After a difficult weekend loss to Cornell last Sunday, the women's soccer team had something to prove to its home crowd supporters yesterday afternoon, and they did just that.
The Big Green showed a remarkable amount of heart overcoming injuries and season frustration in their 1-0 overtime win over the University of Vermont.
"I thought it was a really good effort after a disappointing weekend," Christina Hallenbeck '97 said. "It was a really good team effort."
The Big Green did well to overcome adversity. The win came without both captains -- Kate Andrews '96 and Holly Thomas '97. Andrews was injured at the beginning of the season and is out for the year, while Thomas recently suffered a leg muscle pull and is out this week.
Freshman Sue Eastman also was unable to play yesterday. She injured a knee in the Cornell game Sunday. But both Eastman and Thomas look to be back for Saturday's game against Harvard.
In yesterday's game, although the Big Green were able to get off ten shots in regulation time, they were unable to convert on any of the opportunities. With Big Green shots hitting off the crossbars in the first half, one wondered if luck was just not going their way.
But the Dartmouth defense held strong. Goalkeeper Annie Eckstein '98 recorded nine saves, and UVM was held to eight shots on goal.
"I definitely think at times we moved the ball really well," Hallenbeck said. "We had trouble with finishing early in the season, but I thought we got a lot more shots off. There was a good effort on finishing."
In overtime, the Big Green came out on fire. On their eighth shot on goal in overtime, Hallenbeck converted on a corner opportunity. She scored after Jenna Kurowski '97 served the ball in front of the UVM net and a UVM player failed to clear the ball.
"We played really well" [in overtime], Hallenbeck said. "We definitely wanted it."
Dartmouth will look to carry some momentum from yesterday's win into this Saturday's match against rival and Ivy League leader Harvard.
"I think we really would like to knock them out," Hallenbeck said. "If we come together, I think we can do it. We have to pressure hard and move the ball quickly -- much more quickly than we did today."
The women will start off the soccer double-header against Harvard Saturday at 12:00 p.m., and the men will follow at 2:30 p.m.
