April 23, 2005
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. -- For Carrie Anderer, there really is no place like home. Playing 15 miles from her hometown of Needham, the Lions' junior co-captain scored six times to lead Columbia to an 11-9 victory at Harvard, marking Columbia's first-ever league triumph and a school record for Anderer.
Anderer's fifth goal tied her with Adie Moll '04 for the school record for goals in a season with 36. Her sixth goal, scored with just under 22 minutes remaining in the game, established a new Columbia record at 37.
"It was a huge win for our team and our program," noted head coach Kerri Whitaker. "The team is proud of itself and ought to be."
The Lions jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the game's first 11:11 on goals by fellow Needham High grads Elyse Pultz and Anderer. However, Harvard scored three straight times in a span of 3:07 to go up, 4-2, with 11:16 on the clock in the first half.
Columbia, which has seen some games slip away late in the first half this season, was not about to let that happen today. Anderer scored three straight times at 8:34, 4:26 and 3:44, and first-year Lindsey Johnson gave the Lions a further boost in momentum with a free-position goal with four seconds on the clock to put Columbia ahead, 6-4, at the half.
"That was a critical goal," noted Whitaker. "We were playing with a lot of confidence and with a positive energy."
Harvard struck first in the second half as the teams alternated goals for the first eight goals of the latter half, with the Crimson pulling within one goal each time.
With under 15 minutes to play and the score 9-8 in Columbia's favor, Kate Lombard scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal, unassisted, at 14:13 to give the Lions another two-goal lead. Neither team would score for the next seven minutes as anticipation mounted for Columbia. Senior co-captain Liz Sanseau, playing in the final Ivy game of her career, scored her first goal of the game with 6:48 on the clock to make it 11-8.
Harvard scored its first goal in more than 18 minutes on a free position at 0:41, and neither team would score again as the Lions rejoiced at the final horn.
Marcela Calidonio was mighty in goal, making 14 saves while yielding nine goals. "Marcela was great today," said Whitaker. "She was clearly in the shooters' heads."
Kate Lombard had seven ground balls, which Whitaker noted was "huge, especially in a possession game like this."
Katie Warner had three assists, and Pultz and Marisa Marcellino each had a goal and an assist.
Along with Sanseau, it was also the final Ivy game in the career of senior co-captain Grace Sterritt.
Columbia is now 6-8, 1-6 Ivy and will play its final game of 2005 at Lafayette on Wed., April 27 at 4 p.m.
