For the past few seasons, Dartmouth hasn't exactly been a major player in the Ivy League men's lacrosse scene. In fact, the team hasn't been much of a player at all, going winless in its last five Ivy campaigns. But this year could be different.
Seven of last year's top 10 scorers return, as well as a solid, experienced core of midfielders and defenders. Throw four freshmen who were high school All-Americans into the mix, and it's not hard to see why fifth-year Coach Tim Nelson is excited about this season.
"Without question, this is the best team I've had here in terms of ability and attitude," Nelson said.
And so far the Big Green have done nothing to dampen his enthusiasm. Dartmouth is 3-1, which already equals last year's victory total.
An impressive 19-6 win at Adelphi University opened the Big Green's season. Tom Scott '96 led Dartmouth with four goals and three assists, and Todd Smith '95 added three goals and two assists.
The Big Green did not stay undefeated for long, dropping their next game, 21-9, to the University of North Carolina, the sixth-ranked team in the nation. Dartmouth managed to stay close for the first half, trailing only 6-3 at halftime, but the Tar Heels pulled away in the fourth quarter. John Schneider '96 scored two goals and had one assist.
Nelson learned something very important about his team's character in the lopsided loss.
"Instead of being happy with playing well against a good team, the guys were mad that the score wasn't closer," Nelson said.
That attitude spilled over to Dartmouth's next game, a 15-13 win over Colgate University. Against the Red Raiders, the Big Green did something they were unable to do last season - they came from behind to win.
Trailing 12-10 midway through the final quarter, Brendan Bowler '94 found the goal twice and Brian White '95 scored once to put the Big Green back on top, 13-12. Colgate tied the game with 10:40 left but Schneider scored with 2:15 remaining to give Dartmouth the win.
The Big Green extended their win streak by routing the College of the Holy Cross 16-6 last Saturday. Dartmouth scored four goals in each quarter and jumped out to an 8-1 halftime lead. White and Bowler each had a hat trick.
Smith leads the Big Green in scoring with eight goals and seven assists. Four other players have already tallied double figures in points too, which is a testament to this team's depth.
"We're solid all the way through," Nelson said. "Depth and senior leadership are our greatest strengths."
Co-captains Peter Fahey '94 and Andy Ruckh '94 provide much of that leadership. Fahey was third on last year's team in scoring with 12 goals and 12 assists; this year he has seven goals and four assists. Ruckh is Dartmouth's top defender; he held North Carolina's Ryan Wade, a national team player, scoreless.
But will that depth and experience be enough to end Dartmouth's Ivy drought? The Ivy League remains one of the toughest leagues in the country, with four of its seven teams (Columbia does not field a squad) ranked in the national top 20.
Last year's team was better than its 3-9 overall record indicated; four of the Big Green's losses were by two or fewer goals. The Big Green have already shown once this year they can win a close game; if they keep that up, they could end the drought.
