The women's soccer team opened its season on the wrong end of an overtime thriller, losing to the University of Connecticut 1-0 Sunday afternoon.
"It's a tough loss, but it is only one game," Coach Steve Swanson said. "We're facing more adversity this year, but we're learning a lot about ourselves ... I believe we'll get better as the season progresses."
Midway through the first period of overtime, the Big Green faced some of that adversity when goal keeper and captain Michelle Conroy '95 broke her kneecap -- putting her on the sidelines the remainder of the season.
"The game took a lot of emotion especially when Michelle got hurt," Swanson said.
Heidi Hachtel '96 took Conroy's spot and played well the remaining of the game.
"Heidi is a good goal keeper who is ready to play at this level," Swanson said. We should be in good shape."
Overall the defense played strong holding Connecticut scoreless until there were about six minutes left in overtime. But the kinks that still need to be ironed out at the beginning of the season proved deadly for the Big Green.
"We work hard and play well as a team and I think we move the ball well, but there were lapses," Swanson said. "I think it is just a matter of putting things together for the whole 90 minutes."
Having played six preseason games in Europe the week before gave Dartmouth some game experience, so the Big Green felt prepared going into their first official game.
"The earlier games helped us to know each other as a team," Holly Thomas '97 said. "We know now what we need to do the rest of the season."
However, the fast-paced European teams tended to put Dartmouth more on the defensive, Megan Owens '96 said.
"It's a mind-set. We were in the defensive mode and now we need to become more aggressive offensively," she said.
Dartmouth will have three days to make needed improvements before heading to the University of New Hampshire Thursday afternoon. The team's first Ivy League game is Saturday against the University of Pennsylvania.
"We'll bounce back because we have those kind of players," Swanson said. "I believe they are all fighters and workers and that they have a lot of pride, so I think they'll respond in a positive way."
"The team is a little down about the loss of Michelle, but we're not going to lie down," Owens said. "We are ready to get a win, and we know what we expect of ourselves. Now it's just a matter of completing those expectations."
After an amazing season last year where the team went undefeated and un-scored upon in Ivy League play, hopes are very high for the Big Green this season.
The lost to Connecticut in the NCAA tournament 3-1 last year.
