The women's soccer team was finally put to the test at home this Saturday against Yale and with great defensive play late in the second half, the Big Green were able to ward off the Bulldogs in a 2-1 victory.
In a scoreless first half, Dartmouth appeared flustered at times as they hoped to add to their 22 goals scored in the past three games.
"It's tough if you don't get the goals right away," said Swanson. "They put a lot of pressure on us in the back, and we were a little too casual back there. We didn't move the ball up front as quickly as possible."
Twenty minutes into the second half, the Big Green finally converted when Mya Mangawang '95 connected to Betsy Dobbin '97 who drove the ball into the net.
Shortly thereafter, however, Yale was able to swiftly respond to a few Dartmouth mental lapses and the Bulldogs tied the game at one.
"Our intensity was a little low," Kate Andrews '96 said. "It felt like nothing was working, and we didn't come together as a team. It was frustrating that we couldn't possess the ball better."
Despite the inconsistencies in the beginning of the game, midway through the second half the Big Green were once again able to connect when Jenna Kurowski '97 passed the ball to the open Mangawang who, fortunately, was able to sink the ball into the Bulldogs' net.
"Being able to come through in the end shows that we can come together and pull it out when we need to," said Jen Ratay '97.
Leading 2-1 with six minutes remaining, goalkeeper Heidi Hachtel '96 was put to the test she reflected a driven shot inside. Soon afterwards, Hachtel was again pressured, but came outside to block yet another well hit ball.
"Heidi made some big saves," Coach Steve Swanson said. "If you're going to win games like this, you've got to have some good plays, and she did."
Wanting to put the game away quickly before the Bulldogs could score again, Dartmouth appeared rushed at times and attempted to force the ball a little more often than necessary.
"We needed to be a little more patient when we got the ball up front," Coach Swanson said. "There were instances when we got the ball in a good position, but acted too quickly and tried something off balance."
Although Dartmouth was expecting a challenge from the Bulldogs, Coach Swanson believes that the Big Green need to be even more prepared for opposing teams' intensity.
"People will be fired up to play us from what we did last year," Swanson said."We need to respond to that from the emotional and tactical side where we have to make adjustments. This team still has a lot to prove."
The 1994 Dartmouth squad, now at 5-1 and 2-0 in the Ivy League, has begun to make a name for itself and will continue on its quest for the League championship and an NCAA tournament bid this Wednesday when they travel to Hartford.
"Good teams always find a way to win," Swanson said. "It's nice to learn a lesson and find out about your team, especially when you're on the winning side."
