The Dartmouth field hockey team hosted two home games this weekend against Brown and University of Rhode Island.
The Big Green crushed the Bears of Brown with a score of 4-0 but were unable to come away with a win against URI. The final score of that game was a close 3-2.
Saturday's game proved to be a successful one for the Big Green. The win improved their Ivy League record to 2-1.
"We showed a lot of momentum and just took care of business," Coach Julie Dayton said. "We played consistent hockey and definitely moved forward as a team."
Dartmouth came out strong right away in the game, dominating the first half offensively. Forward Amy Coughlin '96 scored the first goal of the game unassisted, at a time of 27:44.
Brown tried to get a rhythm going, but the Dartmouth defense was simply too tough for the Bears. Just five minutes after Coughlin scored the first goal, Kathleen Hickey '96 netted another, making it 2-0.
As if two goals were not enough for the Big Green, freshman standout Weze Shorts fired another shot with 4:21 left in the first half, assisted by Sarah Sedgwick '97. The shot marked Shorts' third goal in the past three games.
"We had good passing combinations and scored well," Dayton said. "Plus, Lauren Demski played an excellent game and had some great saves in goal."
The second half was more of the same. With 18:36 left to go in the game, Allison Pell '96 scored again off of an assist from Hickey. Pell took a penalty shot two minutes later, but Brown goalie Kelly MacKinnon made a groin-pulling lunge and saved the ball, to keep it 4-0.
"We played as a team today," Hickey said. "We had a lot of quick passing, and we used the width of the field to our advantage. Brown gave us a lot of space, and we carried the ball well."
On Sunday, Dartmouth exhibited tenacity in its attempts to upset the nationally ranked URI team and were unable to clinch the win, however, and fell 3-2.
Dartmouth was the first to score in the game, when Sarah Sedgwick fired a shot at a time of 30:06. The Big Green held on to the lead throughout the remainder of the first half. The game was evenly matched until the second half, when URI began scoring.
"We just had repetitive defensive breakdowns, "Dayton said. "It enabled URI to capitalize on our weaknesses."
Around the 18 minute mark URI scored its first goal and followed that one right away with another. The second shot proved to be controversial, and got Dayton questioning the call from the sidelines.
"It was a lifted ball in the circle," Dayton said. "Its an illegal shot and should not have been counted."
The goal was counted, however, and Dartmouth remained determined to score again.
At 5:50 URI's Ellen Pestell rebounded a shot off a penalty shot and made it 3-1. Dartmouth answered that goal when Coughlin fired what would be Dartmouth's last goal of the game, with just under two minutes left.
"We didn't show as much passion in the second half," Dayton said. "URI played a different kind of second half, and their intensity was much stronger. We didn't make any changes and they just took over the game."
The two games moves Dartmouth's overall record to 6-4. The next home game is Homecoming weekend, when the Big Green face Cornell at noon.
