Weekend Sports Roundup

"It was depressing," field hockey co-captain Mary Howard, star player Sarah Mleczko and coach Debi Field all said Sunday about Friday's 2-1 overtime loss to Cornell in Cortland, New York which knocked them out of next week's Eastern Championship tournament.

The stickwomen's spirits were lifted, however, when they came back Saturday to beat Cortland State 3-2 in overtime again in the consolation round.

Seeded sixth, the Crimson's first-round opponent was Cornell, whom it had destroyed, 3-0, in regular season play.

Harvard had possession of the ball through most of the first half but couldn't get on the scoreboard, leaving a blank halftime score.

Cornell took the initiative 15 minutes into the second half, as the Big Red's right wing knocked in a rebound off Crimson goalie Ellen Seidler's pads.

Two and a half minutes later, Sarah Mleczko whacked a pass from freshman Sarah LeBlond into Cornell's net, tying the score at one a peice and sending the game into overtime.

Six minutes into the seven-and-a-half-minute overtime, Cornell's left halfback sent a bullet from the top of the circle, killing Harvard's chances of going to the Nationals.

"We were flat," coach Field said. "We did not come out psyched to the best of our potential," she added.

Happy Endings

In the consolation game against Cortland State, Sarah Mleczko scored once in the first half and again in the second half to match the two goals notched by Cortland in the first half. Again, the Crimson entered overtime, but this time the outcome was joyous.

At 1:09 in the extra play, left winger Sue Field rushed a pass from Annie Velie into Cortland's net, putting Harvard on top 2-1.

"The Cortland win was a moral victory, but it didn't mean anything" Mleczko said.