Month: September 2019

McAndrews Scores The Winning Goal In Overtime

In probably the most exciting game of the season to date, the Leopards stood tall, and in a combination of a good game plan by Coach Stone and her staff, great execution by the players on the team, and some outstanding individual effort the Leopards overcame fatigue, and an worthy opponent to win 2-1.

The winning goal from Molly McAndrews, last year’s rookie of the year, finished a bruising and hot afternoon of field hockey in the second overtime, as each team looked for an advantage in the 7 v 7 format. The winning goal came from a feed from team captain Lisa van der Geest. ” I saw Molly open in front of the cage and I could see she wanted the ball. I was able to get it to her on a one timer and she finished.”  Van der Geest, who last year received all-American honors , switched to center mid, after conferring with head coach Stone several minutes before, and it was that change that was to put the Leopards on track for the win.

Cameron Costello Gets The Tying Goal

It was Costello’s first goal of the season that put the Leopards in position to get into overtime. Monmouth had scored 13:04 into the game and the tie stood up through the first half. However, four and half minutes into the second half Cam found the ball during a scrum and got the unassisted goal tying the game. The tie was to remain  for the  rest of regulation time, setting up the overtime.

Park Makes Multiple Strong Saves

Park had 3 saves during the contest, but more to the point, they were crucial if not spectacular, coming out from the cage and cutting off potential attackers before they could get off a shot. In addition, Audrey Sawers playing defense had a defensive save as well!!!

The defense was evident as they were to turn away Monmouth again and again, as they tried to mount an attack.The Leopards had 16 shots to Monmouth’s 10 shots. They had 7 shots to Monmouth’s 2 in overtime alone. Lafayette had 10 corners to Monmouth’s 3, including a 3-0 edge in corners during the overtime.

This was the first win over a ranked opponent since 2016 according to goleopards. The Leopards will now move on to Boston to play league pre-season favorite Boston University in Boston on Saturday. The Terriers lost to UConn today 4-0. On Sunday, the Leopards will have another back to back weekend playing another game with Bryant, at Brown in Rhode Island. No doubt the team will have  put this weekend’s triumphs behind them as they prepare for this important league game.

 

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Lafayette wasted little time lighting up the scoreboard on the southwest corner of the field with a strike by Molly McAndrews assisted by Anna Steps 2:45 into the game. The goal was preceded by strong play, and control of the tempo against the Colgate Raiders. Whenever Colgate seemed to take control of the ball, the Leopards were there, with  tackles, and subsequent power, to drive the ball past the 25  into the circle. In  fact, the Leopards scored three more times during the half. The second goal occurred at 14:57, as Lisa van der Geest scored her first goal of the season off a corner assisted by Simone Hefting, and Anna Steps.  It was a typical Van der Geest rocket  set up by her countryman and stopper Simone Hefting.

The Leopards would have to wait for the second quarter, when at 18:34  Caroline Turnbull delivered for her team. Van der Geest was in on the goal, as she assisted Turnbull for her 3rd goal of the season.  Van der Geest found the back of the cage later in the half with her second goal of the game and year,  assisted again by Hefting and Steps.

The stats for the half tell the whole story.  The Leopards had 9 shots in the half to 0 shots for Colgate. In addition, the “Pards” had nine penalty corners to Colgate’s one. In fact Colgate was to generate only 2 shots the whole game and Sara Park didn’t have to make a save all game.

The 4 goal first half was enough to get the win, and Colgate was able to slow the scoring with renewed aggressiveness, and one on one play. In many cases the Leopards were so anxious to continue their domination in the game, they often were ahead of passes and rushed their offense sets. However, they did get an additional 6 shots in the second half and 3 more penalty corners.

The defense had a good day turning Colgate away, and the first half transition game was awesome. Give Colgate credit, they never gave up, but the Lafayette defense was to stymie them for 60 minutes. Early on, they tried to press but Lafayette was to break that up, which led to scoring opportunities and circle penetration. Going to a zone defense did slow the Leopards a bit, but they adjusted, but  couldn’t find the shots to find the back of the cage during the second half. The Colgate goalie was forced to make 7 saves.

 

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I was delighted for Lisa van der Geest get her first goals of the season after several close chances earlier in this year. However, this was a team effort as 18 of the 24 players make it on to the turf.

In other Patriot League action, American beat Bucknell 3-1, and Holy Cross held off Lehigh  4-2. This leaves Lafayette on top of the League undefeated, followed by 1-0 American, 1-1 Bucknell, Lehigh, Boston and Holy Cross, and 0-2 Colgate.

The Leopards will face their 3rd top 25 team in Monmouth tomorrow at home at 2 pm. They also had two other pre-season games with top 25 credentials.

It’ll be homecoming at Lafayette this week end and what better time to have a Patriot League matchup at home. Last year, Raiders made a spirited and motivated effort against the Leopards as they jumped off to a 2-0 lead. The final winning goal was not delivered by Lafayette until the fourth quarter which ended in a 5-4 win for Lafayette. This game is just as important this year for both teams. It falls into to the category of a must win game.

The Raiders are 2-6 and Lafayette is 3-5 but the internals are more revealing. The most revealing are the respective RPI’s and SOS’s.  Lafayette’s RPI is 31 and Strength of Schedule is 14 out of 78 teams. Conversely Colgate has an RPI of 68 out 78 and a SOS of 64.

 

Lafayette played their last game at Cornell on Monday and Colgate had their last game on  Sunday with Syracuse…both were losses. More importantly Colgate lost to PL rival Lehigh 2-1 and Lafayette beat Holy Cross on 8-0 last Saturday.  I am not arguing to forget the current records, but these PL games have an added importance in that it can provide a second chance for a championship!! In terms of specifics, Colgate has scored 14 goals 6 of which were scored by 3 each from Taylor Cassmass and Nichole Salamone. Lafayette has scored 17 goals 4 from Sam DiMaio and 3 from Felicitas Hannes. Save percentage for Colgate is 67 percent and Lafayette is 70 percent.

Colgate is certainly under the gun, but a loss for Lafayette would be disappointing and have implications for chances to get into the playoffs. Colgate proved last year it can be competitive, but Lafayette should be well prepared, rested and motivated. However, Lafayette should not be overconfident…this is an important game. Disappointingly, it will not be televised. I hope we see a “sea” of Leopard fans in their seats!!!

Cornell had not played a game in eight days, and has yet to play a league game. The Leopards played their first league game on Saturday, and it looked like Cornell took full advantage of the prep time to take advantage of miscues by the visiting Leopards. Lafayette took the unusual Monday bus ride to Ithaca for the second time in as many years, but if they are to be successful they may have to play as many games in same number of days in the playoffs.

Despite the wind and rain Lafayette took 17 shots versus 5 for Cornell, had 6 corners vs 1 for Cornell, and had a.penalty stroke that was not successful. The score of course is the only stat that counts making those 4 goals on 5 shots all the more interesting.

The game was played in the rain with about 50 fans on the stands. It was the smallest crowd of the year to watch a Leopard game, home or away. In any case, the Leopards left the field 3-5 while Cornell faces their first League game at 3-1.

The first quarter was to foretell the outcome of the game, as Cornell was to take advantage two errant passes to steal the ball and find an opening and score at 6:50 and 12:55 in that quarter. That 2-0 score was to remain at the half. After the halftime break, it looked like the Leopards were to mount a comeback when Sam DiMaio had a nice shot that scored the Leopard’s first goal two minutes into the 3rd quarter. That 2-1 score would remain for all of one minute when Cornell again would score making it 3-1.

With less than eight seconds left in the 3rd period Molly McAndrews was taken out by the GK and the GK was called for not going for the ball, and the Leopards were awarded a penalty stroke. Lisa Van der Geest attempted the shot, but was to be denied by the Cornell  GK leaving the score 3-1.

Cornell was to finish the scoring 2 minutes into the 4th quarter. making it 4-1.

The Leopards will now begin preparation for their league game this Saturday against Colgate, in another must win game. That will be followed on Sunday with a game from the very accomplished Monmouth team at 2 pm. ( broadcast on LSN). The Colgate game will mark the 1/2 point in the regular season for the Leopards and will be homecoming for the College.

Lafayette and Holy Cross will meet at Rappolt Field to open their Patriot League Schedule  on Saturday. Recently, this has been a crucial game for both teams in regards to a playoff position. There are seven teams in the Patriot League and four will qualify for post season action. So, to assure a place at the end of the Patriot League season a team must have four League wins in all probability. Recently these games between the Crusaders and Leopards have been very competitive, and both teams will be pulling out all the stops to win this game.

Holy Cross loves to fast break, and the Leopards have displayed a strong wall on defense. Holy Cross, at 2-3, has their two wins against first year Division One team Merrimac and 1-6  Sacred Hart. Interestingly, Holy Cross had 62 shots combined in these two games out of the 101 taken so far this season. Their shot percentage is 8 percent. Their loses have been to Northeastern, New Hampshire, and Dartmouth. Their highest goal total was against Merimac in a 3-0 effort with senior Lexi Tilton (number 4), their leading scorer, getting the hat trick! They have scored 8 goals in their five games.

It would appear Lafayette has played the tougher schedule, with  Field Hockey Corner scoring the Leopards with second toughest schedule in Division one to date. Holy Cross was ranked 76/78 in strength of schedule to date. The other Field Hockey Corner stats has Lafayette at 44 vs 66 for Holy Cross in ACR, and 21 vs 74 in RPI.

It has been defense, that has been the hallmark of Lafayette’s record to date. They have played two ranked teams, Syracuse and Liberty. Losing in overtime to Syracuse, and Liberty  5-0 in Lynchburg on Sept 8. The other two loses were at the hands of Appalachian State and Providence in a shootout.  Lafayette’s two leading scorers are Sam  DiMaio and Felicitas Hannes, each with two goals.

Lafayette’s shot percentage is 12 pct while Holy Cross is 8 pct as I recorded up above. Holy Cross has 36 penalty corners in five games, Lafayette has 27 in six games. No doubt, the coaching staff at Holy Cross likes to attack and set the tempo early. Lafayette runs a structured and disciplined game. Fans will appreciate  that the early going will  prove to be crucial and a good start by either team, will be critical to a win.

Unfortunately. it appears there will be no live stream . So come on out. An army of Leopards  in the stands could make the difference in this important game.

 

Simone Hefting And Jenn DeLongis Provide The Difference With Important Goals 

Lafayette has now played 3 overtime games and finally put all that experience to work, coming up with the win in a hard fought game that saw intensity on both sides of the field. The first half was pretty even with Lafayette getting off 3 shots to Richmond’s 1. In addition it was my observation  Lafayette had time of possession as well. In addition, the Leopards had the only penalty corners in those first two quarters.

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In the previous two games this season with Bucknell and Lehigh, Richmond came from behind putting on a big push in the second half and overtime with Bucknell. This game looked familiar as the Spiders were to get off 7 shots in the second half and holding off the Leopards with no shots. Richmond had 4 corners in the third quarter.

It was Sarah Park who provided the heroics, especially in the second half and overtime. She had one save in the 2nd quarter and the 3rd, and it was in the fourth and over time period, she came up with additional 5 saves, 3 in the overtime period alone.

Jenn DeLongis scored first in the 2nd quarter with a beautiful deflection delivered off a shot from fellow seniors Caroline Turnbull and Cam Costello. Richmond’s answer came in the third on a corner as well. The next shot to be taken by Lafayette was a direct blast from Simone Hefting 3 minutes into the overtime as the Goal Keeper went down to block. Hefting found space between the GK and the left post to put a definitive end to the game.

It seemed to me the team played with awareness on the field of their teammates and  more confidently. That is not to say there could be improvement and I am sure there will be. Saturday marks the beginning of the Patriot League season and for all intents and purposes it marks the real beginning to qualifying for the playoffs.

Coach Stone was pleased with her team’s effort and is well aware of the upcoming game with Holy Cross, who have recently played Lafayette very competitively. ” We have played a difficult string of opponents, ” she remarked, noting that it prepares the Leopards for the rest of season,,,,especially the Patriot League foes. So next Saturday Sept. 21st at Rappolt Field is where the Patriot League challenge begins!!

 

 

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We saw 80 minutes of real hockey until it came shoot out time, where the Friars found the back of the cage for a 3-1 win in shots made. On the scoresheet it ends, to be a Providence win 1-0. However, what doesn’t get reported was the effort both teams put into the game. The action went back and forth with a terrific display of skill and athleticism. The pace of the game was definite Division One worthy. It ‘s a shame there couldn’t have been two winners.

However, that’s the way the game is played. It wasn’t without controversy as it appeared Lisa Van der Geest had what would have been the game winner as she rifled a shot in the    fourth quarter which appeared to be deflected into the cage. The official saw otherwise. From the vantage point of the stands it looked to be a goal. This is the second game in which Van der Geest did not have the opportunity to have a goal reviewed as would have happened in the ACC or Big Ten. PLEASE PATRIOT LEAGUE GET INTO THE 21st CENTURY AND ALLOW INSTANT REPLAY!!  

It’s done in basketball and football…come on people!!

I am still. proud of our Leopards they displayed grit, determination and heroics. Twice they had to play a player down, especially daunting during the overtime period. Lisa Van der Geest is a wonderful leader. She came back on the field after being hit on her thumb it appeared. Audrey Sawers was an ubiquitous presence on offense and defense. Cam Costello and Caroline Turnbull were all over the field. Sarah Park played wonderfully in the regular game and overtime, making save after save ( 6 for each GK). Shots were 12 to ll in Providence’s favor, and  each team had 9 PC’s,

Lafayette will win games, they are good!! Sunday might be the trick. Richmond beat Lehigh 4-2 with a better second half after Lehigh took early leads.

For the second time this season the stands approach 500 fans!!

It was youth day and a plethora of young players joined their heroines on the field during the pregame introductions.

Providence will leave the friendly confines of Rhode Island for only the second time this season. As far as I can tell, it may be their first visit to Lafayette, ever, as well. They are riding a three game win streak ( Maine, Bryant and Brown) and a two game unscored upon  run. The Leopards will be looking to avenge a 2-0 loss to Friars last year at their place during a senior day game. That game was played after an important win against Holy Cross the previous day. It was a day that both teams were only to take 14 shots, total, during the game. According to the Friars web site Providence has a 2-0 record with Lafayette.

This week both teams have played their last game on Sunday, and will have had all week to prepare. For Providence, it will be the only game of the week, before they play Old Dominion next week. Lafayette will be hosting Richmond at home on Sunday.

Lafayette will be playing only their second game at home for the season, and will be trying to break a three game losing streak, two of which were with top 20 teams. The relative stats are hard to figure out, but one thing is clear, Lafayette must begin to find their sustained offense, having only scored 6 goals on 39 shots to date. Providence has averaged 2,75 goals a game with their highest production against Maine, where they scored 5 goals. They have taken a total of 59 shots so far this season, to give them the 11 goals.

At this point in the season, it’s difficult to assess statistics, as can be demonstrated by the ACR ( Average Computer Rating), RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), and the SOS ( Strength of Schedule). Using those three indexes indicates an advantage to Lafayette. Calculated by Field Hockey Corner, the ACR is the average to two computer ratios, one based on goal differential and the other on won loss record. The RPI is based on .25 W/L record, .50 on SOS, and .25 on opponents W/L record. The SOS is based on opponents W/L record.

First, the key to understanding the outcomes, so far this season, is the SOS. Providence scores 75th on SOS while Lafayette scores 5th. Meaning to date, Lafayette has had the 5th most difficult schedule in Division one. Using RPI, in which 50% of the score is based on SOS Lafayette is ranked 30 while Providence is 58. (Lower is better). Even in the ACR, Lafayette get an edge 46 to 49. I do admit, that these indices get more reliable as the season progresses, but it does caution us, that W/L’s can be deceiving.

In any case, this is a competitive game, and the Leopards are at home. Looking at the internals Providence goals have been spread around. There are 4 players on Providence who have scored 2 goals apiece. Izzy Mendez (4),Kara Sanford (5), Niamh Gorwing (7), and Olivia Ward (13). Mendez and Gorwing are starters and the other two have come off the bench! Goalkeeping stats are in Providence’s favor with 78-68  save percentage.

I am looking for a good game with a good crowd of supporters!!!

Last night, Sept. 10 at 9:26 pm Simon Hoskins, USA Field Hockey’s Executive Director issued a statement regarding the abrupt stoppage of an overtime game between Temple and Maine by an official of Kent State, so that fireworks could be set off near the adjacent football stadium scheduled for one hour and 15 minutes later.

” The unfortunate abrupt cancellation of the University of Maine versus Temple University NCAA Division 1 field hockey match played at Kent State University on Saturday, September 7 has caused great concern within out sport. The appearance is that the student athletes playing field hockey were not given the appropriate opportunity to complete their game due to circumstances around the start of the football pre-game fireworks and competition to follow.

As the National Governing Body for the sport of field hockey, we at USA Field Hockey are passionate that all who participate in this sport are given a fair opportunity to compete. Not allowing the teams to continue the contest following a single overtime and scoreless game hinders that chance and diminishes acceptance of field hockey. As we continue to grow this sport in the United States, this situation makes it even more difficult to empower our athletes and the field hockey community. We take. pride in the representation of the sport at the collegiate level and rely on it for the furthering our success on the national and international stage.

We at USA Field Hockey applaud both the University of Maine and Temple University for their handling of the situation and  will continue to support the idea that ALL STUDENT ATHLETES HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO THE RIGHT TO COMPETE.”

Well said Simon!!

Since the initial reports on Saturday, there have been strong statements by Temple, national media, and Maine. The first remarks by Kent State were tepid at first, but after having time to absorb the impact, they made a stronger statement.

The University of Maine’s head coach and players had a televised press conference yesterday and the emotion was palpable. I would have liked to have seen the administration of the University of Maine at that conference as well in support! The Temple administration issued a statement Monday that was right on point.

WHERE IS THE NCAA?? Their absence of any action, is deafening to the senses. Perhaps they are chasing down minor compliance violations like flawed paperwork or an ice cream cone bought by a booster for a friend’s family member at a game. This action by Kent State is a direct violation of Title  IX. I don’t want to see the Kent Field Hockey program punished but perhaps a remedy that benefits all parties should be applied.

All athletic administrations should be in support of remedies that make sense. I would like to see more support from a variety of sources which will force the NCAA to take action. Perhaps their worry is that the ultimate consequence might be additional mandated monetary support for women’s athletics!!

I want equal access, no diversion of funds, equal pay, especially for asst, coaches, travel expenses on par with all sports. Again at the moment it looks like the NCAA has failed again. I hope I am wrong!!

William Rappolt