Field hockey secures share of third place with win over Harvard

Any doubt that the Columbia field hockey team would bounce back from last weekend’s two losses disappeared 38 seconds into Friday’s match against Harvard.

Striking with an early goal and relying on strong defense, the Lions (9-8, 5-2 Ivy) defeated the Harvard Crimson 3-0 in their last game of the season to tie for third place in the league.

Senior forward Adriana de Vries led the charge for the Light Blue in her last game as a Lion, scoring on a diving effort less than a minute after the starting whistle and later assisting sophomore forward Liz Malone’s 12th-minute goal.

“As a senior, to finish her last game with a goal and an assist says a wonderful thing about her character,” head coach Marybeth Freeman said.

After setting the tone with their two early goals, the Lions maintained control for the rest of the game, outshooting Harvard 12-7.

Despite junior goalkeeper Cynthia Tassopoulos’ six saves, the Crimson could not check Columbia’s offense, as sophomore forward Anna Tichy extended the Lions’ lead to 3-0 in the 54th minute with an unassisted goal off a rebound.

Harvard had a few scoring opportunities throughout the 70 minutes, but thanks to the Light Blue’s junior back Bridget DeSandis and junior keeper Christie O’Hara, the defense was impenetrable.

“We came through with some big stops,” said Freeman. “The whole backline was excellent, but it was highlighted by Bridget’s consistency and her poise.”

For DeSandis, defeating Harvard was about more than just coming back from last weekend’s losses.

“With the seniors having their last game, we really wanted to come out and get the win,” she said. “Emotions were running high before the game, so I’m glad we were able to do it for them.”

De Vries and the other four seniors—forward Carson Christus, midfielder Leti Freaney, midfielder/forward Maggie O’Connor, and back Desi Scherf—were integral to creating one of Columbia’s most successful seasons in recent years.

The Lions finished in a tie for third place with Dartmouth, just one win behind Yale and Princeton, the co-champions of the league.

Though the team was disappointed that it did not place first, Freeman was proud of the progress the players made and the potential they bring for next season.

Despite losing its seniors, Columbia will return O’Hara, who had a career-high 120 saves this season and junior forward Gabby Kozlowski, who led the team with 10 goals.

“We have the expectations and the groundwork for how we want the program portrayed, and we’re going to build off what we’ve done this year,” Freeman said.