Despite their tough fight in a highly competitive match, the Lions fell just short of victory in Friday’s Pride Night game at Baker Athletic Complex. 

As an ex-high school field hockey player, I am well aware of the lack of enthusiasm surrounding the sport, so I am determined to make sure it gets the spotlight that it deserves!

The Columbia Lions (2-3, 1-1) faced off against the Princeton Tigers (4-2, 2-0) in Friday night’s Pride Night game. The team wore matching Columbia Pride t-shirts during warm up as a dedication to the Columbia Pride Organization and the wider LGBTQ+ community. I, unfortunately, missed out on the pride bracelet they gave out to the first 100 fans. The stands were not overly crowded with eager students and parents, but that made for a small, yet invested crowd to watch the game with.

The Lions started out strong with an immediate steal of Princeton’s opening draw by Senior Lily Baker (CC ‘25) . The teams were highly competitive in the first half, with most of the play happening back and forth in the midfield. Sam Petrucco (CC ‘26) successfully gained control of the ball in the eight meter with three minutes left in the first quarter, but her shot on goal was blocked by Princeton’s goalkeeper. The Lions were handed three green cards total but held their own against Princeton’s offense even when they were a man down on the field. In the second quarter, Columbia’s Delfi Gonzalez Lobo (CC ‘27) impressively cut off a Princeton player’s solo run to goal and regained control of the ball. Columbia totaled two short corner penalties to Princeton’s four, yet neither team successfully scored as a result. Mckenzie Bloom (CC ‘27) attempted a shot during Columbia’s penalty corner in the third quarter, but the ball went too wide to finish the play.

The Lions’ pressured defense kept the Tigers out of the goal until the last 15 minutes. Princeton’s Beth Yeger tallied the score from a loose ball that trickled into the Lion’s net during the first minute of the fourth quarter. Princeton had 13 shots on goal throughout the game, yet Columbia’s goalkeeper Kate Wimmer (CC ‘25) held her own and came out with five impressive stops. The crowd was the most energetic in the last quarter, cheering for a comeback as the Lions fought hard on the offensive end, but the team couldn’t quite get the ball into the eight meter circle to even the score. 

Despite the loss, Columbia showed stubborn defense and unbridled ambition until the end. And hey, I celebrate women’s losses and wins! And you should too. 

The team will travel to Staten Island to play Wagner on Sunday, September 29, and at their next home game they will host Harvard on October 11 at Bakers Athletic Complex. Hope to see you there!  

Image via CUAthletics