It’s no secret that the UConn field hockey team’s season has been less than ideal. Coming into the weekend, Connecticut owned a 5-8 record, with five of their losses coming within one goal and two coming in overtime. The story of the campaign has been full of close finishes ending in defeat, and their fixture against Providence was no different.
Up until this point, we have typically seen either a two-game homestand or a two-game road trip. On Friday, however, Connecticut hosted their Big East rivals Providence and on Sunday, traveled out to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to face Boston College.
In UConn’s Friday afternoon showing, it was immediately apparent that this match was set to be a defensive clinic. Both sides had stretches this year where they failed to generate significant scoring, and neither side managed to get more than five shots off in any quarter on Friday. As expected, due to the lack of offense, most of the game was played at midfield.
Despite the game’s snail pace, Connecticut entered the second quarter with new life. It took Sol Simone only one minute to draw first blood on a nice shot that Providence’s goalkeeper had no chance of saving. Simone’s scoring seemed to awaken the Friars’ offense, though, as they began to push the pace and put pressure on the Huskies’ defense. Their efforts were rewarded with three penalty corners. One bright spot for Connecticut in this contest and all season long has been the defense and goalkeeping of Natalie McKenna. McKenna and the defense held on, thwarting all three of Providence’s attempts in the second. The half ended 1-0.
While the Friars’ first-half offensive barrage yielded no scores, it was evident that one was coming, as it took less than 10 minutes into the third for Eléonore de Keyser to find the back of the cage, assisted by Florencia Talarico. The rest of the third and fourth quarters remained scoreless and the game went to overtime. The Huskies primarily dominated the overtime period, accumulating four penalty corners and outshooting Providence 6-2. None of the Huskies’ tries were good enough, and the Friars forced a second overtime period, winning after a fast break goal by Talarico.
After Friday’s heartbreaking defeat, UConn traveled to Beantown to face No. 12 Boston College with hopes for better luck. The Huskies started their Sunday afternoon well, shutting out the Eagles in the first quarter, though their offense was nowhere to be found. Connecticut also held Boston College out of their offensive zone during the opening frame, dictating this game at midfield.
The second quarter was just as close as the first, leaving both teams deadlocked. However, Boston College forward Margo Carlin took over the game. Carlin scored early in the second quarter and notched her second goal in the third. Carlin’s day was far from over, as less than five minutes later, she found Elisa Brauel-Jahnke to give Boston College the 3-0 lead in a deficit the Huskies had no chance of overcoming. Despite losing big, Connecticut didn’t stop fighting, as Simone scored her second goal of the weekend to put her team on the board. Boston College scored one more goal in the fourth for good measure, and UConn lost 4-1.
This has been a season to forget for Connecticut field hockey fans, as their poor performance this weekend eliminates them from a Big East title. Despite their tough season, this team has continued to fight no matter the score, made evident by Simone’s goal on Sunday. While their 5-10 record doesn’t indicate it, the UConn women have played competitive field hockey all season long. Unfortunately for UConn, their most brutal stretch is coming up, as they face No. 7 Liberty and No. 2 Duke in two of their final three games. If the Huskies can pull out a win here, this would not only be a massive confidence booster as they look into next season, but it would undoubtedly serve as a reminder to all teams in the conference that UConn could be dangerous come Big East tournament time.