Under the direction of its new head coach Tina Cormier, the Colby women’s field hockey team hosted Connecticut College in a thrilling contest Saturday in Waterville, Maine. Although the Camels snuck away with their first New England Small College Athletic Conference’s (NESCAC) victory, the Mules are confident in their coach’s system and strive to earn a place in the national rankings.

As regulation time expired, the Mules defense surrendered a rebound goal from a Connecticut penalty corner after a wild scramble in front of the home team’s goal.

The Mules carried a 2-1 lead into the second half, but a determined Conn. team was able to turn the contest into one of attrition, controlling the pace of play and gaining a statistical advantage before knocking in a rebound goal, ending a game that seemed destined for overtime.

An evenly matched pre-season contest with defending national champion, Bowdoin College, confirmed suspicions that Colby field hockey is poised for a breakout year. “There’s an emphasis on playing as more of a team unit this year,” said junior Cale Wardell. “Our new tactics aren’t designed around just one star player and Coach Cormier has devoted more practice time to scrimmaging to allow players to learn from mistakes made in practice.”

Wardell also lauded Cormier’s ability to tailor her teaching style to the needs of the individual student. “She knows I don’t play well when people yell at me, so she doesn’t yell at me,” Wardell noted.

Though Cormier has brought the technical expertise from her experience at a Division I field hockey program, she has embraced Colby’s liberal arts values and is more concerned with the progress made by individual students than team successes measured in victories and defeat. “She is intense but there is always a positive and constructive energy. She really cares about us as people. She stresses the importance of a high team-GPA and our students making consummate contributions to the community,” Wardell explained. She then added that the discipline from the field hockey program carries over into her other activities in the community.

As a result of such characteristics, Wardell feels that the field hockey team deserves greater support from Colby. “We’re proud of our school; we want our school to be proud of us.”

Colby field hockey is traveling to Middlebury, Vt. this weekend before returning to Waterville for three more home games in September.