The women's soccer team will enter two away games this weekend without forward co-Captain Kate Andrews '96.
Andrews was taken off the field Tuesday during the University of New Hampshire game in which the Big Green strengthened its record to 3-1.
With extreme pain in her lower right leg, a fracture was first suspected but later ruled out when x-rays came back negative.
"Hopefully it's not as bad as we thought when she first went out," Coach Steve Swanson said. "It was just hard to tell because the leg was still tender."
Andrews was injured with under 10 minutes to go in the game when shewent up for an air ball and rolled over the ball.
Players on field heard a cracking noise which could be consistent with ligament damage or a slight fracture, but no diagnosis could be made at that time.
Swanson said the injury appears to be more in the ankle area.
Following the injury, distraction among Big Green players was evident. But with a team filled with depth and experience, Dartmouth hopes to overcome this adversity.
"You can learn a lot about a team when they are faced with such adversity," Swanson said. "I think this group will do fine."
Andrews' scenario was all too familiar to many Big Green players since last year Dartmouth lost their senior captain Michelle Conroy '95 early in the season.
Although the team will be ready to move on this weekend, Andrews will be missed.
"Kate is a big part in getting our team psyched up and ready to play," Kristi Hulvey '96 said. "She is just a huge part of the team."
The Big Green faced a slight mental drop Tuesday afternoon against UNH after being defeated 1-0 in their home opener last Sunday to the University of Connecticut.
Dartmouth will have to pick up its level of intensity though if it plans to overcome the University of Pennsylvania Saturday in the Big Green's first Ivy League match-up.
Although Dartmouth defeated Penn 8-0 last year at home, the Big Green are not going to overlook the Quakers.
"We need to go out against Penn and step on the field ready to play as well as we did against UConn," Hulvey said. "Hopefully we realized this by our performance on Tuesday."
Pennsylvania Coach Patrick Baker hopes to compete with Dartmouth but is skeptical about the Quakers' chances for victory.
"They are definitely at a different level," Baker said. "They are really where we want to be next year or the year after that."
"Hopefully, we'll put on a heck of a lot better performance than last year," Baker said.
Baker, in his second year at Penn, has a young team that is looking to make an impact in the Ivy League.
"You can't overlook a team like that," Swanson said. "They won't quit, and they'll be ready for us."
The Quakers, 2-2-1 on the season, escaped two one-goal 2-1 victories last weekend against St. Joseph's and Villanova and tied with Bucknell 2-2 Tuesday afternoon.
They are led by Dara Ross, an all-Ivy freshman of the year last year and freshman Tina Cooper who has taken on the tacking midfield spot for the Quakers.
"This is really my first recruiting class so where very young," Baker said. "But the team is sprinkled with a couple of good upper classmen."
The long trip to Pennsylvania is something not to be overlooked though, Swanson said.
"The trip is a challenge for us," he said. "We have to have a lot of players rise up and play well."
