Sports Update | Field Hockey tops Harvard, 2-0

At the end of Saturday's game the entire women's field hockey team, smiles blazing from ear to ear, lined up and belted out "Drink a Highball" as though they had just won the Ivy League championship.

Indeed, this victory was stirring. Despite embarking on a nasty seven game losing streak which began September 6, the Quakers came out against Harvard with a swagger and topped the Crimson, 2-0, at Franklin Field.

The Quakers had a simple, time-tested strategy: execute as a single unit.

"I can't pick one thing that happened by one person because it was such a team effort," coach Val Cloud said. "Everybody was really there for each other on the field, and I haven't seen that. Usually it was an individual on the field, who had nobody to play with basically. Now they have a team to play with, because they know somebody will be with them on the field."

This newfound unity arose from the unlikeliest of places: a loss. On Wednesday, the team faced a highly regarded Villanova squad and - despite losing - matched it stride for stride.

"I think they gained confidence from Wednesday night, which was confidence that they could play with the big dogs," Cloud said.

Senior co-captain Margaretha Ehret, who had a goal in the second half and an assist in the first, agreed.

"What was different about this game is everyone was working together," she said. "In the last game we were all working hard, but as individuals . in this game, although it wasn't our best hockey, everyone was just working together."

The unity reflects the indefatigable optimism that permeates the team despite the recent string of losses.

"I think that what's been great is that even though we've been on a bit of a losing streak, our spirits were never down, and I think that's a big positive quality about our team," Ehret said. "I think as individuals, over these past few weeks, we've really just remained positive and looked forward to the next game as opposed to looking back at the past games."

Sophmore Laurel McGarvie, who scored the Quakers' first goal in the first half, attributes the success against Harvard to having "more intensity and more enthusiasm. We're more upbeat," she said. "We've really amped up our practices, which has definitely paid off."

The team is excited for the future and is planning on building off this success with the same team-first mentality.

"We didn't play well together until last Wednesday [against Villanova]," said Cloud. "So if we can keep this up, we'll be a force to be reckoned with."

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