After losing three out of its first four games to begin the season, the Massachusetts field hockey team went into practice this week determined to strengthen the lines of communication between the midfield and forward lines, while continually developing its young players.
“We have young members on our forward and midfield lines so we’re all trying to get on the same page with communication,” UMass coach Justine Sowry said. “Working as a unit is something that we’re really trying to work on and we’re getting there.”
Senior captain Katie Kelly knows the responsibility falls on her as well as other veterans on the team to be role models for the 11 new players.
“We have such a young team,” Kelly said. “The new freshmen definitely outnumber the upperclassmen, so it’s important to continually set the right example because they are constantly watching me and the other seniors. We just have to make sure we’re pointing them in the right direction so that we can be successful.”
The Minutewomen will have to set aside their growing pains this weekend when they square off against stiff competition in Connecticut and Yale.
UConn is 3-0 this season, outscoring their opponents 7-1. Last year the Huskies went 17-2 in the regular season and topped it off with a Big East championship.
UConn will play its first game away from home when it travels to Amherst for Saturday’s game. Sowry knows how important it will be for UMass to sustain its periods of strong play.
“They’re solid through all of the lines and they’re coached very, very well,” Sowry said. “It’s going to be a really tough battle for us. What we’re looking for is to continue to work and be consistent for longer periods of time in the games. We had a great second half against [Boston University] but if we’re going to compete with UConn, we’re not going to be able to let up for one minute. We’re going to have to work very hard to get the ball. Once we have the ball, we have to be smart and then take the opportunities when we get them.”
The Minutewomen cannot afford to come out sluggishly. In their last game, BU scored twice on them in the first fifteen minutes of play. Instead, they are going to have to be the aggressors.
“We’re definitely going to have to get on them early,” Kelly said. “Using our goal-scoring positions is going to be crucial. We can’t just fire it at the goalie’s pads and keep firing it straight back at her. We have to pass and kind of go around her.”
UMass hopes to get around UConn’s freshman goalie Sarah Mansfield. In over 200 minutes of action this season, Mansfield allowed just one goal, shutting out two opponents, while amassing 12 saves.
After Saturday’s game, UMass will have to quickly switch gears and travel to New Haven, CT, for a game against Yale.
Like UConn, the Bulldogs have yet to lose this season, going 2-0 with nine goals spread across both games. Freshman Erica Borgo, who on Tuesday was given the Ivy League Rookie of the Week award, leads the Bulldogs with three goals along with two assists.
Last year, UMass defeated Yale, 1-0, at home on Oct. 4th, behind the strong play of its current third-year goalie Alesha Widdall. It was her fifth shutout of the season.
“Yale is a good team,” Sowry said. “We actually had a good battle with them last year. We really want to stick with our game plan. We’re still trying to work with our outleting from the backfield, trying to get our combinations going, getting our midfield involved. Then when there’s a turnover, our counter-defense is making sure that we have good structure and organization. If we do it as a team, with team defense, we should be able to contain their players.”
Widdall is not concerned with containing these two high-scoring offenses as much as she is focused on coordinating her defense.
“I don’t worry about controlling them, I worry about controlling my defense,” Widdall said. “I have Jaime Bourazeris and [Thando Zono] both working very well together. Both of my halfbacks have been working really well communicating and listening to me. If we just execute our basic defensive structure then we’ll be good.”
Pete Vasquez can be reached at [email protected].
