Around the Ivies: Field Hockey

The days of Princeton dominance have waned. New York teams Cornell and Columbia have emerged as top sides in the Ancient Eight. With three of the seven weeks of Ivy League play in the books, let's see how the teams stack up.

Cornell (8-2 overall, 3-0 Ivy League): A 1-0 loss to American University ended the Big Red’s remarkable seven-game winning streak. Defender Marisa Siergiej, a 2013 first-team all-Ivy selection, holds a share of the league lead with 10 goals. The defensive effort from this team has been impeccable. Goalkeeper Elizabeth Schaffler's goal-against average is a league-low .88.

Columbia (6-4, 2-1): Last weekend, the Lions topped Princeton for the first time in 17 meetings. Their Ratings Percentage Index allows them the nation’s 24thspot —Cornell remains the top Ivy side at No. 20. Midfielder Christina Freibott and striker Katie Ruesterholz, both all-Ivy second-teamers last year, make up a strong offensive tandem. Ruesterholz picked up a brace against the Tigers in Friday’s contest.

Princeton (3-7, 1-2): It may be dubious to put a team quite some ways below .500 so high on this tally. However, the Tigers still have plenty of talent and experience to rely on. A slate of very strong opponents may explain the comparative struggles of this team, which just two years ago won an NCAA championship.

Dartmouth (3-6, 2-1): Striker Ali Savage, a native of New South Wales, Australia, remains one of the league’s most imposing talents. During the course of a 6-1 rout of Brown, Savage scored twice and added an assist to earn Ivy League Player of the Week honors. Having struggled mightily against Princeton, the Big Green may not be quite ready to compete in the Ivy League’s upper echelons.

Penn (4-4, 1-2): The Quakers picked up their lone league win in their Ivy League game against a weak Harvard team. Captain Alex Iqbal managed an impressive hat trick in that 4-1 home contest. Her classmate Emily Corcoran sits fourth in the Ivy League scoring tally with 19. Corcoran has shot with pinpoint accuracy this season, compiling a shot-on-goal percentage of .905, the highest mark for any player with over 15 attempts.

Brown (6-2, 1-2): Striker Megan O’Donnell has twice been named Ivy League Player of the Week this season. This past weekend, she tallied nine points on three goals —one of these was a game-winner against Siena —and three assists —one of these set up the game-winner vs. Harvard. While their 2013 efforts resulted in a last-place conference finish, the reinvigorated Bears have shown they can play some legitimate hockey.

Harvard (6-4, 1-2): A double-overtime loss at Brown likely knocked a great deal of wind out of the Crimson’s sails. A win over Yale will likely prove the Crimson's only successful Ivy League endeavor this season. No 2013 all-Ivy selections returns to Cambridge this season.

Yale (1-8, 0-3): Only two goals have come for the Bulldogs during the course of conference play. Overall, this moribund New Haven side has compiled only nine goals through nine contests. One goal per game will not get you very far in NCAA field hockey. While goalkeeper Heather Schlesier may have the Ivy League’s highest save percentage with .748, she has also been required to make 77 saves, 13 more than the next keeper in the rankings.