Field Hockey Earns Regional, Ivy Honors

As All-Ivy and Regional All-American selections were announced in the past week, the Harvard field hockey team has reason to celebrate, as several Crimson players were honored on both rosters.

Harvard (11-6, 5-2 Ivy) finished its season with a 3-0 win against Penn on November 5. With an NCAA berth the goal of the season, Harvard did not participate in the ECAC championships over the weekend, which host Dartmouth won.

"I was definitely of the mind to think that if we're not going to be at the natioanl tournament, then so be it," said sophomore goaltender Katie Zacarian. "It would be the end of the season."

At the season's end, the Crimson shared second place in the Ivy League with Dartmouth.

Princeton won its eighth straight Ivy League title, as well as a coveted NCAA berth. At the close of the 2001 season, the Tigers are 52-1 against Ivy League opponents.

Princeton junior Ilvy Friebe was the unanimous choice as the Ivy League Player of the Year, as she broke league records in goals and points in a season. Friebe finished the regular season with 29 goals and 69 points. Friebe is also a Mid-Atlantic Regional First Team All-American.

Harvard was well-represented in the Northeast and the Ivy, with sophomore Jen Ahn and junior Katie Scott winning Northeast Regional First Team All-American honors, as well as First Team All-Ivy accolades. Ahn's selection to the All-Ivy ranks was unanimous.

"Jen [Ahn] is such a strong athlete both mentally and physically," Zacarian said. "She has a great presence on the field and she's made a lot of great improvements. A lot more was demandedof her this season [than in the past]."

Ahn played a pivotal role in the Crimson midfield, gaining composure under pressure in both ends of the field.

"[Ahn] put everything together," Scott said. "She generated attack and came back on defense. Her role is very much that of a distributor, which is crucial in field hockey."

Ahn finished the season tied for the team lead in assists with five.

Scott earned her second straight First Team selection to the All-Ivy and Northeast honor rolls with her vital role in the Crimson defense. Scott remained a consistently strong presence in a backfield that finished eighth in the nation in goals allowed per game (1.46).

"Having [Scott] in front of me is very reassuring," Zacarian said. "She's like a brick wall half the time. She's been very aggressive this season, with some great break-out plays. She's very consistent. On defense, you don't necessarily do anything wildly fancy. Being solid all the time is the best thing you can say about a defender."

Zacarian had a a lot to do with the Crimson's defensive success this year. Zacarian was recognized as a Northeast Regional Second Team All-American for the second year in a row and also earned an Ivy Honorable Mention. She finished the season with a 1.47 goals against average and six shutouts, and her .806 save percentage was ranked fourteenth in the nation.

On the other end of the field, forward Gambale received Honorable Mention All-Ivy accolades. Gambale's speed and presence in the circle made her a valuable asset to the Crimson affense. Gambale tied for the team lead with 18 points from eight goals and two assists.

"You know when she's in the game because there's this spark," Zacarian said. "She has such speed. It's great to see her buzz down the field and burn people over and over again."

Freshman Shelley Maasdorp's outstanding rookie performance was recognized, as she was a Second team All-Ivy selection. Maasdorp played an integral role for the Crimson both in the midfield and on offense. She tied Ahn for the team lead in assists with five.

"[Maasdorp] has a very unique style which is exciting and fun to watch," Zacarian said. "It seems like her stick is an extension of her body, like another arm. She has such great control of the ball and her experience with the game is so apparent. It's really great to see that intelligence on the field., that player's intelligence you can really only get with experience."

While the seniors of the 2001 team will be missed on and off of the field, the potential of the team in 2002 is foretold as all of Harvard's Northeast and All-Ivy representatives are underclassmen.

"We ended the season with a great win against Penn," Scott said. "I feel like it was a good ending point for us, so hopefully, next year, we can build on what we have."