From the Princeton Weekly Bulletin September 29, 1997
A game of shifting geometry
Princeton's field hockey team hopes to reach NCAA championship again this year
By Ben Kessler
Those of us who are used to spending at least a few autumn afternoons at Palmer Stadium are faced with the prospect of empty Saturdays while we wait for a new facility to be built, and the football team plays all its games on the road. No doubt the team will bear watching, but only by those who are willing to log a lot of miles or wait for C-Tec broadcasts on Tuesday nights.
Others might consider this suggestion: watch the women who play field hockey. Princeton fields no ordinary team; last season it reached the NCAA championship game, knocking off the second and third-ranked teams in the nation before finally being beaten by top-ranked North Carolina. Guided by Beth Bozman, voted Coach of the Year by her peers, the team returns this season virtually intact, ready to make its way to the top.
The Tigers are entering their third year of play on the artificial turf of Class of 1952 Stadium. The conversion to artificial turf has had a direct, bracing effect on the game. The smooth, even surface promotes a true roll of the ball that rewards good plays and punishes bad plays far more emphatically than a bumpy grass field.
Triangular passing combinations
Field hockey is a game of shifting geometry, in which the opposition is circumvented by a series of triangular passing combinations. As in ice hockey, there is plenty of action without much scoring. Goals come dearly, which lends the game an abiding tension and sense of urgency: one brilliant play or one crucial mistake can make the difference between a win or a loss.
It is not a gentle sport. The players wield cudgel-like sticks, and the ball can be a dangerous projectile. Broken fingers are common. In a spring scrimmage a year ago, attacker Molly O'Malley nearly left a portion of her ear on the turf after being slashed by a wayward stick. Midfielder Alison Morris's tally against Ohio State last fall was one goal and a broken nose; defender Adrienne Breslin's souvenir of the NCAA semifinals: a cracked collarbone.
At the center of the team, physically and emotionally, are senior cocaptains Kathleen Kelly and Amy MacFarlane. Kelly, who prefers to wear her sleeves rolled up no matter what the weather, is a driving force up the middle. Further up the field stands MacFarlane, who has faced world-class competition for several years as a member of the Canadian national team. Last year her virtuoso stick-handling and pinpoint passing elevated the performance of her teammates.
Collective strength
The collective strength of the team resides with members of the junior class, several of whom have been starters since coming to Princeton. The back line of Ann Marie Reich, Adrienne Breslin and Christine Hunsicker learned defense the hard way as untested freshmen. Up front are the scoring machines, Kirsty Hale and Molly O'Malley, both of whom broke the school's single-season scoring record last year, when Hale netted 24 goals and O'Malley 21.
Hale is the initiator of Princeton's penalty corner play, a set piece that begins with Hale, on the opponents' goal line, stroking the ball with a low sweeping motion toward one of a group of teammates arrayed around the perimeter of the 16-yard circle. The recipient of this pass will stop the ball by placing her stick parallel to the ground, thereby allowing another teammate to approach the ball in full swing toward the goal.
Several of this year's sophomores made impressive debuts last season. Among them, goalie Gia Fruscione had the difficult task of replacing a graduated second-team All-America. Considering the cumbersome nature of the goalkeeper's equipment, Fruscione is remarkably agile. Watching her weave her way though heavy traffic to boot the ball halfway down the field is worth the trip to 1952 Stadium.
In season's play to September 25, the Tigers had won 4, lost 0. Still to come are home games on October 4 against Yale, October 19 (University of Connecticut), November 5 (Columbia) and November 7 (University of Pennsylvania). The NCAA tournament begins on November 11. For the complete schedule, call 258-3568.