The Tigers attempt to score in a conference matchup against
Denison University on Oct. 12. They won 4-0.
ABBY MARGULIS / THE DEPAUW
Four games and four dominating performances later, DePauw’s field hockey team moved to 15-2 in the season with just one game left before the first round of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament.
Preparing for a week of games, the Tigers knew each team would be tough and that they would be challenged. After playing each team earlier in the season the Tigers knew how they needed to play to defeat the others.
“We were able to keep the intensity up throughout the four games because of the work we put in at practice,” senior defender Kylie Maloney said. “Leading up to the four games, we worked extensively to correct the mistakes we made when playing these teams the first time.”
In the Tigers first match against Oberlin College the team came out hot scoring five goals within the first fifteen minutes and ended with a final score 9-1.
Traveling to Wooster, Ohio next to face The College of Wooster, the Tigers once again hit the field strong. Senior Maggie Campbell and juniors Grace Goodbarn and Natalie Abbot scored three goals. Outshooting the Wooster Fighting Scots 16-1 first-year Sarah Guendert picked up the win in goal for DePauw.
The Tigers strong passing and ball handling skills helped lead the team to each win last week. Facing Earlham College the passing sequences the women strung together is what helped them get the win.
Ending with a final score of 6-0, DePauw dominated offensively with 33 shots on goal while Earlham never had the chance to get a shot on goalie Guendert. Senior Kate Jovanovic opened up the scoring on an assist from Goodbarn in the 15th minute. Three minutes later Henry fired a second shot. The team kept working hard in the second half sending in four more goals to walk away with the win.
Guendert walked off the field grinning recording her first collegiate shutout.
“It felt fantastic,” she said. “But it felt even better knowing that our defense denied Earlham of having even one shot or penalty corner.”
In the Tiger’s final game last week they faced Ohio Wesleyan University winning, 3-1.
“We played a fast-pace game against Ohio Wesleyan that tested us in the middle of the field,” Maloney said.
The team will travel to Wittenberg University to play in its final regular season game on Nov. 1.
Head coach Gina Preston says it’s been nice to have a whole week of practice to prepare for Wittenberg’s game.
“We’ve been fine tuning this week,” she said. “We’re making sure we’re sharp and everything is ready to go. We’re working on the small pieces on offense and defense so that we hit that flow going into conference.”
In practice this past week the team agrees that they have been pushing themselves so they can give their best tomorrow and the upcoming week.
“We want to set the tone moving forward into the conference tournament,” Maloney said. “We are focusing on high-intensity play and precision. It’s correcting the little things that will allow us to be successful.”
Going into the game on Saturday the team is specifically focusing on perfecting its play for the first round of the NCAC tournament, which will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 5 against Denison University. The team is seeded second and will host Denison.
Preston said “We want to be as close to ready on Saturday to move into post season play.”