The third-ranked women's lacrosse team had a chance to earn the number one ranking in the country and the top seed in the NCAA tournament Saturday when it hosted undefeated, top-ranked Maryland.
But Maryland demonstrated why it is the top team in the nation, putting on a defensive clinic on the way to a 12-4 victory, assuring the Terrapins the top seeding in the NCAA tournament and handing the Big Green their second loss of the season.
It was the game everyone had been waiting for since Dartmouth defeated then-number-one Princeton on Apr. 1, setting up Saturday's showdown at Chase Field. Maryland beat Princeton 9-8 last week.
The last game of the regular season for both Dartmouth and Maryland, this battle gives left Dartmouth 12-2 while boosting Maryland's perfect record to 15-0.
"I think the score's a little tough to swallow," Dartmouth Coach Amy Patton said.
"It's a little upsetting because the point spread was important [in determining which teams would get a bye for the NCAA tournament]," co-Captain Lauren Holleran '95 said. "It would have been nicer to be closer in points. The spread wasn't indicative of the game."
A closer game may have given Dartmouth a bye into the six-team tournament. allowing it to bypass the first round of games and placing it automatically in the final four.
Dartmouth will almost surely receive a bid to the tournament when pairings are announced today, but will not likely receive a bye. A third or fourth seed will let the team play at home next Saturday.
The final score does not give a clear picture of Saturday's game and how it played out.
"We knew it was going to be difficult," Maryland Coach Cindy Timchal said. "I probably would think that Amy [Patton] felt her team could have executed a little better. They gave us a tough game, though. We knew they were never going to give up."
Freshman Julia Morrill took Maryland by surprise with a goal off a pass from Jenny Edwards '95 just over two and a half minutes into the game.
Maryland, realizing Dartmouth was no team to take lightly, stepped up its play and scored 13 seconds later. Cathy Nelson hesitated just enough to get the chance to squeeze the ball past Dartmouth goalie Kirsten Prettyman '95 to tie up the game.
Not wanting to let down, Maryland pressured the Dartmouth defense and, less than a minute later, Laura Harmon found herself on the eight meter with a free position. Harmon scored, giving Maryland a one-point lead.
This lead did not discourage the Big Green. At 7:35 into the game, Holleran rolled in Dartmouth's second goal with a sidearm shot to the lower right corner. Again, the score was tied. But the Dartmouth offense sputtered after Holleran's goal.
The rest of the half was all Maryland. Maryland began a scoring run of four goals, scoring once every few minutes.
Twenty-nine seconds after Dartmouth's goal, Maryland's Sarah Forbes brought the ball from the draw and scored to the upper right corner.
Maryland continued its run on the goal. Randall Goldsborough turned and fired on Prettyman before anyone on the field could react.
Forbes's second goal came 17:40 into the game. With her back to the net, Forbes shoveled the ball in.
Harmon had a free position goal next, the last goal of the half, ending the half with Dartmouthtrailing6-2.
Despite its lack of offense, the Big Green did not give up on their play.
"The key to the game was ball possession," Patton said. "The shots were almost even in the first half but Maryland had possession for about 70 percent of the time. If we could get the ball, we could make a good attempt at a goal."
Prettyman led the defense with several amazing saves. She saved a few shots made by nationally ranked scorer Kelly Amonte, shutting her out in the first half.
"[Prettyman] had a great game in goal. She had a lot of point blank, right on top of her saves," Patton said. Prettyman came away with 13 saves.
The Maryland defense had to work hard as well to keep up with Dartmouth. By no means did Maryland completely shut down the Big Green. Dartmouth had several opportunities to score, but Maryland goalies Jamie Brodsky, one of the nation's best, and Kirsten Kruhm had eight saves to secure Maryland's lead.
The second half mirrored the first with both teams doubling their score.
Amonte scored Maryland's first two goals, one on a free position, within less than two minutes of each other.
The next three goals also came from Maryland. Karen MacCrate had the first, followed by a rebounded shot by Nelson and one from Harmon with an assist by Amonte.
With Dartmouth trailing 11-2, it was now or never for the Big Green to launch a comeback.
Dartmouth's Sarah Devens '96, goal hungry, went hard to the goal twice, scoring on both attempts to cut the Terrapins' lead to seven. Devens bounced in the first, assisted by co-Captain Mya Mangawang '95, and hit the middle right side on her second.
The next five minutes went scoreless until with 7:03 left in the game, Maryland's Liz Downing found herself on the eight meter and scored.
Dartmouth and Maryland held each other in check for the remaining seven minutes, each playing tough defense and denying the other goals, leaving the final score at 12-4.
Lack of ball possession plagued Dartmouth until the very end of the game. Maryland dominated on the draws, taking six of nine in the first half and seven of nine in the second.
Maryland, because of the time it had possession of the ball, was able to get off 33 shots, while Dartmouth could only take 16 shots.
Dartmouth also had many turnovers. At one point Dartmouth had "about five or six turnovers in a row. It was the only time I did get upset with them. At that point I was just really looking to get the score a little closer," Patton said.
"I felt like I was turning the ball over like it was my job," Holleran said.
In total, Dartmouth had 16 turnovers, while Maryland had 12.
"I was most proud of the team because they played hard the whole game, " Patton said. "There were a couple of momentum changes. Lady luck just wasn't on our side."
"Nobody likes to lose. It was tough, " Holleran said.
