Field Hockey Loses Regular Season Finale; American Next

Last Saturday’s regular season field hockey finale between Patriot League rivals Colgate and Lafayette College wasn’t exactly a high note for the Raiders. Though both teams appeared sluggish and unenthused throughout the first half of play, the Leopards picked it up in the second half to pull away from the Raiders earning a 2-0 victory. With the loss the Raiders fell to 9-8 on the season and 2-3 in Patriot League play.

Both teams only registered three shots apiece in the opening 35 minutes of play, and Colgate edged out Lafayette in corner plays, earning the only one in the opening half. However, after the halftime intermission, the Leopards walked onto the field and avenged their uneventful first half performance by outshining the Raiders in every offensive category during the second half. Not only did Lafayette earn 11 corner play opportunities to Colgate’s zero in the final 35 minutes of play, but the Leopards also held the Raiders to just one shot in the second half compared to their 12 shots on goal. Of their 12 second half shots, the Leopards connected twice. The first goal came off of a corner play just over 10 minutes into the second half, and the second goal came nearly 5 minutes later off a breakaway play.

“Lafayette came out with a lot more momentum and energy than we did when the second half began,” junior forward Katelyn Nerbonne said. “[Saturday] was also an important day for [Lafayette] being that they were celebrating their Senior Day, and it was obvious that they used that drive and determination to outplay us in the second half.”

The Patriot League Tournament field is now set. The semifinal round, which was held this morning, took place too late to be included in this issue. First-seed American played fourth-seed Colgate, while second-seed Lafayette competed against third-seed Bucknell. The Colgate-American game was a rematch of the Patriot League semifinals last season, where American downed Colgate, 4-1. American, who is looking to capture their sixth straight Patriot League Championship title, hosts the Patriot League Tournament this year for finishing in first place. The Eagles are undefeated in league play for six years running. The winners of the two semifinal games will then meet in the championship game at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 8.