After 27 attempts to score in the first half against the Earlham College Quakers the Tigers mixed up their play and finally put five shots away in second half to win by a final score of 5-0. The 15th-ranked DePauw field hockey team improved to an overall record, 8-1, and 4-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.
“We had a lot of shots in the first half but we realized with a team that plays such condensed defense that we were going to have a break out on offense, work the ball around the back of the field and then shoot behind the goalie,” junior Colleen Conway said. “The second half of the game our offense cut to the ball, moved on angles and eventually got the 5-0 win we wanted.”
In the first half the Tigers pushed forward on the Quaker’s defense but were stopped time and time again.
“Earlham did a great job of pressuring and crowding our space, so when were able to move past them as a unit our team was successful,” senior Maggie Campbell said.
Campbell scored the first goal in the 37th minute of the game and added three more assists. Seniors Kate Jovanovic put in one followed by a pair from Paige Henry. Conway took a penalty stroke to round out the score to 5-0 in the last leg of the match.
By the end, the Tigers made 50 attempts on goal while both goalies senior Maggie Steele and first-freshman Sarah Guendert split time in goal. Earlham had three attempted shots on goal, however, neither DePauw goalie had to make a save.
The women worked hard throughout the duration of the match to come out on top in the end, but it wasn’t until the second half when the team came out with a new strategy that helped them achieve their goal.
“Earlham did a great job of keeping their sticks down in their defensive circle and pressuring our offense,” Campbell said. “It was also really crowded, so we needed to find a way to create space for ourselves. During halftime we focused a lot on how to make more happen on offense. The biggest change we implemented in the second half was offensive movement, which means making two part cuts and getting open for our teammates.”
The second half truly was the Tigers time to shine and coming away with another win the team will take the next two days to work on improving their success.
“Moving forward into the season that we can continue to work on things and we can successfully take the things we learn in practice and apply them to the field,” first-year defender Maddy Burds said.
The women will face Ohio Wesleyan University this Saturday at 4 p.m. Returning to the field the women will be focusing on offensive movement and spacing. They are looking to create multiple passing options in their offensive 25, Campbell said.
“We are so excited to be playing at home this weekend,” Campbell said. “It will be the first time ever, since I've been on the team, that we get to play at home for family weekend, so were hoping for a lot of great energy and a great win.”