UConn, Syracuse field hockey remain unbeaten

As the UConn field hockey team continued their winning streak this weekend, their Big East competitors left it all on the field, making the 2012 season a tough one. The six teams played nine games resulting in shut-outs, overtime wins and close upsets.

No. 6 Georgetown had a tough weekend, losing both games, leaving their record at 2-10. The Hoyas took an early lead against Monmouth on Saturday. Goalie Briana Pereira was put to the test, making great saves throughout the game, but unfortunately, Georgetown couldn’t hold on to their lead. Monmouth went on to beat the Hoyas 3-1. Georgetown’s second game of the weekend versus Lock Haven was a tightly contested match. Georgetown had numerous strong shots, but goalie Elaina White’s spectacular saves helped Lock Haven win the game 2-1.

No. 5 Rutgers played two games this weekend, losing their first game and winning the second, to bring their season record to an overall 6-6. The Scarlet Knights lost 2-1 to Villanova on Saturday. Rutgers came out strong in the second half, getting the 1-0 advantage. Despite their lead, Rutgers couldn’t hold off Villanova’s counterattack and lost the game. The Scarlet Knights came back in their second game on Sunday to defeat Bucknell 4-3 in overtime. Lisa Patrone scored the game winning overtime goal to help keep Rutgers undefeated in overtime play this season. Patrone leads the team in points with 13 goals thus far in the season.

No. 4 Villanova had a successful weekend, breaking their four game losing streak and defeating both Rutgers and Bryant. In Sunday’s game against Bryant, the first half ended in a 1-1 tie. The second half was an exciting back-and-forth battle between the evenly matched teams. With just 90 seconds left on the clock, Jessica Swoboda scored for Villanova to end the game at 2-1.

No. 3 Providence Friars lost to our own UConn Huskies on Friday. UConn had a strong start, leading 3-0 at 47:32 into the match, yet Providence managed to get back into the game after scoring two goals off of corners. Although the Friars came back, Louisa Boddy scored the fourth goal to help the Huskies prevail.

No. 2 Louisville Cardinals suffered a loss to the 23rd place Albany team on Sunday. It was an even matchup as the first half ended in a scoreless tie. Albany took the lead with a goal only a few minutes into the second half. The Cardinals fought back, scoring a goal a minute after Albany’s second goal, but couldn’t overcome the lead. Louisville lost to Albany 3-1.

Syracuse defeated both Yale and Louisville this weekend to remain neck-and-neck with UConn for the No. 1 spot in the Big East Conference. On Friday the Orange got their third consecutive shut out of the season, defeating Louisville 3-0. Syracuse outshot the Cardinals 18-8 and out-cornered them 7-4 ,highlighting their dominance on the field. On Sunday, Syracuse won their thirty-fourth straight home game, and goalie Leanne Stiver continued her streak of 311 consecutive minutes without letting a single goal in. The Orange outshot the Bulldogs 28 to 2 and had 13 corners compared to Yale’s mere 1, resulting in their powerful 5-0 win. Syracuse continues to be a force to be reckoned with and is UConn’s top competitor. Anticipation is building for when theses two teams finally meet in late October.