Brown Blanks Field Hockey, Handing The Team Its Fourth-straight Loss

Upper West Side NY

14 October, 2021

3:58 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY MILES SCHACHNER OCTOBER 11, 2021 Hoping to stave off a fourth consecutive loss and capture its first Ivy League win, the Columbia field hockey team took the field on Saturday against Brown, a team the Lions have not lost to in five years. After a tight matchup that was competitive until the final seconds, the team left the game empty-handed, still mired in a losing streak that may have ended the Light Blue's hopes of an Ivy League title. Despite a decisive advantage in shots and penalty corners earned, the Lions (6-4, 0-3 Ivy) fell to the Bears (6-6, 2-1 Ivy) by a score of 1-0, the only goal coming off the stick of Brown midfielder Danielle van Rootselaar. The absence of senior midfielder Kelsey Farkas, the squad's primary driver of offense, hindered the team from converting on any of the myriad opportunities that it created, leaving the Light Blue shut out for its third consecutive game. "A game like this is tough," head coach Katie DeSandis said. "When you feel like you're controlling possession, making good things happen at the defensive end, and then you just can't finish, it's one of the most frustrating games." The Lions had no problem initiating offense against the Bears, earning four penalty corners in the first quarter and firing 12 shots throughout the match to Brown's three. It was the execution of scoring plays that gave the team trouble, as Brown's defense, ranked No. 2 in the Ivy League in goals allowed, stymied a Columbia attack that could not find an offensive rhythm. Brown only needed one opportunity to take the lead against the Light Blue for good. Following a pass through the middle of the field to van Rootselaar, the star midfielder fired a shot past senior goalkeeper Alexa Conomikes in the first quarter, the only fruitful offensive play all game. It was not the first time van Rootselaar has proven difficult for the Lions to defend; in 2019, she scored both of Brown's goals against the Light Blue in a 4-2 Columbia victory. DeSandis knew van Rootselaar, who leads the Ancient Eight in shots taken and ranks third in goals scored, would have to be a focus of the Lions' defensive gameplan. "We made an adjustment to start to man-mark her a little bit, to take her out of the outlet, which worked pretty well," she said. "But we just knew she was a good player [and to] keep our eyes on her. She was the lone scorer, so obviously [that] shows the type of player she is, which is a great caliber player." After failing to equalize the game for most of the last three quarters, DeSandis decided to play with an empty net for the last five minutes of the game, substituting Conomikes for an extra offensive player in hopes to finally get on the board. Even with the extra attacker, Brown's defense prevented Columbia from firing a shot on goal as the Bears packed the defensive circle. Senior midfielder Emily Maclean, who made an impressive defensive stop off a Brown penalty corner during the empty net period, said that Columbia's offense may have gotten in the way of itself on Saturday. "Whenever we have a game like this, it's always hard to put your finger on [the problem]," she said. "I think we were a bit frantic. … We're trying to emphasize everyone being on [the] attack, and I think maybe we put too much energy in that." The matchup against Brown was likely a game the Lions thought they could win. Columbia had 35 more points than Brown in the Ivy League preseason poll, and the Lions have not lost to the Bears since a 2016 overtime defeat. The group continues to adjust to the absence of Farkas, who is still the team's leading scorer despite missing three games. Sophomore back Maya Walker, who took two shots in Saturday's loss, said that the Lions have to perform no matter who is on the field with them. "It's been tough. It's been an adjustment period. … Last weekend, we were working on it, and I think that we found a little bit more of a system now," she said. "We just have to do it for the person sitting next to us, whether they're on the field, on the bench, or not even here." The tables have turned quickly on the Lions, who started their season making program history after a blistering start led them to six straight wins. After four consecutive losses, Maclean said that each one has stung in a unique way. "Every loss recently has felt different," she said. "I think the takeaway from today is that we really just need to work for each other and give 100 percent in training this whole week coming up so we can actually bring that to the field on the weekend" Though the loss likely places Columbia out of the running for the Ivy League championship, which is usually captured by a team with one or zero Ancient Eight losses, DeSandis said the squad will focus on bouncing back. "Our slogan always is we don't really take mistakes, we just take them as response opportunities," she said. "So that's what I told the team, like, 'Hey, guys, obviously this one sucks, but we have to respond.' That's the only thing that matters. So we can either stay sad or we can respond and we can control the rest of our season." The Lions' next Ivy League matchup is this Friday at 6 p.m. when the team will take on Yale at home. The game 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.