A team can outshoot, out-corner and out-pressure an opponent, but a win is not guaranteed unless that team brings more focus to the game. Though the field hockey team competed with skill and heart in its NCAA play-in game against Massachusetts yesterday, the two moments that the Tigers let their guard down proved to be the moments that sealed their fate.
The Minutemen (14-8 overall) scored at the tail end of the first half and again with under 10 minutes to play in the second half, edging No. 17 Princeton (13-5, 6-1 Ivy League) 2-1 at Class of 1952 Stadium. Massachusetts will advance to play Connecticut (20-2) in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday, while the Tigers' season came to a close. Princeton was not awarded an at-large bid when the tournament bracket was announced at 8 p.m. last night.
The first half of yesterday's game found both teams evenly matched, and as the game wore on it became obvious that each scoring opportunity would be critical. UMass' best opportunity came in the last minute of the first half, as the Minutemen sent a long pass up field to force a penalty corner.
With no time left on the clock, the Princeton offensive line could only watch as Massachusetts positioned every one of its players outside the penalty circle to gain the advantage against the four Princeton defenders and sophomore goalkeeper Cynthia Wray. The initial shot was diverted to the outside, but Massachusetts' Kaitlyn Orlando found teammate Kara Murphey back in the center. From there, Murphey rocketed the ball into the left corner of the cage, just above Wray's outstretched blocker.
"We warmed up too slowly in the first half, and we weren't playing Princeton hockey," junior midfielder Holly McGarvie said. "Going into the second half, [head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn] told us to just get out there and play Tiger hockey."
When the clock started up again, the Tigers were visibly reenergized. A chain of free-flowing passes forced a corner in the first two minutes of the half, and the trio of sophomore attack Tina Bortz, junior midfielder Candice Arner and senior defender Paige Schmidt executed the play flawlessly. Bortz inserted the ball to Arner, who set it for Schmidt to slam into the back of the cage past Massachusetts goalie Becky Letourneau. The Tigers' fierce, immediate comeback seemed to come out of nowhere, and tied the game, 1-1.
Princeton's new intensity in the second half was obvious, as the Minutemen remained on defense for most of the next 30 minutes. The Tigers had 18 shots to Massachusetts' three, but the Princeton shots just would not fall. Part of this was no doubt due to excellent goalkeeping by Letourneau, who made 10 saves in the second half alone.
The deadlock was finally broken with nine minutes, 26 seconds to go, when the Minutemen quickly capitalized on a foul on the Princeton side of the field. Massachusetts' Jaime Bourazeris slipped the ball to teammate Lauren Gillespie as the Tigers' defense was still assembling, and she deflected the hit up into the top of the cage to put her team on top.
Princeton called a timeout and then returned to the field on the attack. In the last minutes, the Tigers forced four penalty corners and numerous scoring opportunities, but they were unable to convert. The final whistle saw the Minutemen running into a celebratory huddle, screaming, while the Tigers trudged off the field in shock.
Despite the players' obvious disappointment, Holmes-Winn recognized their outstanding resolve.
"We knew UMass was stingy defensively and well coached, but we still managed to keep attacking and move the ball very well," Holmes-Winn said.
This loss snapped the Tigers' nine-game winning streak and effectively ended their 2007 season. McGarvie was positive about the year as a whole, but admitted there are areas in which the team can improve.
"We had one other [emotional] game like this this season — [a 4-3 loss to] Cornell — and we should have learned from that," McGarvie said. "We had the skill level to do well, but I think we can step up our mental game for next year."
But for Schmidt, the team's lone senior, this game was the end of something more. In-between tears, she recalled memories from all four of her years of field hockey, but especially this one.
"This was my favorite season — we had the best group of girls, and I will always look back on this season with the best memories," Schmidt said.
She looked over her shoulder at the turf of 1952 Stadium, and her eyes gleamed again.
"It was fitting that [my career] ended here," Schmidt said. "It's fitting that it ended where it started."
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