Field hockey crushes Earlham, drops two games

As the fall sports season continues, there is cause for optimism among fans of Oberlin women's field hockey. The team split their conference games this past week including a decisive 5-0 defeat of Earlham College. Though their week-long record stands at 1-2, the team demonstrated considerable strength and drive over the weekend, and the record fails to reflect the considerable progress made by this energetic, dedicated group of players.

In Saturday's game against Earlham, Oberlin kept a tight passing game and maintained control of the ball throughout to defeat the rival Quakers. The first half was slow and remained scoreless until sophomore Emily Johnson, 1998s team leader in goals and assists, netted one for the Yeowomen with less than five minutes remaining.

In the second half, Oberlin picked up the pace, posing a continual offensive threat and racking up four more goals before the game's end. The Oberlin attack was balanced, as Johnson, senior co-captain Maggie McFalls, sophomore Vanessa Wirth and first-year Briana Quinn scored goals. In addition, Oberlin was in top form defensively, with sophomore goalkeeper Pam Walker warding off Earlham's sporadic offensive drives and holding on for the shutout.

Against DePauw on Sunday, the Yeowomen fought hard but were overwhelmed by their forceful opponents. "They had a couple of people who could really drive the ball," said Johnson. "It was a really frustrating game for everybody."

After DePauw's first goal, scored midway through the first half, Oberlin mustered a response with a series of offensive drives that gave the Yeowomen hope for a comeback victory. Johnson felt the Yeowomen were still very much in the game at this point. However, DePauw's stingy defense kept Oberlin from mounting a successful counterattack, while their strength on offense became more evident as the game wore on, netting themselves a second half insurance goal for good measure. The game ended in a 2-0 loss for the Yeowomen.

Head coach Elizabeth Graham sees this year's field hockey squad as a team of strong contenders, largely because of their ability to work together. "We have a great group of players who are not only great athletes but very intelligent as well," she said. Graham emphasized that this is why the Yeowomen have become so adept at certain tactical maneuvers, particularly moving the ball quickly up the sides of the field on offensive drives. Only when opponents are able to break down this team dynamic and deal with the players individually do the Yeowomen find themselves under pressure, Graham said.

With the weekend behind them, Oberlin geared up for a confrontation with conference rival Wooster on Wednesday. The teams split their two meetings in 1998 and remain quite evenly matched this year.

Sophomore Jessica Raynor described Oberlin's newest offensive strategy, which they hoped would give them an edge in the Wooster game. The "cherry picker" tactic, as it is called, requires the three usual forwards as well as an extra player on offense. The extra player is the "cherry picker," and her chief purpose is to take any opportunity to get the ball from a teammate and score. In this way, Raynor explained, the offensive line can "stay on the goalie's pads," remaining a constant scoring threat and thus controlling the flow of the game. Using this tactic against Wooster, the Yeowomen once again demonstrated their commitment to a powerful offensive game. However, the powerful Wooster offense prevented Oberlin from concentrating on their own scoring chances and the game again ended with the Yeowomen losing 2-0.

Oberlin's recent development as a team makes their 2-2 NCAC record seem like a solid basis for greater success as the season continues. Their next game, set to take place on Tuesday, will be a rematch against conference rival Ohio Wesleyan, the team that dealt Oberlin its first loss of the season. But since the Yeowomen are becoming a stronger team with each passing day, you can be sure it's payback time.