Looking to rebound after a disappointing loss to Bay Area rival Cal, Stanford field hockey (6-2, 0-1 America East) next faces top-ranked Connecticut (7-0, 4-0 Big East) on Friday in a matchup that has recently become a heated rivalry.
The Cardinal beat the Huskies 3-1 almost exactly a year ago, marking the highest-ranked opponent the Stanford program had ever beaten. Yet UConn avenged its early season loss by knocking Stanford out of the second round of NCAA Tournament play. Following its 3-1 victory, Connecticut would continue on to win its second-consecutive national championship and fourth overall.
For the past few seasons, the team has played its best games against the toughest opponents and will need to continue that trend if it hopes to leave Husky Territory with a victory. Dating back to last season, the Cardinal are 8-3 against ranked opponents, most of which have been tightly-fought matches that will aid the experienced Cardinal against the Huskies.
UConn is led by a fiery front line, with sophomore Charlotte Veitner ranked second in the nation in both points per game and goals per game. Led by Veitner’s incredible .417 shooting percentage, the Huskies’ attack has produced 152 shots that have generated 41 goals.
The Cardinal will have to be strong in the backfield, which hasn’t been a problem for goalkeeper Dulcie Davies. This season, the senior is currently ninth in the nation in goals-against-average (1.22). The Huskies’ strong forward attack and penalty corner unit will certainly push her. The Cardinal were especially vulnerable against Cal on penalty corners, conceding 10 of them while winning only three of their own.
The Huskies’ potent offense is only half of what makes them the two-time defending champions and the toughest team in the nation. Goalkeeper Nina Klein has continued to exhibit the top-notch form that helped her make the NCAA All-Tournament team at the end of last season. The junior has posted shutouts in four of the Huskies’ first seven games.
After the showdown against the Huskies, the Cardinal play the University of Massachusetts Minutemen on Sunday in Amherst. Cardinal Head coach Tara Danielson will be taking the team back to her alma mater, where she was a four-year letter winner, team captain and Atlantic 10 conference champion for the UMass field hockey team.
These two teams last faced one another in 2010, in Danielson’s first year as head coach. Danielson and the Cardinal hope that their 2-1 victory on that day will be a good omen for Sunday’s game.
Live statistics will be available for both games at gostanford.com.
Contact Amanda McLean at ammclean ‘at’ stanford.edu.