Sports
Field hockey scores big victories against NESCAC powerhouses
By Erich Wohl ’17
October 20, 2016
Tags sports
Field Hockey continues to dominate, winning three consecutive games against nationally ranked opponents. Last week, the women defeated NESCAC powerhouses #10 Amherst, #19 Williams and #2 Bowdoin. They are off to an 8-4 start to the season and look primed for a deep playoff run. The Continentals are currently second of 12 teams in the NESCAC by virtue of their 6-3 conference record.
The Continentals started their winning streak with an overtime thriller against Amherst. The game was a back and forth contest with five lead changes. Hamilton stars Eva Rosencrans ’17 and Michaela Giuttari ’20 each scored critical goals. Rosencrans’ goal gives her the highest goal total of any field hockey player in the history of Hamilton College. In a chaotic final minute of regulation, Amherst managed to tie the score with less than one second left on the clock. Despite the last minute goal, the Continentals kept their composure and dominated the overtime period with relentless offense. They had four shots in the first six minutes including the game winner from Tatiana Bradley ‘19. The win would be the women’s second win over a top ten nationally ranked opponent on the season and their first win against Amherst since 2011.
Three days later, the Continentals came back to defeat #19 nationally ranked Williams college in convincing fashion. Rosencrans further solidified her standing as the greatest goal scorer in Hamilton history with two more goals against Williams. Margaret Revera ’18 scored to make it 3-0, putting an exclamation point on the win with ten minutes to go. The Ephs were shutout for the first time all year with Julia Booth ’19 making a season-high ten saves in the contest. It was Booth’s second shutout this year and the fourth of her career.
Riding momentum from two consecutive wins against nationally ranked opponents, the Continentals put on a show for their home crowd by dethroning #2 in the country Bowdoin. The first score of the game came from Rosencrans, but the Polar Bears managed to tie the game in the second half. Bradley again came up clutch for the Continentals scoring the game winning goal five minutes into overtime. The win is one of the biggest in Hamilton college history and the first win ever against Bowdoin.
Following the huge winning streak, the Continentals clinch a berth in the NESCAC playoffs and are likely to finish with a home playoff game. The Continentals are the only team in all of DIII field hockey to have defeated three top ten nationally ranked opponents this season (#2 Bowdoin, #3 Middlebury, #10 Amherst). Rosencrans has a team-leading 12 goals this season. Rosencrans commented, “Our season has been absolutely incredible so far this year. Our team is so close, and I am honored to be a part of such a great group of girls. Everyone plays with so much heart and dedication, and I can’t wait to see what we do in the next few weeks.” The Continentals moved into the national rankings at #18; this is the first time in program history the team has been nationally ranked. The Continentals look to ride their momentum as they have the final NESCAC game of the regular season against the Colby Mules this Saturday.