The women's soccer team dropped its record to an even .500 yesterday afternoon after losing to Cornell 3-1.
The game had been scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, but because of excessive rain, was canceled. After waiting around, the two teams finally decided to play the game on Sunday rather than reschedule it for a later time.
"We weren't too excited about it [the decision to play]," forward Melissa McBean said. "It's a long trip and a lot of us needed to get back to study for midterms."
Despite the disappointment of playing, Dartmouth was ready when they stepped on the field Sunday at 11:00 a.m., McBean said. But Dartmouth had no idea what the Big Red had in store for them."
Cornell was first to score at the 37:21 mark when Becky D'Aleu earned an unassisted goal from a penalty shot.
"It was an amazing shot that just curved in," McBean said. "There was no way Heidi [Hachtel '96] could have gotten it."
In the goal Hachtel would have eight saves on the day, while Big Red's Marybeth Bell stopped six.
With under four minutes remaining in the first half, the Big Green would respond. Freshman Jessica Prairie took a pass from McBean and shot one into the back of the net to tie the game at one.
"I thought we looked pretty good," McBean said. "We just ended up losing. We played well though."
Dartmouth was playing without two key components, however. Both Coach Steve Swanson and leading scorer Jenna Kurowski '97 had been called away for a family emergencies.
"I think our assistants did a great job," McBean said. "It was a little difficult, but I think at this point in the season, you should have things together so that coaching has little to do with it."
As far as missing their leading scorer, Kurowski, goes, the Big Green had to mix in a new front line. Some changes had been made earlier in the season when co-Captain midfielder Kate Andrews '96 was sent out with a season-ending injury.
In the second half against Cornell, the Big Green were dominated by a the Big Red.
"I think we played a really good first half, but played a bad second half," co-Captain Holly Thomas '97 said. "We only played for 45 minutes."
Big Red's Lori Penny scored just eight minutes into the second half and would again put Cornell's third point on the board with 3:44 left to play. Both goals came from an assist by Julie Stumbo.
Cornell improved to 8-3-2 overall and 4-0-1 in the Ivies, while Dartmouth fell to 6-6-1 and 2-4 in the League.
"We just need to take each game one by one and end up the season playing well," McBean said. "Every team has been beatable, we just haven't beat them."
With four games remaining in the season, Dartmouth will look to up its record Wednesday against the University of Vermont.
This home game will have particular significance to the Big Green as they will take on a team coached by their former assistant coach, Kelly Blasius.
Blasius, who graduated from Dartmouth in 1993, assisted Dartmouth for two years before taking the head position at Vermont this year.
"It should be interesting," McBean said. "She knows our style of play so well."
The game will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Chase Fields.
