With another match comes another ranked opponent for the UConn field hockey team to take on. Though they’ve dropped rank, dipping from No. 10 to No. 11 in the weekly National Field Hockey Coaches Association rankings, they still boast impressive wins, and are perhaps playing up to their closest competition. Matter of fact, as of late, rank seems to just be a number to the Huskies, as they’ve won two of their three matches against ranked opponents. That doesn’t mean the top-25 teams will stop coming though; this Friday at 1 p.m., the Huskies take on No. 14 Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, continuing their long stretch of road games.
UConn comes into the match feeling good about themselves. They’ve been on quite the tear this season, beating three ranked opponents out of four, while the only loss was a heartbreaker in overtime. They’ve boasted very good play in goal from Cheyenne Sprecher, whose lone less-than-stellar performance was nullified by a furious last-minute comeback by the Husky offensive attack. Speaking of that offense, they’ve been a relatively high-scoring squad, only getting shut out once while averaging two goals a game. The attack has been led by McKenna Sergi, Frances Carstens and Claire Jandewerth, who’ve combined to provide a huge boost to an already very good attack. The defense has also been effective, showing that when they need to get it done, they do, and make it look good while doing it. With how talented they are, they’ll be looking to make this their fourth win in a row.
Old Dominion has had a similarly good start to the season. As of now, they hold a 5-1 overall record, giving some weight to their No. 14 rank. While they have not played a game within their conference, they do have an impressive 3-1 away record and a respectable 2-0 record on their home turf. Their most recent meeting was against Richmond University, where they won 2-1, overcoming an early goal from the Spiders to put up two consecutive scores. Though the Monarchs have not had quite as grueling a schedule as the Huskies, they’ve still taken two ranked opponents in then-No. 14 Boston College and previously No. 21 American University, where they won 2-1 and 3-2, respectively. So, suffice to say, they will still provide quite the challenge for UConn.
In any case, this is bound to be another good match, and will only strengthen the Huskies as they continue running the gauntlet of top teams. Should they win, there’s a distinct possibility they’ll get the full recognition they deserve in the form of a top-8 spot.
