Rams hopeful to resurrect season after loss to W&M
No amount of zeal could help VCU’s struggling field hockey team in their Colonial Athletic Association opener Sunday, as they dropped a 4-2 loss to the Tribe of William & Mary.
The loss, their seventh straight, followed a 7-0 slaughter Friday at the hands of University of Richmond.
No amount of zeal could help VCU’s struggling field hockey team in their Colonial Athletic Association opener Sunday, as they dropped a 4-2 loss to the Tribe of William & Mary.
The loss, their seventh straight, followed a 7-0 slaughter Friday at the hands of University of Richmond.
Despite the team’s run of tough outings recently, the more than 300 fans at Cary Street Field saw moments of strength and poise that could signal the beginning of a salvaged season.
“We need to keep building up the defense and work on defensive tackling,” head coach Shelly Behrens said.
The Rams’ first score came early in the second half when sophomore Nikki Lloyd (Kent, England) assisted on the first of two goals from junior Jenna Harris (Aurora, Colo.), cutting the Tribe’s lead to 2-1. The near flawless pass to Harris was easily placed behind goalkeeper Gwen Hunter.
The Tribe was able to score another goal by sneaking a penalty shot from the corner past junior goalkeeper Brittany LoVullo (Williamsville, N.Y.) to make it 3-1.
VCU quickly responded with a one-two Lloyd-Harris punch, marking Lloyd’s second assist of the game and her fourth of the year. It was Harris’s fifth goal of the season.
Though the Rams struggled, the encouraging bench chatter never stopped. Particularly notable were the shouts from Suffolk native Ashley Aston.
“Don’t let up now. Be aggressive now,” she yelled throughout the game. “Be tough, Rams. Don’t let up!”
The Tribe scored late in the second half putting the game out of reach with 4 minutes, 14 seconds remaining. It was their seventh win of the season.
“We need better discipline,” Behrens said. “We made some errors. When we had a chance to score we made mistakes and weren’t able to do so.
“We’re a better team than the results suggest. In our crazy conference-if George Mason can make it to the Final Four-anything can happen.”
The Rams return to the pitch Friday in Newark, Del., to play the Blue Hens of the University of Delaware in their second CAA match of the season.