Field Hockey Must Rally Against Yale

Today's women's field hockey game against Yale is not just another game for the Crimson. This game is huge, and that's the only way to put it.

Coming off of Tuesday's disappointing loss to William and Mary, the Crimson (1-1 Ivy, 3-6 overall) is ready to put together a solid performance against the scrappy Bulldogs.

Against the Tribe, the Crimson put together some of its best moments during the first few minutes of the game, yet the team was ultimately unable to sustain its high level of play. With a huge defensive breakdown and a lack of communication, the Crimson was not able to succumb to its opposition.

"Our loss against William and Mary was difficult," sophomore Daphne Clark said. "They weren't a better team than we were. We need to prove to ourselves that we can do better."

Good news for the Crimson: today's game versus the Bulldogs provides just that opportunity. Both Harvard and Yale have had similar seasons--the two teams sit fourth and fifth on the Ivy League standings, respectively.

"Yale is pretty comparable to our own team," sophomore Megan Murray said. "They have also had some ups and downs. It should be a very competitive game."

After beginning the season with three tough losses, the Crimson appeared to be rejuvenated when they had a great victory against Cornell in its Ivy opener.

But Harvard has lost its last two games, and in order to turn its season around, the Crimson need a good showing against the Bulldogs.

The women discovered their deficiencies the hard way against William and Mary. But the important thing is that they are now aware of what they can not do against Yale; the team defense needs desperately to come together, and the offense needs to be prepared to step in and put the ball in the net when the time is right.

"We have to score," sophomore Megan Murray said. "We need an offensive boost. They are going to come right after us from the beginning."

One of the keys to forestalling an early Yale surge could be overcoming the injury to junior forward Maureen O'Brien.

It's been a tough last few weeks for O'Brien, having re-aggravated an ankle injury suffered against Boston University in the William and Mary game. She is taking today off to rest up for the key Ivy game against Princeton next weekend.

But today's game could determine what is ahead for the Crimson, for another loss would take the Crimson out of NCAA contention and put a big damper on the rest of the season.

Yet a lot of the Crimson players feel that if they play with the desire and focus that they had earlier in the season, they will have a great chance to break down the Bulldogs--and, more importantly, regain the confidence which has been broken so many times this season.

"If we don't win tomorrow, we have no shot at NCAAs," freshman Jen Bowdoin said. "If we have a good game we can get back on track."