Last weekend was unideal for the UConn women’s field hockey team, finishing 0-2 with little offensive firepower and scoring only two goals all weekend. Connecticut’s past series was also unique in the sense that they played their first game at home and the second on the road, as their norm had been either all on the road or at home. Now, the Huskies will be out looking for revenge, and they have an opportunity this weekend to upset some very talented opponents. On Friday, they will travel to Lynchburg, Virginia, to face the red-hot No. 6 Liberty University, a team that has dominated their competition this year with an excellent 14-1 record to show for it. On Sunday, the Huskies visit No. 3 Duke University. Ultimately, winning either of these games will be an enormous task. However, if we’ve learned anything about Paul Caddy’s squad, it’s that they come in with a winning attitude and they do not care who their opponent is.
Interestingly enough, the only team to upset Liberty this year is the Duke Blue Devils; other than that, they have been perfect, boasting a nine-game winning streak. Like the Huskies, the Flames have had a challenging schedule with the only difference being that they have been on the winning side of things. They have beat some of the top teams in the country, including the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, who were No. 1 at the time. It’s easy to look at UConn’s 5-10 record and Liberty’s nearly undefeated record and call these games decided before kickoff, however, there are ways that the underdogs can pull off the victory. Like Connecticut, Liberty has had many close calls this year, including some opponents that UConn has faced. On Oct. 13, the Flames traveled to Hamden, Connecticut, to visit Quinnipiac University, a contest Liberty expected to win big in; however, that wasn’t the case. Liberty’s offense never got its flame, failing to convert on many scoring opportunities and only pulled out a 2-1 victory. The Connecticut defense has kept them competitive all year long, and if they stick to this sentiment, they can compete with anyone on any given day.
The Huskies matchup on Sunday will be just as hard as they face No.1 Duke. The Blue Devils have played well this year, owning a 13-2 record, however, they have had their moments where they’ve struggled. Their last matchup, against No. 8 Virginia, was close the entire game, as it took two overtime periods to settle, with the Blue Devils narrowly losing 2-1. Conversely, Duke’s offense has been too much for their opponents at times, most notably against Longwood University, whom they destroyed 9-0. Depending on what version of these teams we see this Sunday will determine the outcome of this fixture. If Connecticut contains the high-powered Duke offense, all bets are off. Nearly every loss this season has been within a goal, meaning the Huskies have been right there in it.
Undoubtedly, this weekend is a daunting task for UConn. It has been a season to forget for Caddy and Co., however, pulling off a massive win on the road against a top– 10 opponent is enormous for this team. A win this weekend serves as a confidence booster for this young squad. It also shows the rest of the Big East conference that Connecticut field hockey is here to stay. They can potentially shock the collegiate field hockey world this weekend; they just need to play their game.