The men's lacrosse game tomorrow against rival Harvard is described best by Coach Tim Nelson. "It's going to be a war."
The Big Green, 10-3 overall this season, will be looking to maintain its top 20 national ranking as well as to earn a second-place finish in the Ivy League.
"It's the last game of the season, so we want to go out good," John Whelen '98 said. "It's also an Ivy League game which makes it even more intense."
Harvard unexpectedly dropped out of the national rankings last week despite its 3-2 Ivy League record. The Crimson have had impressive wins over Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale this season.
The Big Green struggled against Penn earlier this season, finally overtaking the Quakers in overtime. Dartmouth fell short against a strong Cornell team, currently ranked 15th in the nation.
A win for the Big Green will put them at 3-3 in the Ivy League, tying them for second place with Harvard and Cornell. Princeton and Brown have secured a first place tie.
"We are going to have our hands full," Nelson said. "We're going to do the best job we can to get ready. They are talented, especially offensively with three strong attackmen."
Harvard will be led by junior Mike Eckert, senior Jamie Ames and freshman Mike Ferucci, a trio who have a combined 126 points between them.
Senior Dartmouth defensemen Dave Hehir and co-Captain Andy Thut '95 will lead the Big Green's defensive line, which has played consistently all year for Dartmouth. Ned Hazard '96, who had 12 saves Wednesday against the University of New Hampshire, will be in the goal for the Big Green.
Offensively, Dartmouth will look for Brain Merritt '97 to continue his hot streak. Merritt has 40 points on the season, and he will be assisted by co-Captain Todd Smith '95, who has 31 points and Scott Hapgood '97, who has 29 points.
"We need to set the pace of the game and keep the momentum," Whelen said. "Beating them will keep us in the top 20. I think we just have to establish ourselves early."
With the Crimson ranked third in the Northeast and Dartmouth ranked fourth, Harvard will be looking to prove itself more worthy of a national ranking.
"I think they will be a little motivated to prove they belong ahead of us," Nelson said. "Last year we were able to beat them in overtime, and I think they'll be looking for revenge. It is going to be a great athletic event."
