Field Hockey Shutout By Cornell And No. 11 Syracuse As Lions Drop Third Straight

Upper West Side NY

07 October, 2021

3:40 PM

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Columbia Daily BY MILES SCHACHNER OCTOBER 6, 2021 On Sept. 19, field hockey looked poised to make waves in the Ivy League. The team had just won its sixth consecutive game, recording its best start in program history. However, the squad has stumbled since then, dropping three consecutive games including its first two Ancient Eight matchups. This weekend, the Lions (6-3, 0-2 Ivy) traveled to Ithaca to square off against Cornell (6-3, 2-0 Ivy) and No. 11 Syracuse University (8-2), losing in both contests and failing to score a goal in either game. Columbia, which had put forth consistent performances throughout the season prior to this weekend, struggled to establish momentum all weekend as it lost 5-0 and 3-0 to the Bears and Orange, respectively. The Light Blue played without its leader in goals and points, senior midfielder and captain Kelsey Farkas. Head coach Katie DeSandis said Farkas' absence was injury or medically-related. The Lions matched up against a Cornell squad that has handled tough opponents with impressive grit all season long. The Bears hung with No. 1 Michigan in September, losing by a narrow 3-2 margin to the powerhouse program which has yet to lose this season. Back Caroline Ramsey, who holds down a No. 13 national ranking in goals per game, headlines the Bears' attack. Ramsey kicked off the scoring on Saturday, notching a goal in the 18th minute that opened the floodgates for Cornell. The Bears went on to score two more goals in the second quarter, pulling ahead for a lead they didn't give up. Midfielder Isabella Palde spearheaded Cornell's offensive effort against the Light Blue, scoring two goals against senior goalkeeper Alexa Conomikes, who made four saves but couldn't stop the Bears' offensive onslaught. Though the Light Blue was shut out for the first time all season against the Bears, it still created a number of offensive opportunities. The Lions had more penalty corners than the Bears throughout the matchup and only took three fewer shots on goal, but were thwarted by a stout Cornell defense that stopped the Lions from finding the back of the net. Senior midfielder Brooke Gasser led Columbia in shots attempted, firing four against Cornell goalkeeper Aerin Park. DeSandis said that the offensive struggles were related to both the team's execution and the strength of its opponents. "When you play really good teams like we've been playing the past three games, you only get so many opportunities, and you need to be able to capitalize on those," she said. "It's kind of like a two-way street. We were given opportunities on Sunday, on Saturday, and against Harvard that we just weren't able to capitalize on." Cornell's five goals were not only the most that Columbia has allowed all season, but also an uncommon score for the Bears, against whom the Lions lost 1-0 in penalty shootouts when the two teams last played in 2019. The scoring outburst marked the most goals Cornell has scored in a game since a 2018 contest against Dartmouth that went to double overtime. The Lions knew their road matchup against the Orange would be challenging. Syracuse has already defeated two highly-ranked opponents on the season, downing No. 3 Boston College and No. 5 University of North Carolina with relative ease, winning 3-1 and 5-0, respectively. The Orange continued its impressive play, dominating the Lions on Sunday. Outshooting Columbia 22-1, Syracuse took the lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Though forward Pleun Lammers highlighted the Orange's effort with two goals, it was Syracuse's suffocating defense that stole the show. The Lions recorded their lowest shot total all year and did not have a penalty corner all game—the first time all season that the Light Blue has been shut out in that category. Despite the setback, DeSandis thinks the losses will help the Lions identify what to improve upon as Ivy play continues. "Even though no one really wants to lose games, losing games is what fuels you into your next phase of the season," she said. "Dropping the past couple of games has been really valuable for the team with seeing, 'Okay, here's where we're at right now, and where do we need to go?' The team has rallied around the second half of the season and what we need to do as a group to be successful, which is all you can ask for from a group." Columbia takes on its next Ivy League opponent on Saturday, as the team will face off against Brown at home. The game begins at 11 a.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Deputy Sports Editor Miles Schachner can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @milesschachner. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.