The Monmouth University field hockey team (2-4, 1-0 CAA) faced two more nationally ranked opponents as they played No. 15 Harvard University (3-2) and No. 21 Boston College (4-4) in back-to-back matchups on the road on Friday, Sept. 16 and Sunday, Sept. 18. Both matchups resulted in losses for the Hawks, leaving Monmouth 1-5 against ranked teams and 0-3 on the road for 2022.
The Hawks first traveled to Cambridge, Mass. to face Harvard in their fifth consecutive matchup against a ranked opponent, where the home team prevailed with 11 shots on goal to Monmouth’s three and 14 penalty corners without conceding any to the Hawks. Monmouth’s Phileine Hazen made nine saves which allowed the Hawks to hold out for double overtime, marking Hazen’s fourth game with at least eight saves this season.
Katie Yoder tallied two shots on goal along with Annick Van Lange who added one of her own. Each team had difficulty finding the back of the net, extending the game past regulation and marking Monmouth’s third overtime game of the season. In the first period of overtime, Harvard had multiple penalty corner opportunities but could not find the back of the cage. Monmouth answered with another scoring attempt but fell short, sending the game into a short second period of overtime before Harvard’s Avery Donahue deflected Kate Oliver’s shot to score the game-winning goal and a 1-0 victory for the Crimson.
Harvard leads the all-time series against Monmouth, 2-0, with both Monmouth-Harvard matchups going into overtime in back-to-back seasons. This was the first competition between the teams that took place in Cambridge, Mass.
In a quick turnaround, Monmouth then faced nationally-ranked No. 21 Boston College two days later a short distance away in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
The game ended with Boston College triumphant after scoring one goal in the first period of play and two more in the third. The Hawks fought hard and scored two goals in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to save the game.
Boston College created a 2-0 lead at the start of the second half, but Monmouth’s Annick Van Lange responded 20 seconds later scoring her third goal of the season and 54th career goal off a feed from Sophie Dercksen on a penalty corner to make the game 2-1.
With seven seconds left in the third quarter, Boston College scored again making the score 3-1. Monmouth’s Sophie Dercksen swatted her first goal of the season and third of her career with 23 seconds remaining in regulation, making the score 3-2. The Hawks were unable to come back from this deficit, resulting in another close Monmouth loss.
Phileine Hazen made 11 saves in goal for Monmouth, making her third double-digit save effort of the season.
This was the first ever matchup between Monmouth and Boston College and Monmouth’s sixth consecutive ranked opponent this season.
The Hawks look ahead to their matchup against Wagner as they return home to So Sweet A Cat Field on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m.
