Field Hockey Rallies Past UConn Thanks To Penalty Corner Efficiency
ITHACA, N.Y. — Two games into the 2023 Cornell field hockey season, one thing is abundantly clear … surrender a penalty corner to the Big Red at your own peril.
Senior All-American Caroline Ramsey converted both penalty corners awarded to the Big Red in the second half to overcome UConn 2-1 on Friday afternoon at Marsha Dodson Field. Cornell evened its record at 1-1, while the Huskies slipped to 1-4.
Ramsey moved into fifth place on the school’s career goal scoring list with her 34th and 35th, matching Hannah Balleza ’14, to overcome an early deficit. She nearly as importantly made a first half defensive save that allowed the Big Red to stay within a goal until it could get into its offense. Freshman Julia Ramsey had two assists as the inserter on both goals, with senior Claire Wolfe the stopped to complete the operation on both score. In two games this season, Cornell has converted on 4-of-5 penalty corners with Caroline Ramsey on the scoring end of all four. The Big Red defense, meanwhile, held UConn off the board in its seven chances on the afternoon.
“It’s a great win for us today, said head coach Andy Smith. “I thought we came out with the wrong mindset in the first half, and at the beginning of the third quarter we were a step slow and trying to complicate things we didn’t need to complicate. Fortunately, we stepped it up at the right time and scored two marvelous goals to win the game. We have a long way to go, but today is a good achievement for us.”
UConn’s Julianna Kratz finished a shot less than five minutes into the contest, putting the Big Red on its heels. as part of a first quarter that saw the Huskies hold a 5-1 edge in shots. Cornell out-shot the visitors 6-4 the rest of the way, with freshman goalkeeper needing to make just one save to pick up her first collegiate win.
Ramsey’s defensive save, her school record 14th, allowed her an opportunity to tie it late in the third to steal the momentum back. The senior rifled a shot past the left leg of UConn goalkeeper Natalie McKenna to knot the score entering the fourth.
Caroline Ramsey ties it up as @CornellBigRedFH enters the fourth tied with UConn, 1-1. It’s Ramsey’s third goal of the young season. #YellCornell
Watch live on ESPN+ – https://t.co/eo6GsvdppF pic.twitter.com/o1HbDAQtCc
— Cornell Big Red (@CornellSports) September 8, 2023
Her drag flick to the glove side exactly seven minutes later would prove to be the game winner against a UConn team that entered the campaign in the national rankings before suffering three one-goal defeats. McKenna made three saves in taking the hard-luck loss in goal for UConn.
Caroline Ramsey gets her second, and @CornellBigRedFH is on top with less than nine to play!
Catch the last of the action on ESPN+!#YellCornell pic.twitter.com/Sjl4qdL0eD
— Cornell Big Red (@CornellSports) September 8, 2023
UP NEXT
• Cornell will play its third consecutive preseason top 20 team to open the season when UAlbany visits Dodson Field on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m.
• The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
• The Great Danes hold a 9-3 edge in the all-time series and have won eight straight dating back to Cornell’s last win, a 3-0 victory on Oct. 20, 2002 in Saratoga Springs.
• UAlbany won last season’s meeting 2-1 despite a Big Red goal by Caroline Ramsey.
