season with two triumphant weekends, toppling its first four foes. The 4-0 start is the program's best since 2008, when the Lions began their season with five consecutive wins. To kick off their season, the Lions (4-0, 0-0 Ivy) beat Davidson College (2-3) and Quinnipiac University (0-4) by hefty margins, outscoring the Wildcats and the Bobcats 7-1 and 5-1, respectively. In its season opener against Davidson, Columbia wasted no time, finding the net twice in the first quarter and never relinquishing that lead. The Light Blue used coordinated offense and penalty corners to power its offensive execution, creating a surplus of opportunities that five different goal scorers cashed in on. After creating a one-goal cushion in the first half, the Lions emerged from halftime on a mission, scoring four goals in the span of eight minutes in the third quarter to put the game out of reach for the Wildcats. The match was the first game—and first win—for head coach Katie DeSandis, CC '13. Senior midfielder Kelsey Farkas, a first-team All-Ivy Selection in 2019 who recently became the first player in program history to be named to the U.S. Women's National Team, began her fifth-year season with the same poise and skill that defined her pre-pandemic time with the Light Blue. Farkas supplied two goals and an assist against the Wildcats, headlining the Lions' cohort of scorers that included first-years, sophomores, and seniors. Two days later, Columbia took the lead over Quinnipiac early and never looked back, as the Bobcats appeared to be outmatched by a Lions team that was firing on all cylinders. The all-around performance was powered in part by the emergence of the young talent that has finally debuted on the Light Blue's roster. First-year midfielder Lindsey Yu added her second goal of the season against Quinnipiac, falling away from the net as she acrobatically slapped a shot past Bobcats goalkeeper Nina Santore. Sophomore backfielder Maya Walker was a difference-maker on both sides of the ball, completing multiple interceptions and providing two assists in the 5-1 victory. DeSandis said she was thrilled to see some of the players she has scouted for a long time finally contribute to her team. "They're awesome. We've been waiting for them for a long time, and then by the time they get here, you're like, 'Ah! That's why I was so excited,'" she said. "It's cool to see it finally translate and watch something you've been waiting for for a long time." Although DeSandis began her tenure as coach in a season of unusual turbulence, the Lions have adapted to her coaching style and system with unexpected speed, playing as though DeSandis has been at the helm for years. Over the first four games, 10 different Lions have scored goals, a reflection of the kind of balanced attack that DeSandis is hoping to create—a versatile offense that will keep even the best defenses on their toes. "I've actually been coaching the attack for a while now, so to see the principles that we've been building since 2017 until now, everything's come to this moment," DeSandis noted. "You have so many people buying into the philosophy of being fluid with their positions, and we're trying to do a type of game plan where, if you find yourself in the forward line, as a backfielder overlapping, that's expected, and you can score goals too." For Farkas, who lost what would have been her senior season last year and elected to return this year for one final season, this is her chance to make a lasting impact on a program that she holds dear. "I was really excited to come back," she said. "We love this program and I really feel for what this program stands for and for what Katie's trying to do, and I think that's one of the main reasons I came back. Obviously, I love field hockey, but I think it was more for this program and what Columbia field hockey means to me." Over their second weekend of play, the Lions rattled off two more wins, defeating Long Island University (1-3) and University at Albany (2-4) to remain undefeated. Columbia's margin of victory was considerably smaller in both of these games compared to its first weekend, as the Lions topped the Sharks 3-1 and the Great Danes 3-2. Columbia's win over LIU was very much in the mold of the team's previous victories: the offense grabbed an early lead and padded it as the game went on. Meanwhile, the defense stifled LIU's pushes, only allowing the Sharks one goal, which they poked through in the last five minutes of the game. Sophomore and junior forwards Anabelle Brodeur and Ellie Decker contributed to the victory with their second goals of the season. Sunday's triumph over UAlbany was much more dramatic. After a back-and-forth game that had been the closest one the Lions had played all season, Farkas notched the game-winner in the 45th minute, scoring off a penalty stroke. On the defensive end, senior goalkeeper Alexa Conomikes shined, making a season-high 11 saves to fend off the Great Danes' persistent attack. The win gave the group the program's best start in over a decade and the second-best start in program history. Despite the hot start, DeSandis wants her team to begin each game with a fresh mentality, leaving its record at the door. "It feels great, honestly, this is how you dream of starting. And so I couldn't ask for anything more for the team, and they're doing an amazing job earning every single win," she said after Friday's win over LIU. "But like I told them today, all you can focus on is now. Last weekend is last weekend. Now that this one's gone, it's gone: We're 0-0, record-wise." Perhaps the defining trait of DeSandis' team is its relentless energy. Throughout each game, the Lions can be counted on to be yelling, cheering, and hustling—a characteristic that Conomikes says is a deliberate part of their strategy. "I'm super stoked about this group, just because of the energy that every single person on the team brings. It's not just [the] seniors, it's not just the juniors: Every single person on this team is acting as if they've been here as long as I have," she said. "And there's just so much energy surrounding everything we do, not even just the game, not even just the warm-up … but our walk to get our breakfast in the morning. There's so much excitement around it. And I think it's just a reflection of the fact that we haven't been together for so long and we're all just so grateful to be here together," Conomikes said. Weighing on each player's mind, however, is the one milestone that each Columbia team hopes to achieve every year. Field hockey has never won an Ivy League championship, and with a team that is shaping up to be one of the most determined in program history, Farkas said that she is setting her hopes high. "I want to win an Ivy League championship this year. I'm not afraid to say that, and I think this team wants it too, so we're ready to get after it." Deputy Sports Editor Miles Schachner can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @milesschachner. 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