Author: William Rappolt

If you like defense, friday night’s contest between the MAAC defending champion and NCAA tournament participant, Monmouth University Hawks was 70 minutes of fan ecstasy. Both defenses were excellent as Monmouth employed a series of eclectic defensive schemes to thwart the Lafayette transition game while the Lafayette back line showed their mettle turning back the Monmouth front line attack. Although Monmouth got off more shots and corners ( oddly Lafayette did not get a single corner the whole game) the Lafayette back line including goalie Katelyn Arnold turned away threat after threat. Ironically, the Leopards had their best chance two minutes into the second period on a penalty stroke which was blocked by the Monmouth goalie.

The game was full of fan tension for those 70 minutes which was played like an eleven v eleven overtime for the last 10 minutes knowing that one goal could be the difference. As overtime came. for most of us who know this team well. it was almost a relief believing that Lafayette’s front line with its speed, skill, and the space created by the 7 v 7 format would serve as an advantage the Leopards didn’t have in the first 70 minutes.

That advantage was to manifest itself with the Colbourne to Birle combination two minutes into the period.Ellen Colbourne received the ball at midfield dodged the first player and put her speed to work up the right sideline. Meanwhile Katie Birle deftly positioned herself between two Monmouth players knowing Colbourne would spot her.Ellen Colbourne wound up delivering to Birle who expertly redirected the ball between the legs of the Monmouth goalie. This was Katie Birle’s fifth goal of the season and none could have been more timely. Before last night, she was ranked 11th nationally in goals scored and is now the leading goal scorer in the Patriot League. Colbourne’s assists puts her among the leaders in the league in assists as well.  The Leopards are now 11-1 against the Monmouth Hawks who played with great intensity and heart.

The Hawks were to step up before the game as a defective CD of the national anthem was to disallow the usual pre game recording. One of the Hawks was to come forward and deliver a beautiful a cappella version on the spot. Well done. I wish I had recorded her name but kudos to her in any case.

This was goalie Katelyn Arnold’s second collegiate shutout of her career as she was perfect in the cage.

The Leopards continue their home stand against another MAAC rival, Qunnipiac as they will be looking for revenge from last year’s overtime victory by Lafayette. The Leopards are now undefeated at home having suffered their only loss last week against highly regarded Liberty University last week in Virginia . Tonight’s 1-0 victory was their second overtime win having beaten Longwood last week 4-3. It is also their third one goal victory this season.

Next week the Leopards will open the Patriot League schedule in Boston, against Boston University on saturday and will move on to play national champion UConn the following day before returning to Easton to  meeting the national runner up Albany.

Addendum: I just received an email from one of my readers. The young lady who so skillfully sung the national anthem was number 7 Mallory Kusakavitch from Pittston,Pa and Holy Redemer HS. She is a sophomore defender. Obviously a young woman of many talents….well done!!

It was a fine day for field hockey,sunny and warm with all the evidence of thunder storms long passed. It was a battle of undefeated teams in a beautiful setting. The facilities are excellent and both teams were able to display their talents to the delight of their respective fans. Liberty took the early lead with a disputed goal from the right side of the Lafayette goalie. Despite the entreaties of the Lafayette captains and coach, who believed that the ball was out of bounds before the shot, the goal stood. Lafayette came back with the fourth goal of the season from Katie Birle delivering during a corner off a rebounded shot from Hannah Millen.

Earlier Amanda Magadan  looked like she would deliver the tying goal but it was legitimately ruled too high not hitting the backboard, and there was no deflection. It was later that most Lafayette fans thought a second goal by Liberty suffered the same fate, since there was no sound on the backboard, but it was not to be and was instead the go ahead goal. Lafayette had a last chance with a fast break off an errant Liberty pass. The Liberty goalie came out the cage to defend against  Birle one on one. Birle was not to get the shot or a pass off and the threat to Liberty had ended.

The Lafayette defense played well as did Libery, but Lafayette had fewer chances in the offensive end to use their offensive firepower to test the Liberty Flame’s close in defense.

Liberty is a fine team, perhaps even a top twenty team, and they deserve the success they had, but in this case there was more to the score than the play on the field. There are regional and league difference in officiating no doubt, as well as individual tendencies, and Liberty legitimately took advantage of that. For example, in my interpretation of the rules and of others, when an offensive player purposely backs into a defensive player causing contact, that is an offensive foul. This is, of course, much like a basketball player backing into the basket, allowed in basketball, not allowed in field hockey. By my count  this occurred and was called at least four time outside the shooting circle, three times resulting in a short corner with the official calling a deliberate foul against Lafayette.

The first Liberty goal occurred after the ball clearly went out of bounds, in the view of most people, neither of the officials were in a good position.  The second Liberty goal occurred on a first shot and never hit the backboard, the same which occurred earlier in the game against Lafayette’s Amanda Magadan. I hope I can review to see if what I saw was correct but there was no video archived of the game to date. With the advent of video at most Division one Field Hockey games I would hope that there could be video replay available. It is allowed under NCAA rules and occurs at all playoff games and Olympic and World Cup matches. It would eventually even out the regional differences in officiating and make the game fairer, What do you think??

I want it noted this is my opinion alone and does not necessarily reflect any coach’s or player’s opinion. We left shortly after the game for the six hour trip home and did not have a chance to discuss it with players or coach. If anyone at the game or any other reader would like to discuss it, or has contrary opinion, there is a comment option at the bottom the page.

In any case the Leopards will be back in the friendly confines of their home field this friday at 7pm to meet Monmouth.

My amendment:

I got an email from one of our alumni parents. He not only showed me where to see the archived game but had a freeze frame of the first Liberty goal. From that vantage point the ball looked on the line, therefore in play. Looked at it myself and at the halftime highlights the ball looked in bounds. So a good goal!! I stand by my instant replay desire though.

One of the reasons I love team sports, is because it develops and demonstrates the ability to overcome collectively, obstacles to success. The process of working as team rather than an individual emphasizes the importance of shared responsibility. As an individual you use your talents and efforts to enhance the completion of a shared goal. Yesterday was one of the those moments. When Lafayette needed something, an individual would make a play that seemed to lift the whole enterprise. Was this a game where you look at its result and marvel how we dominated, no. But it was a game where someone on the field came through when needed. Ami Turner’s marvelous deflection of an Amanda Madagan assist three minutes and twenty two seconds into overtime was the end product of a number outstanding individual efforts during the previous 70 minutes.

First, the Leopards had to overcome a number of obstacles to get to that moment,  73 minutes after the opening whistle. Thursday’s 7 or 8 hour bus ride was reason enough to drain any normal athlete. The Leopards were delayed an hour in Easton leaving at 7:30 pm and arriving after encountering several construction obstacles along the way. On to bed at later than 2 am is not exactly in a training regime for success. Fortunately, the game was to start at 4 pm leaving enough time for rest, but barely enough time to get rest and get a solitary run through  early.

The clouds were more than figurative as a series of thunderstorms rolled in over the Farmville area and both fans and players were frustrated with a series of 1/2 hour delays after local lighting strikes. The delay and the bus ride seemed to have taken its toll as Lafayette seemed to be playing flat footed giving up some early turnovers, which resulted in a score for the Lancers only 5  minutes after the opening push off. Longwood’s Hollie MacDonald took a Jennifer Burris rebound finding space and delivered a shot putting the Lancers ahead. It was to take ten minutes before the Leopards were to answer with a goal of the own off a corner. Amanda Magadan, who was instrumental all day moving the ball between sides and setting up shots for her teammates, delivered a tying goal using an Aliza Furneaux and Ellen Colbourne assist.

Nearly 12 minutes after a scramble in front of the goal during another corner, Kirby Szalkowski took advantage of a loose ball while going to her knees and delivered with a strike to the back of the net putting the Leopards ahead. In less than a minute Edel Nyland of the Lancers delivered one of her own into the Leopard net,unassisted knotting the score at two. The teams were to leave the field tied but contributing to the angst of Leopard fans, Longwood led in shots 8-4, and seemed to be spending intolerable time in Lafayette’s side of the field.

Both teams came out renewed for battle but it was Longwood that was to find the back of goal first, six minutes in as Jennifer Burris was to add an unassisted score to her side of the scoreboard. Leopard fans were searching for a spark when Rosie Shanks came through tying the score at three, with eleven and a half to play in regular time using a Hannah Millen shot which she deflected neatly into the goal.

Tied at three the Leopards had the better of possessions leading up to the Madagan to Turner heroics and the win. The Leopards were to have 7-2 advantage in shots in the second and overtime periods as well as a 4-2 edge in penalty corners.

Now,on to a very talented Liberty team in a a battle to leave the field tomorrow unbeaten. As to Longwood’s effort and skill. This was a very entertaining game and Longwood is better than their record would indicate.

I have never been a big fan of polls and the latest Patriot League preseason polls demonstrates to me how worthless they can be. The best that can be said is that they are, in general an opinion of relative strength. The latest example is the league field hockey poll with the predicted order of finish of Boston University, American University, Bucknell, Lafayette, Colgate, Lehigh,and Holy Cross. Coaches and SID’s (sports information directors) do the voting. Basically, they vote based on last year’s finish and maybe a little tweak here and there. When Lafayette won two championships in a row, the Leopards were not picked first in either case. I sometimes wonder if new classes and graduations are seriously considered by SID’s who couldn’t tell you if there are offsides in college field hockey. (There isn’t).

What is obvious to me is how competitive the Patriot League has become. Anyone of the top five in the poll will be in the mix at the end. Only four teams will make the League tournament, that will decide who goes to the NCAA’s. In the League games last year that Lafayette lost, the Leopards lost by only one goal in each of those games. Colgate got in despite a losing record and a very weak schedule. I don’t agree with the premise, that it’s only the league games that count. Yes, you must win the league games to go on, but in the year when the Leopards won their last championship their RPI and number 10 national ranking got them a better seed, and past the play in game with Princeton ( who won the eventual national championship). The leopards then played a competive game with Maryland losing 2-0.

So what we are looking at are must win games in the league ( Colgate,Holy Cross and Lehigh) to get to the league tournament. Beating at least one of the other three  guarantees a place and a good seed, and perhaps the home field. The leopards enter the season with a good freshman class which by all accounts will result in at least good minutes for its members.They will have large strength in their offense with multiple players capable of finding the back of the cage. The Lafayette goalie will be Kaitlyn Arnold, a high school all american now entering her junior year. The defensive line will be anchored by Hannah Millen entering her fourth year as a starter.

It is a long season and the belly of the season with Uconn, Albany, Temple and a very dangerous Liberty University team (who lost to UNC 2-1 in the NCAA’s) provide very tough out of conference competition. It will all start tomorrow with a scrimmage with an improving  Rutgers team at 7pm at home. Beating up on each other for the last week of two a days can get boring and tomorrow we get a peek at the future.