UConn junior midfielder Olivia Bolles runs upfield during the Huskies’ game against Boston University at the Sherman Family Sports Complex in Storrs, Connecticut on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015. (Jason Jiang/The Daily Campus)
UConn’s field hockey team welcomed two top-20 ranked teams to the George J Sherman Family sports complex this weekend.
UConn and Old Dominion battled during a hard fought UConn 1-0 win on Saturday before Boston University fell 5-0 on Sunday.
Games that have made UConn sweat have been few and far between this season. After taking Drexel and Temple by storm last weekend, the Huskies were pushed to the limit by Big East rival, Old Dominion on Saturday.
Head coach Nancy Stevens believes that’s a positive in the long run.
“We told the team before the game that we need Old Dominion to be outstanding today,” Stevens said. “Cause that’s going to make us better. It may end up deciding the regular season champion so we knew how important this game was for our program.”
Old Dominion put in a great defensive effort and was able to stymie a lot of UConn’s goal scoring opportunities.
One goal was all the Huskies needed however, and it came from freshman Amelia Lacobucci provided it at the 21:33 mark.
Anna Middendorf unleashed a shot that rebounded off the goalpost and landed right at the feet of Lacobucci who easily collected it for the seventh goal of her freshman campaign.
Goaltender Nina Klein made three saves for her seventh shutout of the year.
“We only gave up two corners but those are always great scoring opportunities for the opposition so our corner defense was very sound,” Stevens said. “[Klein] wasn’t called upon to do to much but when she was there for us.”
Sunday’s game against BU was less nerve wracking, as UConn seemed to dictate the game from the opening faceoff.
Roisin Upton scored off a penalty corner attempt just a few moments into the first half and assisted on another penalty corner attempt by Casey Umstead a few minutes later to give the Huskies a quick 2-0 lead.
The Huskies’ defense provided another shutout performance and limited the Terriers to only six shots, all of which came in the second half.
Umstead was the driver of UConn’s offense as she posted the third hat trick of her career.
The successful weekend homestead gives UConn 29 straight victories going back to last year and seven straight shut outs.
Despite the streak, UConn has seen their number one ranking spot overtaken by Syracuse.
“The only poll that matters is the final poll where you are a national champion,” said Stevens. “To be honest there’s probably a little more pressure going into the NCAA Tournament as number 1 seed… We just don’t focus on the polls at all.”
UConn is in the homestretch of the regular season with just four games remaining. That number will be cut in half after next weekend as UConn heads to Providence on Friday before coming back to Storrs to take on Princeton.
Bryan Lambert is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at bryan.lambert@uconn.edu.
