On Saturday, the UVM women’s field hockey team hosted the Brown University Brown Bears for their first of two games in the Catamount Field Hockey Classic at Moulton Winder Field. UVM’s record fell (0-5) after losing to the Brown Bears (3-1).
Brown junior Haley Alvarez managed to score once in the first period leaving the score at half time 1-0 Brown. The Bears followed up in the second period with a loose ball goal from sophomore Anna Masini and a rebound low corner goal from junior Meghan O’Donnell. Vermont goalie senior Stephanie Zygmunt saved 13 goal attempts, missing only three.
The game consisted of one goal for UVM by junior Ashley McDonald who was assisted by senior Colleen Slaughter, both captains. With 6:26 left in full time Vermont managed to score their first and only goal of the game with a hard pass inside the circle that led to McDonald beating the goalie for the score.
Despite the loss, Vermont Assistant Coach Robin Merritt Farran has a positive attitude on the upcoming games, “The team very simply has to get back to their game plan. We have to have the overall belief that we can trust our skills, our teammates and our ability to score.”
In preparation for the next game of the tournament against No. 5 University of Virginia Farran said, “We are going to have to play as hard as we possibly can without any fear.”
Vermont returned to Moulton Winder Field on Sept. 15 at 12 p.m. to play their second game of the Catamount Classic against the Virginia Cavaliers. The Cavaliers came out with the win 7-0, bringing their overall season record 7-0 and the Catamounts’ record 0-6.
The first goal, scored by Cavalier junior Kelsey LeBlanc and assisted by senior Elly Buckley, occurred 19 minutes into the game and set the tone for the rest of the match. The Cavaliers went on to score three more goals in the first period and then another three in the second.
By the end of the game, the Cavaliers had a total of 25 shots on goal, while the Catamounts had one. The Catamounts and Cavaliers had faced off twice before this game, in 2007 and 2008, each ending in a victory for the Cavaliers.
Senior Stephanie Zygmunt made 17 total saves for UVM. Zygmunt is currently tied for second place in the nation for saves per game.
UVM junior and captain Ashley McDonald said, “UVA is a really talented team, and I think we’re going to learn a lot from this game and we’re going to take what we learned and move it into this weekend.”
The Catamounts will play away against the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Saturday, Sept. 21. Quinnipiac currently has a record of 1-4. Both the Catamounts and the Bobcats lost to Boston College earlier this year, UVM with a 1-10 score and Quinnipiac with a score of 3-2.
“We have a great game plan, and as long as everybody’s focused and on top of it, giving one hundred percent, we’re going to get that win,” said McDonald.
