After losing to Trinity in last year’s NESCAC tournament quarterfinals, which marked the end of their successful 9–6 regular season, the Hamilton field hockey team returned to the field this fall more determined than ever to make the 2018 campaign a memorable one. With 13 games under the team’s belt so far this year, the team has already surpassed last season’s win total with two games remaining on the regular season schedule. They currently find themselves ranked #13 nationally, according to the latest Division III National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association (NFHCA) poll. With a 10–3 record overall (6–3 in NESCAC), the Continentals sit just below #1 Middlebury and #3 Tufts in the win column within their conference.
The Continentals wasted no time this year, starting the season with a show of strength. They won their first four games over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (6–0), Bates College (3–2), Skidmore College (4–1), and Trinity College (3–2), more than making up for last year’s playoff loss. Coach Mariano and her talented roster of returning players have been able to successfully transfer some of the momentum and confidence from last year’s season to this year’s team. Though they have lost games to the nation’s top-ranked Division III field hockey program (Middlebury College), #3 Tufts University, and #9 Bowdoin College, the rest of the schedule has been dotted with nothing but wins.
Before much of the student body left Clinton for Fall Break, the field hockey team competed in two exciting NESCAC games against #18 Amherst and #16 Williams. On Saturday, Oct. 6, the team faced the host Mammoths of Amherst College where they earned a 4–3 victory in overtime. In the nail-biting, back-and-forth match between the two opponents, goals scored by Sarah Stinebaugh ’19, Michaela Giuttari ’20 and Mary Kate Sisk ’21 were all matched by Amherst players before the final horn in regulation sounded. They entered the first period of sudden-victory overtime tied 3–3. Giuttari’s spirited performance gave Hamilton the edge as she scored her second goal of the game, this one with just under two minutes remaining. Julia Booth ’19 also played a big part in the win as the goaltender expertly protected the net throughout the game, resulting in a season-high 15 saves.
The following Tuesday, Oct. 9, the Continentals matched up against Williams on the familiar turf of Hamilton’s Goodfriend Field. In double overtime, the team ended the staredown with a 3–2 win over the Ephs. Though Williams scored the first goal in regulation, Stinebaugh quickly answered to tie the score at 1–1 going into halftime. Sarah Pierpoint ’21 gave the Continentals a 2–1 lead with her goal in the second half, but the Ephs answered with another goal towards the end of regulation time. The seesaw match entered overtime at 2–2, and that is exactly where the score stood following the first extra period. In the second overtime, one of the Continentals’ defenders, Sarah Kane ’19, took control as she carried a loose ball the length of the field. She managed to get a shot off, but the ball bounced off of an Ephs defender. Luckily, Giuttari was there to clean it up and score the game-winner for the Continentals.
During Fall Break, the team celebrated Senior Day with another home game on Saturday, Oct. 13. Despite the excitement of the day, the Continentals were unable to translate their momentum from their previous games, losing 3–2 to the #9 Bowdoin College Polar Bears. Falling just one goal short despite goals by Tatiana Bradley ’19 and Giuttari, the Continentals were not able to match Bowdoin’s 3-goal output. Though it was not the outcome they had hoped for in their last home game of the 2018 regular season, the field hockey team has two more chances on away turf to lock in another couple of wins. On Saturday, Oct. 20, the team plays at Colby College and on Wednesday, Oct. 24 they play Rochester College in their regular season finale. Tournament games will be posted later on when standings are available following the end of the regular season.
