Field Hockey Road Trip Represents Challenge, Homecoming

The Harvard field hockey team faces a challenging road trip as it travels to Ann Arbor, Mich. to take on nationally-ranked Michigan State and Michigan this weekend.

Riding a three-game winning streak, Harvard (4-2, 2-0 Ivy) has not seen game action since last Saturday when it pulled out a 3-2 victory against Yale in the final minutes.

This weekend also marks a homecoming for three Harvard players. Seniors Katie Turck and Eliza Dick and sophomore Diana Bowen all played at Pioneer High in Ann Arbor, which won three consecutive state championships during their cumulative careers. Dick scored the game-winning goal against UMass and added another against Yale.

“I’m definitely excited to go home, but I know that we’re going to have to stay focused and not get carried away with being in our home town,” Dick said. “It’s like any other game, and we’ve got to stay in the present and keep our minds on the task at hand.”

The non-conference play will test Harvard’s standing on a national level. Michigan is ranked third in the nation, and the Spartans are ranked seventh.

“It’s a great matchup,” said Harvard Coach Sue Caples. “If we play better teams, we’re going to play better. They’re not going to corner us and make us look stupid.”

The cross-state rivals faced each other last night, with Michigan State winning, 2-1 in overtime. With the win, Michigan State extended its current winning streak to five games, largely by scoring in bunches.

van Haeringen was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for her three goals and one assist last week. She scored the game-winning goal against Penn State on Sept. 28 in double overtime and two goals in a 5-3 win against Cornell on Sept. 30.

Senior forward Bridget Cooper leads the Spartan offense, having scored nine goals already this year. Seeing most of the action at goalkeeper is sophomore Lauren Hess, who has allowed only 1.27 goals per game with a .696 saves average.

Before last night’s loss, Michigan dominated its opposition during a five-game winning streak of its own, allowing an average of 0.4 goals per game while scoring 5.2. Sophomore back Stephanie Johnson has been red-hot—leading the Wolverines with eight goals on the season—while the defense had held its opponents to 4.7 shots per game.

This weekend marks the first meetings ever between Harvard and both Michigan and Michigan State.

Harvard enters the weekend in high spirits, looking to lengthen its three-game winning streak that includes the first win against U Mass in 17 years and a 3-2 victory against Yale. The Crimson is unfazed by the caliber of competition.

“We’re ready,” Caples said. “We have three kids from Michigan and they’re awfully excited to come home. All the parents and all the folks out there have been prepared for over a year.”

Sophomore forward Mina Pell has been the Crimson’s top offensive threat this season, having scored a team-high four goals, including two game-winners. The offense has been well-balanced this past week, with seven goals distributed over six players.

The Crimson goalkeeping has been tended to by sophomore Katie Zacarian, who has allowed an average of 1.67 goals per game with a .773 saves average. She has played every minute this season, posting a 4-2 record

Keeping their eyes on their ultimate goal of winning the Ivies and earning an NCAA berth, Harvard remains mindful of the big picture.

“We’re really excited to compete with such good teams and its going to be tough, but we have to stay intense and play our game and keep our fundatmentals sound,” Dick said. “We’ve got to stay focused.”

Harvard faces Michigan State on Saturday at 1pm, and Michigan on Sunday at 1pm.