Field Hockey Comes to Life, Downs Pine Manor

Exploding for a pair of goals in the first 15 minutes of action, Radcliffe's field hockey team captured their first victory of the fall, a 3-0 triumph over Pine Manor.

Radcliffe had entered the contest with a record of nine losses and a tie, but yesterday the stickwomen dominated the game from the outset, outshooting Pine Manor by a healthy margin.

After controlling play through the opening minutes of the game, Radcliffe gained the lead at the seven-minute mark. Right wing Abby Homans tipped in a loose ball from a scramble in front of the Pine Manor net, and Radcliffe had one of its infrequent leads of the fall.

Seven minutes later, Radcliffe jumped to a 2-0 lead. Left wing Cha-Nan Tang was responsible for this tally, as she slid a bouncing ball past the beleaguered Pine Manor goalie.

Wary of her team growing over-confident with a two-goal lead, Radcliffe Coach Pippi O'Connor cautioned her players from the sidelines not to let the advantage go to their heads. "I'm impressed," she said. "I can't believe it!"

The stickwomen kept the pressure on the Pine Manor defense throughout the remainder of the half, sensing that their first victory of the season was well within reach. Radcliffe goalie Barb Matson, meanwhile, saw little action, as the play was confined to the Pine Manor end of the field for most of the half.

Iced the Lead

Midway through the second half, Radcliffe forward Karen Linsley iced the game for the home team. Linsley, Radcliffe's most consistent and valuable performer, scored the Crimson's third goal after a flurry of Radcliffe shots had been turned aside. This score was a tribute to the constant offensive pressure which Radcliffe had applied throughout the game.

Radcliffe's three-goal output was easily the stickwomen's best offensive showing this fall. Previously, they had scored just eight times in ten games.

"Entering last week's games against Wellesley and Princeton," O'Connor said yesterday, "we had a record of one goal a game. Then we were shut out twice. Today, though, we're breaking all these records."

For one of the few times this season, Radcliffe played as a team. But O'Connor picked out left halfback Diana Finch as particularly outstanding. "She's been coming to every practice, and she really cares," the coach said.

Hustling

Not only did the team function as a cohesive unit, but, as O'Connor said, they discovered that "hustling really works." "I think that the players have tried much harder since the Northeastern Conference tournament a few weeks ago," O'Connor said, and today's victory was the culmination of a few good efforts over the past couple of weeks. Also, it's a matter of pride. You can just lose so much."

Radcliffe now has one game remaining on its schedule, an encounter with Yale a week from tomorrow in Cambridge. The Elis are undefeated in regular season competition, although they did suffer one loss, to the University of New Hampshire, in the Northeastern Conference.

While the rest of the team prepares for Yale, Karen Linsley will compete this weekend in the Northeast College tournament in Albany, N.Y. As Radcliffe's lone representative in the all-star tourney, Linsley will attempt to make an impressive showing to gain a position on the first team.