I played field hockey for six years. Today I put my knowledge of the game to the test. 

Some of my fondest memories in high school were at my field hockey games, cheering on my teammates from the sidelines (I was not good). When I heard that Columbia’s team was having a game, and that it was their senior night, I had to be there, no matter the weather or the distance. 

I was so excited that I got to the stadium 20 minutes early, only to find out that the game had been delayed 40 minutes, likely due to the weather. Thankfully, I was able to take shelter in the athletic building. My anticipation only continued to build.

Despite the unfortunate meteorological conditions, the game had a pretty good turnout. Families and friends gathered to cheer on the team and to celebrate the seniors, Maya Walker, Kennedy Sholeen, and Anabelle Brodeur. The announcers read the seniors names as the people next to me boasted their giant cardboard cutouts of the seniors’ faces. 

First quarter: 

Columbia dominates in the first few minutes of the game, only for Yale to quickly take over and make a shot at goal at the 12 minute mark. The rest of the quarter follows this theme, with Columbia controlling the game for most of the time, with few exceptions for when Yale takes over. 

A Columbia player gets called for something, the ball gets passed over to Yale and—uh oh! The crowd is mad at the refs for a call that they should/shouldn’t have made. 

Halfway through the quarter, a short corner is called for Columbia. A short corner is given to the offensive team when a penalty is called in the defensive team’s circle. In field hockey, short corners are viewed as a good opportunity to score. 

As soon as the corner is called, as if on cue, it starts downpouring. It’s as if the universe is trying to test the strengths of the Columbia and Yale field hockey teams.  

I expected the game to look different from my experiences in middle and high school, but nothing could have prepared me for just how drastically different college field hockey is. This game barely resembles the clumped-together, disjointed game I was familiar with. It was so different that I found myself asking in the first quarter: am I even qualified to cover this game? I guess we’ll see. 

By the end of the first quarter, no goals had been scored. 

Second quarter: 

This was the most thrilling quarter to watch. Yale dominates in the beginning. They attempted about three shots on goal, and they had about two short corners throughout the quarter. The Lions, though, quickly regained control of the game after Yale’s early domination. Columbia attempted about three shots on goal and one got short corner. One of Columbia’s attempted goals hit against the top of the goalpost, eliciting a gasp from the crowd. However, by the end of the second quarter, no goals had been scored. 

At this point, the rain has calmed down, but not before drenching my blue jeans and the parts of my blue sweatshirt (school spirit!) that were not covered by my rain jacket and umbrella. 

Halftime

The DJ made the questionable decision to start half time with country music. 

Third quarter: 

The third quarter is short corner central! Eleven minutes into the quarter, Yale gets two short corners. Then Columbia gets three separate short corners. Yale gets another corner before the end of the game. By the end of the third quarter, there remained zero points on the scoreboard. 

Fourth quarter: 

The DJ redeems himself by playing Van Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed girl” before this quarter starts. 

By the fourth quarter, the pressure is on. Both teams are hungry for a goal, and it shows, with each team attempting many goals. Unfortunately, with only a few minutes left of the game, one of Yale’s shots on goal was successful. Columbia did not score. 

Reflection:

The game, taking place on a dark, rainy, Friday evening, did not stop the crowd from showing up and bringing their energy. I can imagine that under better conditions, the game would have been even more of a hoot. Knowing the rules of field hockey is not necessary for enjoying a game; I enjoyed it because of the great team and the eager crowd. This was my first glimpse into Columbia school spirit, and it set a high standard for what I should expect going forward: constant enthusiasm, good sportsmanship, and cardboard cutouts of the players’ faces.

Columbia Field Hockey’s next game is away against Dartmouth College on October 28th. 

Field Hockey Huddle via Author