The Dartmouth women's lacrosse team, ranked fifth by Lacrosse Magazine, started off this season with a bang, defeating Old Dominion and the University of Richmond after dropping a close game to the College of William and Mary last weekend.
The Big Green's season opener brought them to Norfolk, Va., where they topped Old Dominion 14-10. Assistant coach Marianne Bocock said the players entered their first match "tough, poised, and patient and they consistently executed the simple things which made the difference."
Lauren Holleran '95 found the net five times and Sarah Devens'96 helped the Big Green effort by adding four goals and an assist. Kim Mendelson '97 contributed two goals. Team captain Ellen Bruce '94 and seniors Betsy Bennett and Maura Schneider completed the Dartmouth assault with one goal apiece.
Kim Cohen '94 and Kristen Prettyman '95 combined in goal to hold off 10 shots from the Old Dominion offense.
Bocock said the defense made the difference in the second half by playing smart with minimal fouls or bad checks.
But the Big Green could not leave their first road trip of the year with a clean slate, falling 8-6 to undefeated William and Mary on Thursday.
The Dartmouth women suffered from the hat trick of the Tribe's Amy Umbach en route to their first loss of the season.
Holleran provided another outstanding offensive attack with five goals.
Sarah Devens '96, Carolyn Keber '96, and Margaret Field '93 each tallied one goal in the losing effort.
The Dartmouth women ended their southern swing on a positive note with a decisive 15-9 victory over the University of Richmond.
The Big Green opened up the
2-1 contest in the first half with six unanswered goals to give Richmond no chance of a comeback.
"We weren't sure who was going to come to play today: the team which played so strongly against Old Dominion, or the team who came out to play against William and Mary." Bocock said. "But they really played consistently and that's what gave them the win."
Holleran, who was chosen as one of the four top players in the nation to watch this year by Lacrosse Magazine, raised her season goal total to 16.
Wallis Cook '95 helped out with two goals and Schneider added another goal and assist to the Big Green explosion.
The Big Green will face another challenge on Wednesday at the University of New Hampshire. They will face their first Ivy League opponent when they battle on home turf against Princeton University on Saturday.
Under the reins of head coach Amy Patton and with the spread out scoring of the Big Green offense and the consistency of the defensive line, the Dartmouth women should be ready for the challenges of this season.
Look for Mya Mangawang '95 and Jenny Edwards '95 to contribute as center and defensive wing respectively with their consistent aggressive play. Both just picked up Lacrosse last year.
Senior Captain Jana Friedman will bolster the Big Green defense with her experience.
"This team has the dynamics and the ability to be very successful this year," Bocock said. "It's all up to them to accomplish."
