Looking to bounce back from a rough mid-week loss, the field hockey team did just that as they defeated both Monmouth and Rider last weekend.

Battling driving rain and an intermission due to lightning, the Raiders overcame all odds to pull out a 4-2 victory over Monmouth last Saturday. The Raiders scored 15 minutes into the contest when senior defender Lauren Carey scored off a successful corner play set up by senior co-captain Laura Flisnik and senior midfielder Maddie Watrobski. While the Hawks were quick to even things up, half junior midfielder Mika Ella-Tang scored off another corner play with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. With the assist credited to Carey, the tandem would lead the Raiders into halftime holding a 2-1 advantage.

“During half time we discussed how we needed to keep the lead because of the weather conditions,” Watrobski explained. “We knew there was a chance that the game could be called off early and we wanted to make sure that if that happened we would still be ahead.”

Showing their desire to win, the Raiders came out in the second half and scored just two minutes in as sophomore forward Laura Denenga put in Colgate’s third goal of the game. Only six minutes later, junior forward Katelyn Nerbonne added another goal, making the score 4-1. While the Hawks were able to score with 14 minutes remaining, the Raiders proved that they came to win by bearing down on defense and coming away with a 4-2 decision.

After their tough Saturday match, the Raiders won a gutsy 3-1 decision over Rider the following day. Ella-Tang struck first against Rider, earning her second goal of the weekend off a corner play with Carey getting credited for the assist, her second of the weekend. With this play, Carey moved into a tie for ninth place on the all-time points list at Colgate with 59.

The two teams fought back and forth for the remainder of the first half with neither able to score again. Determined to keep their 1-0 lead, the Raiders started the second half with the same drive that marked their first-half play. In less than 10 minutes, sophomore midfielder Alison Waugh scored, as she and Nerbonne tooled the Broncs’ weak defense. In the Raiders’ final goal of the game, Flisnik converted a corner-play setup by Watrobski, who was credited with the assist. On this play Watrobski earned her 20th career assist, placing her in second place on the all-time career assists list at Colgate.

“It’s incredibly exciting to have reached such a mile-stone in my career,” Watrobski said. “In reality though, this honor is a real team effort, and I would never have been able to get this far on my own.”

With nearly five minutes of play remaining, the Broncs spoiled the Raiders’ hopes of a shutout, yet the goal would not prove to be enough, as the game ended with a 3-1 decision for Colgate.

Colgate’s next games will take place tomorrow and Sunday in Michigan, as they take on Miami of Ohio and Central Michigan.