Field Hockey Ends Season with Shocking Loss

Author: Emily Berlanstein Staff Writer

In a league as competitive as the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), any team has the potential emerge victorious on a given day, regardless of its regular season record. Unfortunately for the Panthers, Saturday was simply not their day. Amherst, on the other hand, was on fire, opening scoring midway through the first half. Jeffs forward Jenna Obelsky rushed for a rebound and dished it to teammate Marcy Busch, who narrowly tipped it past keeper Molly Fitzgerald '04.

Although the Panthers were very much in the game in the second half, Amherst goalie Beth Sensing was impervious, rejecting a well-placed drive by Missy Krempa '04 from point-blank range. On the other end of the field, Abby Ouimet intercepted a Panther free hit in the midfield and cunningly found the net with a drive from the top of the circle. To cap off the win for the Jeffs, Christine Ryan scored again off of a penalty corner with 6:39 remaining.

First-year starter Ashley Pullen called the semifinal "any team's worst nightmare." Simply put, the Jeffs were hot and the Panthers were not. Without leading scorer Char Glessner '03.5, who was unable to compete due to injury, the Panthers were forced to adjust their lineup significantly.

Many of the team's offensive-minded players found themselves having to recover and play defensively, hindering their offensive momentum.

The dichotomy between Middlebury and Amherst was a direct result of their home fields. The Panthers take pride in their exciting, fast-paced, spread out style, in which the ball is quickly transitioned from one end of the field to the other, a strategy that is best executed on turf. The Jeffs, who are accustomed to competing on grass, play a tightly knit, short passing game.

Unfortunately, Amherst's tactic of closing in on the Panthers and making it impossible for them to break the pressure worked to the Jeff's advantage.

The Jeffs appeared quite well prepared for the game, while the Panthers were still struggling to adjust to the line-up alterations, which, unfortunately, were beyond their control. Amherst was precise and sharp in their movements, working as a unit on offense and filling gaps and passing lanes on defense.

The Panther's entire system was impeded by their inability to penetrate the close defense and send accurate transition balls to the offense.

Although this sudden ending was a shock to the Panthers, they are still incredibly proud to be NESCAC regular season champions. This title was particularly remarkable because, in many ways, this was a learning year.

With a new coach and a new system, the Panthers were unsure of what to expect. Credit must be given to Coach Katharine DeLorenzo and her staff (Lacey French, Gene DeLorenzo and Missy Hopkins), who were responsible for bringing out the best in their players and forcing them to adjust to a unique style of play via cooperation and teamwork. The most credit, however, must be atrributed to this talented group of athletes who dedicated themselves to DeLorenzo's challenge and successfully readjusted their game.

Undoubtedly, this season's captains were the motivation behind the Panthers perseverance and enthusiasm. Seniors Julia Bergofsky, Anna Hastings and Billie Goldman were incredible leaders both on and off the field. They truly earned their title of "captain" by acting as positive role models, intense leaders, hard workers and considerate friends.

While great in spirit, they are small in number, so next year's team will certainly be a force to be reckoned with. The future of Middlebury field hockey is bright; look for NESCAC domination to continue in the 2002 season.