Cards Snuffed in Epic Battle

By Jason Chan
Contributing Writer

In a match nothing short of championship caliber, the women’s field hockey team battled arch-rival Williams on the road Saturday. The Cardinals fought hard throughout 100 scoreless minutes of regulation, and then again in overtime, but eventually fell to the Ephs after losing 3-2 in the second round of penalty strokes.

"I swear it was the NCAA championships," said an excited Head Coach Patti Klecha-Porter. "We played a phenomenal game."

Great goaltending by both teams characterized the game. Wesleyan goalie Taryn Hutchins-Cabibi ’01 turned away nine shots during regulation to keep the game scoreless. She didn’t stop there as she recorded five more in the two overtime rounds.

The solid goaltending from both sides forced two tired teams into penalty strokes, where either one would have the chance to pull out the emotional victory. In the first shoot-out Wesleyan matched Williams, scoring two goals out of five attempts.

The same two shooters scored for each team in the second round, but Williams added an extra score to win 3-2.

"This was the most intense game I’ve played at Wesleyan," said Whitney Kasserman ’00. "We did phenomenal throughout the game and dominated. It was a shame we couldn’t finish it off. We got our act together and now I’m pumped for the next game."

Statistically, Wesleyan made a better showing than Williams, posting 28 shots on goal compared to the Ephs’ 16. Also, Wesleyan kept the ball in its opponents territory for the majority of the game, but were unable to score.

"I think Wesleyan outplayed Williams. One consistent thing was our composure and calmness," Kelcha-Porter said. "This took a toll on Williams and made them panic."

Along with exceptional team play, several impressive individual performances were turned in. Sweeper Erica Grossman ’00 played especially well. She was steady and consistent, breaking up fast breaks and getting to loose balls all day.

Other standouts were Kasserman, Danielle Marchione ’00, and Hutchins-Cabibi, all of whom were commended for exceptional play by Klecha-Porter. AJ Smith ’99 and Maura Trail ’00 each scored two goals in the stroke rounds.

"We were victorious in playing as an entire team," Kelcha-Porter said. "We can capture this feeling and continue to strive for the rest of the season,"

Wesleyan’s next action will come this Thursday night against Smith under the lights. The team is excited for the game, hoping to continue the same team play exhibited this weekend.

"We are hungry for a win," Edie Aloe ‘99 said. "We’re not gonna settle with losing anymore."